Section 4509.81 | Suspension of rights of owner of chauffeured limousine - request for administrative hearing.
(A) Upon receipt of a notification of violation as provided in division (C) of section 4509.80 of the Revised Code; upon failure of a timely surrender of the livery license plate sticker as required by division (D) of section 4509.80 of the Revised Code; or if the registrar of motor vehicles, upon receipt of notification from an insurer of the imminent cancellation or termination of coverage required by section 4509.80 of the Revised Code, fails to receive evidence of a continuation or substitution of coverage prior to the cancellation or termination date, the registrar shall order the immediate suspension of the rights of the owner of the chauffeured limousine described in the notice to register the limousine and the impoundment of the certificate of registration and registration plates for the limousine. The registrar shall notify the owner that the owner must surrender the certificate of registration and registration plates to the registrar. The notification shall be in writing and sent to the owner at the owner's last known address as shown in the records of the bureau of motor vehicles. Proceedings under this section are deemed special, summary statutory proceedings.
(B) The order of suspension and impoundment of a registration shall state the date on or before which the owner of the chauffeured limousine involved is required to surrender the certificate of registration and registration plates to the registrar. The owner shall be deemed to have surrendered the certificate of registration and registration plates if the owner causes the items to be delivered to the registrar on or before the date specified in the order or mails the items to the registrar in an envelope or container bearing a postmark showing a date no later than the date specified in the order.
(C) The registrar shall not restore any registration rights suspended under this section, return any certificate of registration or registration plates impounded under this section, or reissue registration plates under section 4503.232 of the Revised Code, if the registrar destroyed the impounded registration plates under that section, unless those rights are not subject to suspension under any other law and unless the owner complies with both of the following:
(1) Pays to the registrar or an eligible deputy registrar a financial responsibility reinstatement fee of thirty dollars. The reinstatement fee may be increased, upon approval of the controlling board, up to an amount not exceeding fifty dollars. In addition, pays a service fee of ten dollars to each deputy registrar to compensate the deputy registrar for services performed under this section. The deputy registrar shall retain eight dollars of the service fee and shall transmit the reinstatement fee and two dollars of the service fee to the registrar in the manner the registrar shall determine.
(2) Files and maintains proof of financial responsibility under section 4509.80 of the Revised Code.
(D) Any owner adversely affected by the order of the registrar under this section may, within ten days after the issuance of the order, request an administrative hearing before the registrar, who shall provide the owner with an opportunity for a hearing in accordance with this division. A request for a hearing does not operate as a suspension of the order unless the owner establishes to the satisfaction of the registrar that the operation of the owner's chauffeured limousine will be covered by proof of financial responsibility during the pendency of the appeal. The scope of the hearing shall be limited to whether the owner in fact demonstrated to the registrar proof of financial responsibility in accordance with section 4509.80 of the Revised Code. The registrar shall determine the date, time, and place of any hearing, provided that the hearing shall be held and an order issued or findings made within thirty days after the registrar receives a request for a hearing. If requested by the owner in writing, the registrar may designate as the place of hearing the county seat of the county in which the owner resides or a place within fifty miles of the owner's residence. The owner shall pay the cost of the hearing before the registrar, if the registrar's order of suspension or impoundment is upheld.
(E) Any order of suspension or impoundment issued under this section may be terminated at any time if the registrar determines upon a showing of proof of financial responsibility that the owner of the limousine was in compliance with section 4509.80 of the Revised Code at the time of the incident that resulted in the order against the owner. Such a determination may be made without a hearing.
(F) All fees transmitted to the registrar by a deputy registrar, that are collected by the registrar or transmitted to the registrar under this section shall be paid into the state treasury to the credit of the state bureau of motor vehicles fund created by section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.
(G) Chapter 119. of the Revised Code applies to this section only to the extent that any provision in that chapter is not clearly inconsistent with this section.
(H)(1) Proof of financial responsibility may be demonstrated by any of the methods authorized in section 4509.80 of the Revised Code.
(2) Divisions (G)(4)(a) and (b) of section 4509.101 of the Revised Code apply to any finding by the registrar under this section that an owner is covered by proof of financial responsibility.
Available Versions of this Section
- June 29, 2011 – House Bill 114 - 129th General Assembly [ View June 29, 2011 Version ]
- July 1, 2015 – House Bill 53 - 131st General Assembly [ View July 1, 2015 Version ]
- July 1, 2017 – Amended by House Bill 26 - 132nd General Assembly [ View July 1, 2017 Version ]