Need name of Lady in charge of SB100 Program in Sacramento

ByronRACE · #1 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 12:59 PM

So I went down to the DMV today to get a TOP for my car, and once again was verbally attacked by Sandy Hastings, the authoritarian in charge down there. It seems SB-100 is some sort of radar queue for her...she bee-lined for me from 20ft away when she heard SB-100.

She told me (again, like she did in 2004) that my SB-100 was INVALID because it was issued in 2005, and it's now 2006, and they're only good for one year...so it was a waste of their time to issue a TOP.

I calmly informed her that she and I had this discussion in late 2004, and to give her the benefit of the doubt I went ahead and stood in line Jan 2nd and got another 2005 SB-100, that I later found out I didn't need...and deprived someone else of.

I reminded her that I had already pursued this with Sacramento after I was finally able to speak with someone in late January, and spoke with the woman in charge (whose name I can't remember) who already called down to the Los Gatos DMV and already resolved this misunderstanding.

She then barked that she had no recollection of such things and that I don't know what I'm talking about; SB100's are only good for one year. That's the way it always has been, and that's the way it is.

Then, she stormed off. Then, the clerk handed me (much to my disbelief) a temporary operating permit good until the END OF SEPTEMBER!

?!?!

So anyway, I'd really appreciate anyone that happens to know the name of the woman in charge in Sacramento. I'd like to make contact again and let her know that Sandy is in desperate need of education regarding SB-100; the entire staff at the Los Gatos DMV believes SB-100 numbers are good for 1yr and 1yr only and are probably responsible for wasting a good 10-25 numbers a year by making people get new ones.

Byron

jmarsey · #2 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 01:26 PM

Byron,

You have mail.

Randy Rosenberg · #3 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 01:28 PM

Byron, run (don't walk) to another DMV office. There's no need for you to continue a fight like this against such stubborn incompetence. In addition, you don't them screwing up your title. So, do yourself a favor and go to another DMV office. My only experience is with the one in Fremont, and I know that the one in the Pleasanton/Dublin/San Ramon area is very familiar with SB100. Some other guys may have a recommendation for an office in the South Bay, closer to you.

Good luck,
Randy R...

bmalone · #4 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 01:31 PM

Byron, is it true that an SB-100 number is valid beyond one year? I would really like to know the answer to that question.
I agree with Randy; use another office.

ByronRACE · #5 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 01:46 PM

The answer I was given in late 2004 is that once issued a sequence number, it's good until they decide its not. At that time, they were honoring EVERY SB-100 that had ever been issued, no matter how long it took to complete the registration.

I'd also like to add that I just spoke with the BAR appointment desk today, and they confirmed that they're accepting appointments for SB-100 numbers that were issued even back to the first year of the program...she made an appointment for someone that had a 2003 number today.

ByronRACE · #6 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Rosenberg

Byron, run (don't walk) to another DMV office. There's no need for you to continue a fight like this against such stubborn incompetence. In addition, you don't them screwing up your title. So, do yourself a favor and go to another DMV office. My only experience is with the one in Fremont, and I know that the one in the Pleasanton/Dublin/San Ramon area is very familiar with SB100. Some other guys may have a recommendation for an office in the South Bay, closer to you.

Good luck,
Randy R...

The LG DMV is 5 minutes from my place of work, hence the continued self abuse. It also bothers me to think that there are likely many others like me that have wasted valuable sequence numbers...because of this office, and Sandy Hastings. For that reason alone, I'll pursue it as far as I can.

jmarsey · #7 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 02:55 PM

Folks,

I went through this issue back in '04 and was scolded by Sacramento for not having my car ready in the year of my sequence number, for whatever bs-excuse I gave them.

