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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

HOT TOPICS:

▪ Virginia DMV extends renewal date for customers after IT systems failure

▪ Vermont wants to replace faded license plates

▪ Indiana Gov. announces changes at DMV amid $2M in overcharges

Story on…

Virginia DMV extends renewal date for customers after IT systems failure

WWBT NBC12 News

DMV extends renewal date for customers after IT systems failure

Posted: Jan 31, 2015 8:50 AM EST

Updated: Jan 31, 2015 7:19 PM EST

By Shawn Maclauchlan

Updated by Robin Wicker

HENRICO, VA (WWBT) - Governor Terry McAuliffe is extending the validity of Virginia credentials due to expire between January 31st and February 6th after the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles was forced to close many offices Saturday after experiencing IT problems.

Customers now have until February 7th to renew credentials. DMV will also waive any late fees that would normally be associated with late renewals.

The credentials affected by the IT failure include all types of driver's licenses, identification cards, and January vehicle registrations. DMV has notified law enforcement of the extended renewal date and has asked that no action be taken against individuals who may have been affected by the systems failure.

The DMV says systems were recovered after a service failure of the state's IT service provider and that some systems operated slow. DMV was eventually able to open all service centers in Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico except for East Henrico and North Henrico. Offices that did open, extended operating hours until 1 p.m. to assist customers.

"On the last day of the month, DMV offices will be extraordinarily busy," said Brandy Brubaker with the DMV. "We appreciate our customers' patience."

Several viewers reported seeing notices in the windows of the closed DMV offices.

"I wanted to share this handwritten sign that we found at the Eastern Henrico DMV when we went to take a driving test," said Kandise Lucas, after she arrived at the DMV office to find the doors shut. "What about customers who have to have registration, licenses, and other business taken care of by today?"

DMV says you can see if your local customer service center is open by visiting . They encourage those who can complete their business online to use their website. More than 30 transactions are available online.

Story on…

Vermont wants to replace faded license plates

North Country Public Radio

Vermont wants to replace faded license plates

by The Associated Press

Feb 03, 2015

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) The Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles wants motorists to replace faded license plates.

The state says plates that have faded to the point they are hard to read must be replaced.

The department says a problem with the manufacturing process of plates produced between 2003 and 2005 may cause fading. State law allows those plates to be replaced at no cost to the owner.

Owners of vehicles with faded plates should fill out a form available on the department's website.

Owners will receive a new plate number unless they have a vanity or a plate with four digits or less. If an owner of a vehicle that has other plates wishes to keep their current registration number they must pay $10 per plate.

Story on…

Indiana Gov. announces changes at DMV amid $2M in overcharges

WANE

Pence announces changes at BMV amid $2M in overcharges

By WISH Staff Reports

Published: February 2, 2015, 12:29 pm | Updated: February 2, 2015, 3:56 pm

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — For the third time in as many years, Indiana’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles has a new commissioner. The change comes as yet another set of overcharging problems was announced at the agency Monday.

The latest overcharges, announced by Gov. Mike Pence at a hastily assembled news conference Monday, add up to about $2 million. Approximately 29,000 Hoosier drivers were overcharged, the agency said in a news release Monday.

The largest set of overcharges revolves around “reinstatement fees” paid by drivers accused of driving without insurance who later proved they did have insurance coverage at the time.

The overcharges include:

• $1.2 million in refunds to approximately 6,200 drivers overcharged on insurance reinstatement fees

• $450,000 in refunds and credits to 21,000 people overcharged on delinquent fees for mobile and manufactured home titles

• $26,000 in refunds to 2,600 drivers overcharged on a variety of fees, including antique motor vehicle excise taxes, wheel taxes in Elkhart, Green and Henry counties, amended amateur radio license plates, amended antique year-of-manufacture license plates, replacement off-road vehicle decals, replacement snowmobile decals and photograph fees

• An unknown amount and number of drivers overcharged on excise taxes for recreational vehicles and motorcycles

The overcharges were identified by independent auditing firm BKD Consulting, which was hired by the BMV in September to audit the agency’s financial structure, including the computer system responsible for $29 million in excise tax overcharges announced in September 2014.

In that case, the BMV admitted it had misclassified some 180,000 vehicles since 2004, causing excise taxes to be improperly calculated. Refunds to those drivers were then also calculated incorrectly, causing the agency to ask thousands of drivers to return a portion of the money they had been refunded.

The BMV’s financial problems began following a series of I-Team 8 investigations in 2012, including one that identified new questions over whether a number of fees were being charged at rates higher than allowed by state law.

That finding followed an admission from the agency the prior month that it had been overcharging many drivers for operators licenses since 2007. Those drivers were issued small refunds as part of a separate $30 million settlement.

A second, ongoing class action lawsuit alleges that the BMV is also responsible for additional overcharges on everything from vehicle registrations to motorcycle endorsements, personalized license plate fees and chauffeurs licenses. A hearing scheduled for Monday in that case was changed to an attorneys only status conference.

Pence also noted that BKD’s intial audit findings uncovered approximately $13 million in undercharges at the agency. A BMV tweet later clarified that the undercharges represent $13 million annually, for a total of $78 million undercharged over the last six years.

The BMV will not seek to recoup that money from drivers, Pence said Monday.

“The State Treasury does take a hit from this,” he said. “But, let me be clear: this administration will not pursue (that money).”

Following the announcement of the latest round of financial miscalculations at the agency, Pence also announced a change at the top. Current Commissioner Don Snemis, appointed by Pence shortly after he took office, will be replaced by Kent Abernathy.

Pence was quick to praise Snemis as “one of the most accomplished attorneys in Indiana,” and said he had made great strides in “righting the ship” in the recently maligned agency.

“Since becoming commissioner, he knows my aim has been simple: make the back office work as well as the front office,” Pence said.

Snemis will be reassigned to serve as special counsel for program integrity at the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Pence announced.

Abernathy moves to the BMV from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, where he has served as chief of staff since 2010. Prior to that, Abernathy served as interim director of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Washington Liason office, and held leadership positions in the Pentagon and while on active duty in Iraq. He has also held business positions as vice president of National City Bank and vice president of Bank One, according to the governor’s office.

He begins as commissioner on Feb. 12.

The outside audit by BKD that was scheduled to be completed in October 2015 will now be complete by May 1, Pence announced Monday. The results of the full audit will be made public, he said.[pic][pic]

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Department of Motor Vehicles

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Wethersfield, CT. 06161

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