HOUSE BILL No. 6299

 

November 4, 2004, Introduced by Rep. Byrum and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan vehicle code,"                                                    

                                                                                

    by amending section 255 (MCL 257.255), as amended by 2003 PA 9.             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 255.  (1) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter,                

                                                                                

2   a person shall not operate, nor shall an owner knowingly permit             

                                                                                

3   to be operated, upon any highway, a vehicle required to be                  

                                                                                

4   registered under this act unless there is attached to and                   

                                                                                

5   displayed on the vehicle, as required by this chapter, a valid              

                                                                                

6   registration plate issued for the vehicle by the department for             

                                                                                

7   the current registration year.  A registration plate shall not be           

                                                                                

8   required upon any wrecked or disabled vehicle, or vehicle                   

                                                                                

9   destined for repair or junking,  which  that is being transported           

                                                                                

10  or drawn upon a highway by a wrecker or a registered motor                  

                                                                                

11  vehicle.                                                                    

                                                                                


                                                                                

1       (2) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person                  

                                                                                

2   who violates subsection (1) is responsible for a civil                      

                                                                                

3   infraction.  However, if the vehicle is a commercial vehicle                

                                                                                

4   which  that is required to be registered according to the                  

                                                                                

5   schedule of elected gross vehicle weights under section                     

                                                                                

6   801(1)(k),  the  all of the following apply:                                

                                                                                

7       (a) The person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by                     

                                                                                

8   imprisonment for not more than 90 days or a fine of not more than           

                                                                                

9   $500.00, or both.                                                           

                                                                                

10      (b) A police officer may impound the vehicle until a valid                  

                                                                                

11  registration is obtained.  If the vehicle is impounded, the                 

                                                                                

12  towing and storage costs of the vehicle and the care or                     

                                                                                

13  preservation of the load in the vehicle shall be the owner's                

                                                                                

14  responsibility.  Vehicles impounded shall be subject to a lien in           

                                                                                

15  the amount of the fee and any fine and costs incurred under this            

                                                                                

16  subsection, subject to a valid lien of prior record.  If the fee,           

                                                                                

17  fine, and costs are not paid within 90 days after impoundment,              

                                                                                

18  then following a hearing before the judge or magistrate who                 

                                                                                

19  imposed the fee, fine, and costs, the judge or magistrate shall             

                                                                                

20  certify the unpaid judgment to the prosecuting attorney of the              

                                                                                

21  county in which the violation occurred.  The prosecuting attorney           

                                                                                

22  shall enforce the lien by foreclosure sale in accordance with the           

                                                                                

23  procedure authorized by law for chattel mortgage foreclosures.              

                                                                                

24      (c) In addition to any other penalty imposed under this                     

                                                                                

25  subsection, the person shall pay to the court a fee equal to the            

                                                                                

26  total tax the person would have paid to properly register the               

                                                                                

27  vehicle under section 801(1)(k) from the date of the expiration             


                                                                                

1   of the most recent registration of the vehicle to the date on               

                                                                                

2   which the person received a citation for the violation of                   

                                                                                

3   subsection (1), excluding any 3-month, 6-month, or 1-year period            

                                                                                

4   when the vehicle was not in use.  However, the fee imposed under            

                                                                                

5   this subdivision shall not exceed the total tax the person would            

                                                                                

6   have paid to properly register the vehicle under section                    

                                                                                

7   801(1)(k) for 1 year.  The court shall transfer any fee required            

                                                                                

8   to be paid under this subdivision to the transportation                     

                                                                                

9   administration collection fund created under section 810b.                  

                                                                                

10      (3) A person who operates a vehicle licensed under the                      

                                                                                

11  international registration plan and does not have a valid                   

                                                                                

12  registration due to nonpayment of the apportioned fee is guilty             

                                                                                

13  of a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than 90           

                                                                                

14  days, or by a fine of not more than $100.00, or both.  In                   

                                                                                

15  addition, a police officer may impound the vehicle until a valid            

                                                                                

16  registration is obtained.  If the vehicle is impounded, the                 

                                                                                

17  towing and storage costs of the vehicle  ,  and the care or                 

                                                                                

18  preservation of the load in the vehicle shall be the owner's                

                                                                                

19  responsibility.  Vehicles impounded shall be subject to a lien in           

                                                                                

20  the amount of the apportioned fee and any fine and costs incurred           

                                                                                

21  under this subsection, subject to a valid lien of prior record.             

                                                                                

22  If the apportioned fee, fine, and costs are not paid within 90              

                                                                                

23  days after impoundment, then following a hearing before the judge           

                                                                                

24  or magistrate who imposed the fine and costs, the judge or                  

                                                                                

25  magistrate shall certify the unpaid judgment to the prosecuting             

                                                                                

26  attorney of the county in which the violation occurred.  The                

                                                                                

27  prosecuting attorney shall enforce the lien by foreclosure sale             


                                                                                

1   in accordance with the procedure authorized by law for chattel              

                                                                                

2   mortgage foreclosures.