...but no love from NY.

Background story:

My car's been parked in New York while I've been overseas. Former governor Pataki signed an executive order directing the DMV to make nice with military and vehicle registrations and the like. The DMV, rather than sort out the differences between active duty military and activated reservists, gave benefits to all military personnel who are not permanently stationed in New York. You don't have to get your car re-inspected in New York, or re-registered until you return permanently or PCS to NY, and then you have 60 days afterwards to do it.

This means I should not have gotten tickets.

I just got a box of mail, however, and in it we have the following tickets:

6/9/08-Registration sticker expired-$65 N. Snyder
6/9/08-Insurance sticker expired- $65 N. Snyder
8/13/08- Registration sticker expired-$65 S. Sinnathamby
8/13/08- Insurance sticker expired-$65 S.Sinnathamby
3/27/08-Registration sticker expired-$65 M.Ahammed
3/27/08-Insurance sticker expired-$65 M. Ahammed
4/04/08-Registration sticker expired-$65 A. Syed
4/04/08-Ins sticker expired-$65 A Syed
4/03/08-Insurance sticker expired-$65 S. Squires
4/03/08-Registration sticker expired-$65 S. Squires
6/02/08-Ins. sticker expired-$65 N. Snyder
6/02/08-Reg. sticker expired-$65 N. Snyder
4/05/08-Reg sticker expired-$65 N. Reid

The state of New York apparently thinks I owe them $845 dollars. That's because the state of New York (and all the enforcers who've been walking by and ignoring the gigantic signs my mother made saying "my daughter is overseas and this car hasn't moved for months) are apparently smoking crack.

Sons of whores.

This is the hard thing. Yeah, you get a lot of perk benefits in the military, but try convincing people of them. For those of you who say "why not just get the car re-registered", the New York DMV refuses to acknowledge military addresses (APO AE) as valid. I called and asked. They said it's not a real address. After incoherent shouting, I decided it was not good for my blood pressure to continue the discussion.

However, since I'm not planning on driving here, I think I'll just hold my German and international driver's licenses close until I can get all this sorted out.