Stop the “nastygrams”

In reference to the article, “Insurance problems may not end soon” (BDN, March 22), regarding the “nastygrams” being sent out by the state to potential uninsured motorists as a result of more useless legislation: It’s worse than the article depicts.

I received one of the state’s “nastygrams,” suspending my registration and the reason provided was that I had simply traded in my old vehicle for a new one. I was not late on any payment as I pre-pay all my insurance for a year in advance and I did not switch insurance carriers. I simply called my insurance company and asked them to transfer my policy from the car I traded in, to the new car that I bought.

That simple request resulted in my insurance company – Liberty Mutual – notifying the state that I had canceled my car insurance on the old car that I traded in. They claim that this is a requirement by the new law enacted in January, and that the state doesn’t give them the opportunity to explain that it was nothing more than “cancel the old policy and transfer to the new car.”

Thus, the state jumps on this “you are a lawbreaker” opportunity and fires off a letter of suspension to me. I called the insurance company twice, and Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Augusta three times, and finally went, personally, to the BMV office in Bangor to straighten out this mess.

After all of this grief, I now have three letters from the state – one suspending me and two reinstating me. All of this occurred because I dared to trade in an old vehicle and buy a new one. It had nothing to do with late payments or switching insurance carriers.

The state needs to find some real work to do.

Diane Herring

Hermon