Car owners protected from penalties, traffic tickets

COLUMBIA  Governor Jim Hodges signed into law today a bill which protects vehicle owners from penalties if their vehicles are registered late because of incorrect property tax notices.

No late fee will be charged if the vehicle owner pays the property tax and registration within 45 days after a correct property tax bill is mailed. This extended period applies to vehicles with expiration dates of January, February, March or April, 2000.

The new law also protects those same vehicle owners from receiving traffic tickets for driving with an expired tag until May 16, 2000.

The extended grace period is necessary to allow counties ample time to send corrected property tax bills to taxpayers who were affected by the Department of Revenue's incorrect valuation of vehicles.