http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/daily/detail/0,1136,26000000000118924,00.html

Broward trying to get fines waived for drivers with expired auto tags

By BRITTANY WALLMAN Sun-Sentinel Web-posted: 11:55 p.m. Jan. 6, 2000

They're the least likely ones to offer to fix your traffic ticket. But Broward County officials say they hope to meet with county administrative Judge Jay Spechler to see whether drivers ticketed unfairly for expired tags can have their fees waived. A new statewide computer system is so slow, the county is backlogged by weeks in processing auto-tag renewals. Some drivers are getting $41 citations for driving with expired tags, while their payment for a new sticker sits in a pile at the county mailroom. Broward County Finance Director Phil Allen sent a memo on Thursday to law-enforcement agencies explaining the problem and urging leniency. "Based on current backlogs, I would suggest you consider a tag current if it is within one month of the past expiration date," Allen wrote. Spechler couldn't be reached for comment on Thursday about the fee-waiving proposal, but he has said he would share the county's woes with fellow judges at a statewide conference this month. He also said judges likely would take into consideration, when dealing with those fighting their tickets, the county's admission that a new, Year 2000-compliant computer system created by the state has caused problems. The problem is that the $30 million computer system is slower, and staff have to key in a lot of new data to create files for each driver. The old system's data could not all be transferred to the new one. So for the first year it's in place, the process will be slow. After that, in September, most files will just have to be updated, rather than created, and it will be faster. Some residents have complained they never received their renewal postcard and did not know what to do. Allen said the state sent the wrong county's postcard renewal forms to Broward and sent Broward's somewhere else -- then insisted Broward just mail cards to another county's residents. Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), January 07, 2000

Answers

I hear John Krepansky was in Florida today and fixed the problem.

Way to go John!

You're the man!

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), January 07, 2000.

The new system is compliant. Ergo, it is not a year 2000 problem! Right?

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), January 07, 2000.

This is the second year that my FL tag renewal has failed to arrive.

-- james hyde (hydesci@gte.net), January 07, 2000.

If this was a private enterprise, would they slowly be loosing money?

-- Earl (earl.shuholm@worldnet.att.net), January 07, 2000.

This is very interesting. It had just dawned on me earlier this morning that I haven't received a renewal notice for my tag which will expire on Jan 14. It will be interesting to see what state the tax collector's office is in next week when I go to renew my tag.

-- Space Coaster (lee@brevard.net), January 07, 2000.