how to get your insurance reinstated in 38 easy steps
STEP 1 acquire a spare $90.
STEP 2 go to the local RMV.
STEP 3 ask what is needed to transfer an out of state (oos) license to a mass license (the answer: 4 forms of i.d. including a utility bill that is OVER 60 days old to prove residency.)
STEP 4 dig through this to find EITHER a birth certificate or social security card.
STEP 5 walk to place of business. try and find a utility bill that is OVER 60 days old AND shows current address.
STEP 6 abandon above quest. settle on phone bill from old address (appropriate mailing address for 60 days prior to process.)
STEP 7 return to local RMV.
STEP 8 somehow avoid the crazy line in the "registration" section and move relatively quickly to the "license" counter.
STEP 9 pour out the follow items: birth certificate, u.s passport, out of state drivers license, debit photo card, cell phone statement, check book.
STEPS 10 and 11 (simultaneously) discover that what is needed is a bill that is UNDER 60 days old at current address. discover that computer system for oos transfers is momentarily down.
STEP 12 leave local RMV for second time.
STEP 13 walk back to place of business. try and find a utility bill that is UNDER 60 days old that is in personal name and NOT in the name of said business.
STEP 14 abandon above quest for utility bill. settle on credit card statment at current address from previous month.
STEP 15 return to local RMV a few hours later.
STEP 16 somehow avoid the crazy line in the "registration" section for the second time in a day and move IMMEDIATELY to the "license" counter.
STEP 17 pour out the follow items: birth certificate, u.s. passport, out of state drivers license, debit photo card, credit card statement, notice from us post office of "change of address" (unopened,) check book.
STEP 18 discover that credit card bills do not count toward proof of residence.
STEP 19 convince RMV employee that between everything that you have given her...you do actually live here. to which she begrudgingly accepts the post office notice.
STEP 20 write check for $90. receive temporary license.
STEP 21 leave local RMV for third time.
STEP 22 wait one business day and then call local insurance company. explain situation.
STEP 23 wait one more business day. drive to local insurance company. fill out mountain of paperwork. write another check.
STEP 24 revel (albeit briefly) in fact that for the first time in 6 months, you are insured (pending.)
STEP 25 return to local RMV.
STEP 26 fail to avoid crazy "registration" line. take number.
STEP 27 sit next to nutcase lady who thinks she knows everyone in the place.
STEP 28 force a smile everytime said lady asks loudly "is it my turn yet?"
repeat STEP 28 as many times as necessary. it may reach or exceed a dozen times. be prepared
STEP 29 prepare yourself for the very real possibility of not only having to replace your auto plates (which aren't even a year old) but also going through your 4th vehicle inspection in under 2 years to complete re-registration.
STEP 30 go to window after 45 minute wait.
STEP 31 be surprised by relative ease in which transaction is handled.
STEP 32 write yet another check.
STEP 33 revel (albeit briefly) in fact that plates remain unchanged and 4th inspection isn't necessary.
STEP 34 leave local RMV for 4th time in 3 days.
STEP 35 take newly insured (pending) car to local "pre-inspection" place. in this instance, a glass shop.
STEP 36 get free "pre-inspection" complete with notice of broken windshield. (which, of course, occured shortly after original insurance was revoked.)
STEP 37 write yet another check. *
upon completion of new windshield install: STEP 38 get "pre-inspection" signed off. *
...and VIOLA! you are insured in the commonwealth of massachusetts.
it's THAT easy.
* - steps pending. to be completed in the next few days.
STEP 2 go to the local RMV.
STEP 3 ask what is needed to transfer an out of state (oos) license to a mass license (the answer: 4 forms of i.d. including a utility bill that is OVER 60 days old to prove residency.)
STEP 4 dig through this to find EITHER a birth certificate or social security card.
STEP 5 walk to place of business. try and find a utility bill that is OVER 60 days old AND shows current address.
STEP 6 abandon above quest. settle on phone bill from old address (appropriate mailing address for 60 days prior to process.)
STEP 7 return to local RMV.
STEP 8 somehow avoid the crazy line in the "registration" section and move relatively quickly to the "license" counter.
STEP 9 pour out the follow items: birth certificate, u.s passport, out of state drivers license, debit photo card, cell phone statement, check book.
STEPS 10 and 11 (simultaneously) discover that what is needed is a bill that is UNDER 60 days old at current address. discover that computer system for oos transfers is momentarily down.
STEP 12 leave local RMV for second time.
STEP 13 walk back to place of business. try and find a utility bill that is UNDER 60 days old that is in personal name and NOT in the name of said business.
