Just got my registration renewal for the 'vert today in the mail. I was expecting a shocker with the VLF increase and all, but it wasn't too bad- $40 reg. fee, $37 VLF, $8 county, for a grand total of $85. Just for kicks, I dug into the file cabinet to look at some previous years registrations to see what the percentage increase in VLF was... it actually decreased (increased by $1 if you take offset into account) from 2001!!

In 2001, the VLF was $56 but back then they offset the fee (remember those silly checks for $15-20 you got back?) which brought it down to $36. I thought fees were supposed to triple in the coming year?? Am I missing something?

 

Is it the coming year yet?

 

VLF fee increase is only the tax part of the license fee based on the depreciated value of your car. They do not take into consideration the actual value of a car. They do not factor in whether a car is rare, whether it is a car that holds its value, or a Yugo. It doesn't even factor in options. A 1982-1992 Camaro is a Camaro. A six is the same as a V8 for tax purposes. To the state they are old cheap cars, so the tax is minimal, and so is the increase. On the other hand George Lara is going to get hammered on the 4th gen because it is a new car with a lot of value.

 

No, but my registration is due in Jan. '04. Besides, the VLF was supposed to take effect on Oct. 1.

 

I got my registration the other day and my fee did increase but only slightly. IIRC, I paid $73 last year and it's $103 this year.

This whole "tripling of the VLF" has be blown out of proportion IMHO. It is not a tripling of the fee. Remember he discounts we got when CA had a surplus in the budget? Well, this is just removing that discount now that CA needs the money.

If a store has an item on sale one day, then goes back to the regular price the next, do you go in and complain that the store suddenty raised it's price? No.

Anyway, Arnold is resetting the VLF to the discount rate so this is all moot. I'm just wondering where in the heck he's going to come up with the $$$ to get the budget back in order. Hopefully he'll be able to eliminate some the wasteful spending that's been going on.

The CA legislature makes the final call on the state budget, so even though Davis is out the legislature is still there. Arnold has to come up with a plan and then hope the legislature approves it.

 

The amount of money we are charged here to register our cars is nuts. Go check other states. Worse yet, none of the money is being used for what it was originally intended for, the roads. Instead, it goes into the general fund and is used for who knows what. Not to mention our roads are crap.

 

They put it n the general fund then sit back and try to figure out ways to get it in their pockets.

 

Arnold just put in an emergency proclimation to reverse it. So expect a check back for all those that have had to pay.

James

 

I just received the renewal for my van which expires in Jan and it went up almost 250%

 

Yup you still have to pay I think until January if your registration is due but after that...

 

so I wonder what my problem is mine went up a $1.

 

In Illinois, our plate renewals are $78 a year. Plus we have all these wonderful tollways all over that were supposed to be removed many years ago.