Fined for Driving Unregistered Vehicle - Advice Please [NSW]

Hello!

I got pulled over yesterday for driving a vehicle that has been unregistered since January. I had no idea it was unregistered as I can remember paying for the registration (which, as I have now found out, the payment never actually went through) when I paid for the CTP (I had no issues with this, though). During the last 3 months, I haven't received anything via letter, email or SMS to inform me of any issues with my registration, despite, according to the NSW RMS website, they're supposed to send out a notification informing you that your registration will be cancelled about 2 weeks after the registration expiry date ("You’ll receive written notification of the intention to cancel about two weeks after the expiry date, as a registration renewal reminder notice." - RMS website) as well as notification to hand in your license plates within 14 days of the cancellation date.

The officer has sent out a fine for driving unregistered and another fine for driving uninsured, which I have yet to receive (I'm expecting them within the next day or so). As it's been over 3 months, I had to get a blue slip and transfer my current CTP onto a new 12-month policy for the new registration starting the date of registration (my insurance company said they could do this as they said these last three months on my policy with them have, technically, gone unused due to being unregistered). I'm going in tomorrow to get the car registered (would have today, but was unable to).

I'm just trying to figure out if there is anything I could possibly do about the fines. While I admit I should have checked the registration after it was completed to ensure it was approved (that's on me), I was never informed of any issues with my registration either, even though it specifically states on the website that I should have been. I'm currently on my P2 license and this is my first traffic offense. Is there anything I could do or anyone I could contact about this, even to get a bit of leniency with this?

Thanks, any help is greatly appreciated!

EDIT**
I've got the car fully registered and insured again, so now I'm just waiting on those fines. I just wanted to clarify, I'm aware I won't get out of the fines. At the end of the day, the car was unregistered and uninsured - I've accepted that I'll have to pay regardless on the cirumstances. I'm more so wondering if there was anything I could do to potentially help bring the fines down, if you could even do that in this case. If there's not, then there's not, but there was no harm in asking. Thank you for all of those who actually offered helpful advice.

Comments

  • +23

    Brace yourself for the comments that are coming your way.

    • +1

      Top advice. :D

    • +1

      Ahah, I knew I'd get quite a few rude and/or unhelpful comments, but they weren't nearly as bad as I expected tbh.

  • +1

    which, as I have now found out, the payment never actually went through

    what do you mean it didnt go through?

    • The transaction didn't go through to the RMS, so there are no records of it on my bank statement. I don't know what the issue was though. I had no problems with the transaction for my CTP to my insurance company (GIO) prior. I can't seem to find any way to check history for failed transactions for my bank (commonwealth) either, assuming that's even possible to do.

      • +1

        You get a receipt number on the RMS when you do it. Did you get that and if so what did they say when you quoted it to them? If you didn't get it surely that would be a sign to follow up given it tells you to write it in the provided space on the rego paper.

  • If you payed your green slip okay how can you be charged with driving uninsured?

    • Green slips have a used-by date on them. If it's a 12-month policy, you have 3 months after the registration renewal due date to use the green slip to renew your registration, otherwise, it becomes invalid. Since my green slip was paid for in January for a 12-month policy, and since the vehicle wasn't registered, it's become invalid as it's been more than 3 months now.

  • talk to NSW RMS as to whether they did send out the 2 week warning.

    • I was on the phone to them yesterday and I was told they don't send anything besides the renewal notice one month prior to the renewal date (clearly, this is misinformation). Then when I was in my local branch today, I mentioned not receiving any notifications over the last 3 months about this and I was told they sent a letter on the 20th of April, which I had never received. They didn't mention the 2-week warning though, and I only just found out that they do this, so I didn't ask. I'm going back in today so I'll ask about this, thank you!

    • Just wanted to update - I went into my local branch again today to finish registering the car and I asked them if they had access to a history of letters/emails they had sent out to people so they could tell me what dates they had sent notifications out on regarding the registration. I was told they don't have access to that information, which was weird because, as I said, the day beforehand I was told by another worker in that branch that she could see they sent out a letter on the 20th of April. God knows what's going on with them. You speak to one person, then go speak to another person about the same thing, and you get two completely different answers. Anyway, I was told they do send out a notice stating their intention to cancel the registration about 2 weeks after the expiry date of the rego, and that all of these notifications are automated. They also said that it's really unusual that I didn't receive the letter/email, so idk.

  • +1

    Notification and reminder service for registration renewal
    https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/roads/registration/renew/notifica…

  • Unfortunately not
    Which sux cos I know these fines are very expensive

  • Mate, cop it and move on. You have 2 chances, Buckley’s and none of getting out of it. I have a mate and a work colleague who both have been done and with different situations. One paid the green slip and his wife inadvertently forget to pay the rego. Wrote to the RMS, 20+ years unblemished record etc. fine stood. In the other case the work colleague paid both rego and green slip on the weekend and was pulled over on the weekend. One of the payments didn’t go thru until the Monday. Wrote a 6 page letter to the RMS and showed evidence os such. Reply was bad luck and fine stood.