The original intent of the SB-100 process, and I believe still is, was to allocate sequence numbers to cars that were reasonably ready to be registered in that particular year, and not to uncompleted cars that might get, or planned to get, finished in said year. Many of us took advantage of this loop hole by securing a number in January and registering our cars in December. Some of us even got “extensions”, which don’t exist, into the following year. You just paid the next years fees and hoped the sequence number went through when they sent it to Sacramento the day you were trying to get a license plate.

The point is, even if Sac is currently saying they are honoring all unused sequence numbers of any year, it was clearly not the intension at the conception of SB-100 . Also, not fair to the folks who have turn key cars and have to wait because of guys like us lucky enough to secure a number with a garage full of cobra parts and a lot of hope.

If folks start thinking all they have to do is get a sequence number and it’s good for any year in the future, there won't be any numbers left for the ones who actually have cars.

Don't be too hard on old Sandy H, even if she is a b#*%h. She is actually doing us a favor by motivating you to get your car done. We are the ones at fault by not registering our cars in the given year and confusing the process.

Get your cars done and registered ASAP before they change or cut SB-100. I was lucky but didn't exactly play by the rules either.

For what it's worth, John

Randy Rosenberg · #8 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 03:06 PM

Byron, When I had a problem with my title and needed to get the vin "re-verified", I called the Hayward CHP, just as the DMV told me to do. Over the phone I spoke with the vin guy at the CHP and explained to him my problem and how I needed his help to re-verify the vin. Well, he was a real piece - after I explained my situation, he went on to tell me that if I brought my car to him and if he found anything that was the slightestly suspicious, he would impound my car immediately. Well, of course my title was suspicious - that was why I was trying to correct it (SB1578). So, I hung up the phone quickly and decided (obviously) not to there. I called the Redwood City CHP, and explained my story and they agreed to re-verify my vin, until they learned that I didn't live in Redwood City - they told that they couldn't re-verify my vin because I was in Alameda county, and they told to call Hayward. Oy! Not going there... So I called San Jose CHP, and they were more than helpful.

Sure, I could have called Sacramento and gotten them to explain to the idiot in Hayward what needed to be done and why and blah, blah, blah, but at the end of the day, it was the title to my car that needed proper handling. And I was not going to go through not only hassles of "fighting the man", but of the potential of loosing my car to an impound crazy idiot.

I've been thru my share of titling problems with my car, and I can tell you (and everyone else reading this) that it is my advice that you look out for #1. Your friend Sandy at the AG DMV could put a permanent hold your title if you piss her off by trying to go over her head by engaging Sacramento directly. I'm not sure if you want to risk that. I appreciate the battle, but I'm not sure you understand the risks of one man with an SPCN against a power hunger, stubborn DMV manager. Maybe you do.

Again, I stand by my advice, run (don't walk) to another DMV office.

Good luck,
Randy R...

ByronRACE · #9 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 03:07 PM

I'd like to actually read senate bill 100 if anyone knows where to find it.

According to the Sacramento "in charge" contact I spoke with in late 2004, the purpose of the allocation process was to regulate the allocation to 500 a year per SB-100. Nothing more, nothing less. She said at that time that the spirit of SB-100 was simply to regulate allocation, not enforce completion. We talked about this at length.

bmalone · #10 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 03:19 PM

I HAD a car when I applied for Sb-100 this year. I EXPECT to complete it this year. Just trying to elicit some facts so I can weigh all the options.
Good luck, Byron.

ByronRACE · #11 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 04:08 PM

Let me just reiterate. I don't have a problem with the registration process of my car. My reason for requesting a name for the "person in charge of SB-100 in Sacramento" is so I can pick up a discussion we had in late 2004, to hopefully prevent yet more problems for the kit-car builder being generated out of the los gatos DMV.

I'm personally covered. I have TWO (sadly) SB-100 numbers for my car, and appointments through the end of my registration process...I'll soon be done.

But, in the process I've wasted one of the rare sequence numbers due to misinformation provided by Ms. Hastings of the Los Gatos DMV in 2004...and it's now 2006 and she's still spreading the same misinformation that lead to wasted SB100 allocation. I think the least I can do is at least TRY to prevent this from recurring.

