Who should pay this ticket?
Boyfriend was driving my car and got a ticket because I don’t have a front license plate. (I knew there was a law about it but assumed it wasn’t enforced—I don’t even have a place on the bumper to attach the plate.)
He told me about the ticket, showed it to me, and then either he or I lost it. I didn’t know how or when to pay it since I no longer had a copy.
A copy was sent to his parents’ house, so his dad emailed him all the information. I didn’t know he had an extra copy (with the deadline to pay!) until he told me the deadline had passed this morning, and it’s going to be an extra $300.
So….do I have to pay for a ticket he got? What about the additional $300?
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20 Answers
You pay the original. He pays the extra. Drill some screws in your front bumper and mount the plate.
If your the owner and responsible for upkeep of the car and who you let drive it, you could argue its you. However as a fully licensed driver he assumes responsibility for the car he’s driving, so you could argue its him. Guess it depends on local legislation and internal agreement.
Be nice to each other and pay half. It all evens out in the end if you are lurvers.
Oh wait… didn’t see that “either you or he” lost it. If you lost it, you pay 100%.
I think if the ticket is in his name he is responsible for it. It will be his drivers license that is suspended & the failure to appear is his. However, is it worth losing the relationship over just to prove your right?
I agree with Gail on this one, split it & be kind too one another. Your relationship will last longer.
Also, since we seem to be trading barbs lately on how to conduct a relationship, I’ll add that I find it fairly childish that you’ve attempted to stick your boyfriend with the consequences of your willful ignorance.
Split it between the two of you. And find a way to put a license plate.
Hey now, my willful ignorance causes plenty of problems that I pawn off on people who aren’t my boyfriend.
@kevbo – isn’t he just as responsible for willful ignorance since he was the one driving the car? Shouldn’t he take some responsibility for the legality of the vehicle he’s driving when he’s driving it??
In California, I think this would have been a fix-it ticket & you might not have had to pay much if you had shown it fixed. You can still gi to court & explain what happened to a judge & he might reduce the fine.
IMHO – whoevers name is on the ticket is who will be held responsible for the fine. It is that persons license in jeopardy if it’s not paid.
@nik, This coming from the same person who purportedly doesn’t condone manipulation.
@Luna, Legally, he’s 100% responsible, I’m sure, but come on. So, rather than doing the right thing, let’s just all live our lives by the letter of the law. We can all just do walk around inspections every time we get into a car. Perhaps we can each tuck in our sun visors blank copies of waivers for guest drivers to sign stating that they’re responsible for anything that goes wrong, and guest drivers can have car owners sign waivers to the same effect. In fact, we can all incorporate so that we’re not personally responsible but the LLC named after us is, in fact, the responsible party. How happy a world that would be.
Tell him he needs to drive more carefully before he drives your car again. BUT, if you’re the nice type tell him it’s alright, pat him on the back and tell him to bring you out to the fanciest restaurant in town in exchange for one of the tickets. Although you SHOULD pay one off yourself.
I think you should split the cost for a few reasons.
1. It’s your responsibilty to have the plate on the car.
2. He takes equal responibility by driving it illegally.
3. You both were aware of the ticket, so no matter who lost it, the extra fee should go to both of you.
@Kev—I don’t think I was clear. What I was trying to say is that if the ticket was in my name, I would have made darn sure it was paid because it is MY license & ability to drive at risk, not anyone elses. I have to take that responsibility if its in my name. The negotiation of who should pay for what and doing the right thing is secondary.
Bottom line—if she wants to be a bitch & not pay anything it’s ultimately his problem. I didn’t say that was the right thing to do. I personally feel they both have a responsibility in the issue; hence, I feel a compromise is best. Just my opinion.
Sheesh, Kev. I’m just saying I have enough ignorance to go around.
to fix the problem of getting a ticket in the future go buy a license relocater kit off ebay for 9.99.
Because you quite possibly could have lost it, but he failed to let you know about the late fee date, I think you should pay the ticket and he should pay only half of the late fee.
It takes all kinds of people, if everyone was the same it would be a very boring, horrific world. Since implantation of credit cards on chips under our skin has not started yet and we are not installing computers in our brains yet, I would say to do what you want to do. Enjoy your freedom of choice, but try to avoid expensive legal trouble. Who usually pays when you both go to a restaurant?
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