    Pay the fine and don’t waste your time on a lost cause.

  • +3

    The RMS send out plenty of renewal notices via emails, SMS and mail.

  • Its your responsibility to make sure this is all up to date, you cant assume anything in that context, you should of made sure the payment was successful.

  • +1

    Good luck but unless you have some circumstance which prohibited your access to any of the reminders sent and all methods of payment, you are ultimately responsible to remind yourself and ensure that registration and insurance is paid when due.

    Had a friend return from a 12 month work transfer. Drove the car first day back without thinking (car was maintained during absence) and got pulled over on the tollway. Absolutely no leniency (not that I thought there should be). Had proof of absence (passport entry and exit).

    Your circumstance isn't any more unique.

  • -1

    Pay the fines, register your car and move on. End thread.

  • I would get someone to reconcile my bank accounts as there is no telling what they may find in your case - both good and bad

  • +6

    I know so many people who have been caught and claim they didn't know. I call BS.

    I get bombarded by the RMS with emails and sms's warning me that my rego is due. Normally several sms's in the days immediately before. I guess I'm also careful to check the status after I've paid. When I've paid by Bpay I've received confirmation a few dates after. With 5 cars in the family currently in my name, I get plenty of messages.

    • Yeah, because everyone driving an unregistered and/or uninsured car on the road is fully aware of it and only doing it because they love the risks of living on the edge. I don't see why it's so hard to believe in cases where personal circumstances lead someone to falsely believe their car was registered/insured when they drove it. Like, sure, believe what you want, but I'm on a P2 license (which only comes with 7 demerit points over 3 years), and this is my 3rd year as a licensed driver (meaning I don't have as much experience as other drivers, which also means I'm more likely to be involved in an accident). If I was stupid enough to knowingly drive my car unregistered/uninsured on the road for even a day (and I've been driving it everyday for over 3 months now), knowing the potential fines of driving unregistered/unlicensed, knowing the dangers of driving as an unexperienced P2 driver, knowing I could very well lose my license with only 7 demerit points and knowing I'm uninsured so any potential accident (which is likely) would not be covered, which also means I'd be well out of pocket for any car repairs/hospital bills/etc, especially if the accident was my fault, I would be the first to say I should lose my license completely. As I said, I was unaware until the cop pulled me over the other day, and now that I've been made aware, I've fixed my registration and insurance up.

      I usually don't receive SMS messages from the RMS, but I receive emails and letters. The emails I've received since last December haven't been relevant to my car registration, and I've only received one letter notifying me of the due date for rego one month prior to it. I thought I paid a few days before the due date (19 Jan, I paid 17 Jan). I hadn't heard anything about it until I got pulled over the other day. They say they send out another notification to inform you of the intention to cancel 2 weeks after the expiration date, which I didn't receive. As I said, I should have checked the status, I didn't think about it and that parts on me.

  • +2

    While I admit I should have checked the registration after it was completed to ensure it was approved (that's on me)

    As admitted by you, it's on you.

  • COURT.

    Notifications from RMS are a courtesy.

    You are lucky you didn't get a "TAX" unpaid penalty as well.

    Did you pay via B-Pay? If so, you could use that as support for court. re: The process is you put in all your details, payment method etc. The RMS then send you an email link which you then use to complete the process. Most people do the first part and not the second.

    • This. Notifications to me are a courtesy. I don't understand how some people think it's a valid reason. The onus is on me to remember to pay and ensure payment has gone through. If I forgot to pay my electricity bill and my electricity got cut off, I don't blame the electricity company. If I don't submit a work report by the deadline, it's not my manager's fault for not reminding me.

    • Would you mind explaining what a tax unpaid penalty would be for? Like, what tax is that referring to specifically?

      No, I didn't use B-pay. I paid through the RMS website using my bank card.

      • The RMS hasn't mentioned issues with the payment site at the time? It does happen and they do get cancelled.

        The registration fee has a tax component. Since the vehicle is not registered the tax component therefore was not paid. It's picking at straws. But people who fail the personality test usually get this as well.

        • Not that I recall. I didn't seem to get any errors paying for the registration with it and wasn't notified of it being cancelled. I also paid for the CTP that same day prior via online using my card and there were no issues with that transaction, so I don't think my card was the issue (It was a brand new card I had only just gotten right before January too).

          Ah okay, that makes sense, thanks for explaining!

  • What was you payment method?

  • +1

    lol

  • Pay. Learn. Grow.

  • -2

    Exactly the same circumstances for me last week. Never received a notification that the car was unregistered. Thats putting every road user at risk of not being covered by my insurer, which is a far greater issue. I'm pretty sure everyone would expect Service NSW to notify car owners that their vehicles are uninsured and may be driving illegally!
    Its pretty much a standard business practice in the private sector to keep your clients informed if they've failed to renew or have an overdue payment. Disgraceful administration, but I dare say its completely intentional.

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