It's been suggested that her behavior is somehow encouraging us to complete our cars. Maybe, but it's definitely causing unnecessary multiple allocation of sequence numbers to the same car thus wasting spots for others. In my opinion, this waste is far worse for the fellow hobbyist than any amount of encouragement. That's why I want to know who is in charge in Sacramento, to try to "right" some of the "wrong" that I've been a part of.

What I'd really like to see happen is some way to put an unused SB-100 number back into the pool; or transfer it to a new owner. That should also be in the spirit of the program...but there's no way to do that either. I'll raise that point as well. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to give that unused SB-100 # I have to another builder.

Byron

xlr8or · #12 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 06:23 PM

I got my SB100 number in 2005 but didn't get the car finished and registered until Feb 2006. I just had to go back and pay up the current reg fees for 2006 to get a TOP to drive the car to CHP and BAR. No hassles, no questions.

stevem · #13 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 08:15 PM

When I got my SB100 this year in Corta Madera there was a guy who stayed to check if his 2005 SB100 number was still good in 2006 and the answer was yes , it is good until you use it. Suggest you find a better DMV, I incountered no problems even though like Randy my car had been illegally registered and I had to forfeit my title and registration. Thanks to Randy and others I found the process to be no big deal other than the months that it took. Good luck, at least once it is registered its over.

Greg tripp · #14 (**permalink**) 06-14-2006, 09:28 PM

Was ( Is ) Laura Tremble at sac. "The Sarge In Charge!"

Greg

ByronRACE · #15 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 11:56 AM

Senate Bill 100 for any that wish to read it.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/po...or=johannessen

The bill states that the DMV is allowed to "provide an initial registration" on 500 qualifying vehicles a year under this program. Nowhere does it state any required period of time to complete the registration process. The registration process is left to the DMV. Currently, incomplete registrations can be renewed indefinitely with the payment of fees. And, nowhere does it state that the spirit of allocating a sequence number on a particular year is to have you complete the registration process that year. That too is left to the registration process.

According to Sacramento (spoke to them yesterday), once a registration has begun as part of the SB-100 program, the registration itself is the document to be concerned about. If your registration were to expire (due to non payment of fees, presumably), then there might be grounds to expire the SB-100 along with it...but even that would currently be a stretch to enforce; as the two (sb100 and registration) are not tightly coupled at this time.

So, currently, if you have ANY SB-100 sequence number allocated to you, it is valid and will be processed. It would be advisable to keep the incomplete registration on the vehicle in question current to avoid any possible DMV jurisdiction over the validity of the sb-100 allocation to that particular registration.

A DMV policy change and/or an amendment to SB-100 would have to occur to change any of this; and that won't happen overnight. Moreover, the DMV is primarly concerned with the collection of fees. They're paid whether the registration process is completed or not; so I doubt they care one way or another.

bmalone · #16 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 11:59 AM

Thanks for passing on the information.

jmarsey · #17 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 12:03 PM

Yes, and good luck to those of you with finished cars and needing a sequence number in '07.

jdog · #18 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmarsey

Yes, and good luck to those of you with finished cars and needing a sequence number in '07.

Don't get in my way!

jdog

stevem · #19 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 07:22 PM

Regarding Mrs. Tremble she was in charge of involuntary registration surrender not SB100 though she knew alot about it. She recently was promoted to a higher position in another department.

Greg tripp · #20 (**permalink**) 06-15-2006, 10:31 PM

When I went through the process....SHE WAS INCHARGE!!!. Sent me a letter on what to do and mailed me my SB 100 number. I did'nt have to go to DMV to get my number. She even called ME!! Just to see how things were going with the Bar, Chp and Brake and light inspection!!!!. Awsome. I've heard of horror stories, Guess I'm just Lucky!. All I had to do at DMV was pay the BUCKS.

Greg