Longtime ‘visitors’ can sometimes avoid registering a vehicle here
Q. I have seen you say that new residents have 20 days to get a vehicle registered in California. What about a current California resident homeowner who retires, establishes a home in another state and stays in that other state every year for a little more than six months, so as to not be considered a California resident. When going back to their home in California for the other five months to “visit” each year, would they need to get their vehicle re-registered in California?
– Larry Teachout, Aliso Viejo
A. Seems like the answer would be easy, but it is not.
Two friendly, helpful California Highway Patrol officers said they just didn’t know. So Honk called up to the agency’s academy, in West Sacramento, where they teach such stuff. An officer based there, Mike Davis, patiently helped Honk out, pointing to sections in the state’s Vehicle Code.
“The normal person would find it challenging to dissect the laws and link them together,” Davis said. “Your reader, living here only five months out of the year, and as long as they are not a resident as outlined (in the Vehicle Code), does not have to register their non-commercial vehicle in California.”
There are a bunch of rules that might declare you a Californian, though, which would mean that you do indeed need to ante up, such as having a driver’s license from here, being registered to vote in the state, or taking any benefit that a non-resident can’t.
Q. Imperial Highway is a major thoroughfare in La Habra. For the last couple of months, one westbound, outside lane has been coned off from Walnut to just past 701 W. Imperial. It’s a short distance, but closing one of three lanes creates havoc and backup at various times of day. There is some type of utility box on the nearby sidewalk/planter area and a two-wheel machine sitting in the closed lane, connected by a cord or hose to the utility box. What is going on, and why is it taking so long to resolve the issue and re-open the lane?
– Doris von Rotz, Fullerton
A. Power of the pen, or just a coincidence?
Honk doesn’t know.
But he does know that your problem is over, Doris.
That stretch of Imperial is owned by Caltrans, so he sought out an answer from Van Nguyen, a spokeswoman for the agency in Orange County.
She told him, in a email, that AT&T was fixing its infrastructure out there, and in the meantime needed to set up a generator. Otherwise, the company would have lost some power.
“In short, the generator and 24/7 closure it necessitated ensured that service to AT&T customers was not interrupted,” Nguyen said. “The issue will be resolved today (Thursday, Dec. 13), and the equipment will be removed.”
(No, Honk doesn’t know why it took so long to resolve.)
Thursday evening, Doris confirmed to Honk: “The cones and the machine in the right lane … are gone!!!!”
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk.