Drivers Need To Be Notified When They Are Added To A Vehicle Title
It is important for people to understand that adding someone to their vehicle’s title without their consent is a huge mistake to make. Many senior citizens add their kids or grandkids to their vehicle titles so that they can make sure that they can take ownership of the vehicle when they become ill or pass away.
One grandmother who is 88 years old learned this lesson the hard way. The woman had added her 24 year old grandson to her vehicle’s title but neglected to inform him of the change. She hardly every used the pickup truck and during the winter time, she had her car insurance policy lapse.
The Oregon Department of Transportation sent her a letter asking her to verify that she did in fact have car insurance coverage. She did not respond to the letter because she thought that she was in fact insured. A few months later, her grandson received a letter asking him to prove that the vehicle was insured or he would lose his driving privileges in one month. The problem was that the woman’s grandson did not get the letter quickly enough because he was attending college classes in Idaho.
The man had to allow his license to be suspended and then he had to apply for a SR-22. This is a penalty for people who have allowed their insurance policy to lapse and is also for people who have been convicted of drunken driving offenses. The man felt that the punishment was not justified because he had his own personal vehicle that he had always kept properly insured for years.
The issue here is that the state of Oregon requires that all vehicles have car insurance coverage at all times. The fact that the grandmother had a vehicle that she did not use did not usurp this law. She was required to maintain the insurance coverage even during the winter. Because her grandson was listed on the vehicle’s title, he was legally responsible for the coverage as well even though the action was taken without his knowledge.
It is important for seniors to notify their friends or family members when they are adding them to the title of a vehicle. Then, they can decide if they want to be added and they can make sure that they are aware of any car insurance issues that take place. Knowledge is power so people need to take these matters seriously.
