The most Hawaii County thing ever

[terracore]

If I don't receive their thing, I'm subject to fines. My on-time (months before due) payment etc is irrelevant.

[kalianna]

It's a receipt that they received your payment. What's the problem?

[Chas]

I think that HE is subject to fines if THEY don't get the "thing" to him in time.

...and I have to agree. The most "Hawaii County thing ever".

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Pay the County for vehicle registration.
Pay the County a fine if they don’t mail it to you in a timely manner.
Yep, it’s definitely the most Hawaii County thing I’ve seen.

[kalianna]

Terracore, have they not mailed it to you in time to pay it without penalty? Just asking because I've never had this problem with them. I'm not looking for an argument.

[leilanidude]

I rather like the kiosks instead of mailing it in. Takes less than two minutes and you walk away with the sticker.

[Chas]

Agreed. They have one in Safeway.

[terracore]

I just thought it was ironic that they pointed out their potential incompetence results in me getting a fine. And of course, nothing happens to them.

Maybe the back story helps: I did renew two registrations online one time, separately, and I didn't receive anything back from them. I had to go stand in their horrible line, which was what I was trying to avoid in the first place by paying extra to renew online.

They confirmed that I paid, and swore that they mailed them, and they must have both, separately, got lost in the mail "If I didn't misplace them." Guaranteed, I didn't misplace them. I never got them. They charged me 50 cents each to get replacements for my "lost" emblems. Obviously it wasn't a fortune, but it still rubbed me the wrong way, especially with them essentially blaming me for losing them when I know 100% that isn't the case. Maybe I should count my blessings they didn't give me two fines. I know things occasionally get lost in the mail, but both of them?

I have heard they have a kiosk in Safeway, but I like going to Safeway about as much as going to the DMV.

Oh, speaking of getting fines, I bought a vehicle and needed to transfer the title. Being the obedient taxpayer that I am, I went online to see what the process was to do this. I followed the instructions and made an appointment online. They charged me a $50 penalty for not transferring the title within 30 days, even though I took the soonest appointment available. I had the vehicle for 4-5 days before booking the appointment, so I guess it's theoretically possible an appointment "could" have been available within the 30 day window, but of course I'll never know for sure.

I also learned that despite the sign at the DMV that said "appointments only, no walk-ins", they definitely take walk-ins, because the lady in front of me didn't have an appointment. She probably saved $50.

One never wins when dealing with bureaucracy. The best outcome one can hope for is to take whatever hurts the least. But here's some more from my Hawaii DMV highlight reel:

* Transferring my license from Alaska to Hawaii- took 5 hours including the hour they forced us all outside and locked the door to go to lunch. The written test was old school pencil and paper, and one of their answers was wrong. I was so adamant about it I discussed it with the lady and she admitted that they knew their answer key was incorrect for that question, but they weren't allowed to change it. The written test was a copy of a copy of a copy like so many times it wasn't very legible, obviously a very old test. How many people had to retake the test and continue feeding the bureaucracy because of that wrong answer? Fortunately not me, because it was the only question I got "wrong".

* I couldn't register a 2008 Chevy Impala without getting a weight certificate for it, even though the vehicle weight can be determined with a VIN decoder, and they had the VIN number for it. On the off chance I had an aftermarket layer of concrete added to the body and didn't want to pay for the weight difference? She told me that if I didn't want to get a fine for driving an unregistered vehicle, I needed to get it towed back and forth from the weigh station. What, is she crazy? I'm not getting it towed with all that concrete. The irony was the weigh station just weighs a vehicle and gives a weight certificate, they don't check to see that the vehicle in any way correlates to the vehicle getting registered. I could have taken a go-cart to the weigh station and have the only 200 pound Impala ever registered. Or.... they could have determined the weight via the VIN number like everyone else.

* Needing a Young Brothers receipt to prove a vehicle I bought on Oahu was actually on the Big Island. I guess they aren't allowed to leave the counter to look out their front door? Somehow I knew something like this was going to happen, so I took every piece of paper associated with the vehicle, including the YB receipt with me and was able to prove the truck wasn't still on Oahu. OR WAS IT?! MAYBE I HAD SHIPPED IT BACK!! BUHAHAHAHA I WIN THIS TIME HAWAII DMV! BUHAHAHA!

[kalianna]

Terracore, thanks for the explanation and the laughs. You've certainly been through it. I guess I'm lucky that the only hassles I've had were the four (4!) times I had to go back with proof of residency when we first moved here, each time bringing exactly what they told me to bring and going back to the same unhappy woman each time. And yes, getting booted at lunch was included.

[Chas]

There is a kiosk outside the Motor Vehicle office on Pauahi/Apuni. I wouldn't even think of doing it any other way. Especially after reading about your experience!