City of Laguna Beach c/o Citation Processing Center Sent me 2 Citations for a vehicle I purchased over a year later and insist that I pay their compounding "Total Due Now" Laguna Beach CA
I purchased a used VW early August 2017 when I first moved to California. I started the registration process at AAA and was told I'd need to "smog" the car to complete the process. I returned a few months later with my smog document and completed the process. My registration started the day I first visited AAA, August 8, 2017.
On May 3, 2018, I received two "Official Courtesy Notice Unpaid Parking Citation(s)". One was for an expired registration ($43) and the other for an expired meter ($43), both written May 15, 2016, long before I purchased the car. I submitted an appeal with ample documentation supporting my purchase date including information I had on the prior owner in an attempt to clear up this obvious misunderstanding. As a result of the "Administrative Review", the expired registration amount due was reduced from $43 to $10. They refused to offer any adjustment for the expired meter charge.
I subsequently received "Official Notice of Delinquent Parking Citation(s)" dated July 26, 2018 for both of the original charges. However, the expired meter went up to $77 and the expired registration was back up to $44. The new documentation threatened "vehicle impoundment" if I failed to submit payment within fifteen days.
So I made an official request of CA DMV for the Vehicle Registration Information which I expected to show the history of ownership, etc., Information that should exhonerate me. Well the "Certified Document" arrived and it doesn't detail the transfer of ownership or the prior owner information at all. It shows some line item "Clearance Information Records" with dates. I'm submitting it to them, but don't expect it will help.
I had a long call with a technician at the Citation Processing Center today. He said that I should request a copy of the official "Release of Liability" form that should have been submitted to DMV with my registration. I've been on hold for over two hours already with the CA DMV Sacramento office 800-777-0133.
I don't know if I'll live long enough to clear this crazy situation up.