I am thrilled to report that the Division of Insurance Board of Appeals voted 3-0 in favor of a client and against the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
In this case the client who was never a Massachusetts Resident or Massachusetts License Holder was being told by the Registry that in order to pay a 2003 fine, he would need to have an Ignition Interlock Device installed in his vehicle for two years. The client had been convicted in 2002 for Operating Under the Influence of Alcohol (OUI) and served his probation period. Between 2003 and 2018 the Client was able to renew his Rhode Island License numerous times. Only in January 2018 was he informed that he could not renew his license because he owed $300.00 to the Massachusetts Registry. The Registry learned that in 2007 the Client had a Rhode Island OUI that had been since expunged from his record. The Registry argued that because the client was reinstating now with two OUI's on his record he would need the interlock device. This requirement can be extremely costly over two years. If you are trying to deal with old OUI's you need an attorney knowledgeable all the collateral consequences.
I regularly receive referrals from other lawyers who simply do not want to go against the Registry of Motor Vehicles. I am never afraid to take a tough case and even an uncomfortable case to the Registry or the Board of Appeals. Just giving in and doing what the Registry thinks is right is not always a reasonable option.
