Assemblymember eyes lifting of DMV fees for hurricane victims

During a press conference on December 27, Assemblymember William Colton announced a new effort aimed at aiding Sandy victims whose cars were damaged during the storm.

Colton wants the Department of Motor Vehicles to wave new car registration and license plate transfer fees for those who are replacing vehicles damaged during Sandy. The proposal was recently submitted to the governor’s office and Colton is awaiting his response.

“Constituents have been calling my office; many lost two, three or even four cars is some instances,” Colton said. “Significant registration fees are one obstacle to people getting back to normal.”

Hundreds of thousands of vehicles are estimated to have been damaged during the storm and, while the DMV has waved fees for registration document and plate replacement, the more expensive costs for new car registration and license plate swaps, which can reach hundreds of dollars, are still in place.

At the press conference with Colton was John Quintana, a Coney Island resident who lost three cars during the storm. Since he and his wife needed their wheels to commute to and from work, he was forced to pay over $800 in fees to register new vehicles. Citing his case, Colton stressed that his proposal was “certainly the right thing to do when you have so many families who suffered so much.”