STEP 14 abandon above quest for utility bill. settle on credit card statment at current address from previous month.
STEP 15 return to local RMV a few hours later.
STEP 16 somehow avoid the crazy line in the "registration" section for the second time in a day and move IMMEDIATELY to the "license" counter.
STEP 17 pour out the follow items: birth certificate, u.s. passport, out of state drivers license, debit photo card, credit card statement, notice from us post office of "change of address" (unopened,) check book.
STEP 18 discover that credit card bills do not count toward proof of residence.
STEP 19 convince RMV employee that between everything that you have given her...you do actually live here. to which she begrudgingly accepts the post office notice.
STEP 20 write check for $90. receive temporary license.
STEP 21 leave local RMV for third time.
STEP 22 wait one business day and then call local insurance company. explain situation.
STEP 23 wait one more business day. drive to local insurance company. fill out mountain of paperwork. write another check.
STEP 24 revel (albeit briefly) in fact that for the first time in 6 months, you are insured (pending.)
STEP 25 return to local RMV.
STEP 26 fail to avoid crazy "registration" line. take number.
STEP 27 sit next to nutcase lady who thinks she knows everyone in the place.
STEP 28 force a smile everytime said lady asks loudly "is it my turn yet?"
repeat STEP 28 as many times as necessary. it may reach or exceed a dozen times. be prepared
STEP 29 prepare yourself for the very real possibility of not only having to replace your auto plates (which aren't even a year old) but also going through your 4th vehicle inspection in under 2 years to complete re-registration.
STEP 30 go to window after 45 minute wait.
STEP 31 be surprised by relative ease in which transaction is handled.
STEP 32 write yet another check.
STEP 33 revel (albeit briefly) in fact that plates remain unchanged and 4th inspection isn't necessary.
STEP 34 leave local RMV for 4th time in 3 days.
STEP 35 take newly insured (pending) car to local "pre-inspection" place. in this instance, a glass shop.
STEP 36 get free "pre-inspection" complete with notice of broken windshield. (which, of course, occured shortly after original insurance was revoked.)
STEP 37 write yet another check. *
upon completion of new windshield install: STEP 38 get "pre-inspection" signed off. *
...and VIOLA! you are insured in the commonwealth of massachusetts.
it's THAT easy.
* - steps pending. to be completed in the next few days.
posted by cade at 1:29 PM
11 Comments:
I guess the good news is that the RMV is only down the street and not in a different town. That would truly stink.
...and it's air conditioned.
but i still hate it.
thats completely understood.
remember, I stood in line at my license office last week for an hour to renew my plates because their new online service only works for "some people" - which apparently i am not.
i wonder if it's possible to compile this instruction list into a repetitive cycle, where at the end of each cycle you're given a new criteria to complete, and are then moved back to the beginning of the cycle. of course, the criteria are always changing, and at any given iteration of the cycle, it is IMPOSSIBLE to know what the criteria for the completion of the next cycle will be.
oh, massachusetts. just wait until you get the bill for your "Excise Tax". then you'll be REALLY happy!
it's so close to the truth, kp. you can't get insurance unless you are registered. you can't get registered unless you have insurance. so on. so forth.
as for the excise tax. oh, i paid it. and this year i had the extra pleasure of paying it AFTER they cancelled my insurance.
brilliant.
i read that mass is putting together universal health care for all res. part of the plan, as i read it, is that if you don't have insurance and are able to afford it you will be fined. so...
i am looking forward to the cade effect and a "how to get your health insurance in 38 easy steps..."
even better: how to prove to the state that you CANT afford it.
"STEP 4 dig through this to find EITHER a birth certificate or social security card."
What the...? WHY? How'd you get that kind of pile!? I thought I was winning in the 'keep the Feed Lot alive' contest...
"even better: how to prove to the state that you CANT afford it."
Just lobby your boss at the record store to...oh, nevermind...
For what it's worth, I'm neither insured through my employer nor my own boss. Yeah, I know it doesn't help. Sorry, man.
For a real larf, watch an episode of "This Old House"-you can always tell when they are in MA, even if they don't say it, by the amount of times they say things like, "Okay this is pending a town board review...The inspector is coming between 9am and 3pm today to look at the roof...this was revoked, so we can't have a deck...wetlands...applied for two licenses, one to do this, one to do that...".
that's great. "pending a town review." classic.
d-man- the "pile" is due to an ongoing renovation at my "current" residence. it doesn't normally look like this. 4 rooms worth of stuff (including most of my stuff) has been moved into 2 rooms. essentially what you are looking at is one of those rooms...the one with my birth certificate in it.
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