Wisconsin Title and registration ban, letter from MVPA
Yes this is a real threat to anyone in Wisconsin who has, or is thinking of registering or titling or operating a former military vehicle on any roads in Wisconsin. Below is a copy verbatim of the letter sent by the Military Vehicle Preservation Association to all Wisconsin memebers. If you have a MV in WI you should be aware of this, and be angry! I have written my legislatures, and encourage Wisconsin members to do the same.
You can find more discussion on this, including a scanned copy of the letter WIDOT is sending out here:
http://www.g503.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=101394
spread the word! talk to car collectors, truck truck collectors, anyone in WI that can help fight this. The policy was written on Dec 19, 2006.
Dear Wisconsin Members:
I am sorry to say that the Wisconsin Bureau of Vehicle Services has decided
to revoke titles of all historic military vehicles in the State of
Wisconsin. An MVPA member recently received notification of this
cancellation when he went to renew his plates for the following reasons:
"In order for a vehicle to be titled and registered in Wisconsin, the
vehicle must be manufactured for road use and certified by the manufacturer,
with the placement of a federal certification label on the vehicle."
"Your vehicle was manufactured to be used as a military vehicle. Wisconsin
does not issue title/registration on these types of vehicles."
"Since this vehicle wasn't manufactured for road use and doesn't meet the
equipment requirements, the department has cancelled the title."
"You license plate(s) has also been cancelled. Cancellation of your
registration privileges means any operation of this vehicle is illegal."
This decision is not based on state law or code. We have discovered that the
BVS Research and Information Unit within WIDOT made a decision to ban
historic military vehicles (HMVs) in a policy adopted by that unit in
December of 2006. Another MVPA member was refused title to his WWII jeep for
the same reasons in August. It appears they are doing this when
registrations come due or when someone wants to register and title an HMV.
They may begin to contact all HMV owners in the near future with
cancellation notices regardless of when the registration renewal date is for
your vehicle.
You and I both know that this is total BS. A small group of bureaucrats have
decided to deny you your right to operate you HMV on Wisconsin Roads.
Wisconsin State Senator Ellis, who represents the jeep owner, sent a strong
letter to Frank Busalacchi, Secretary of WI DOT on September 6 demanding an
answer as to how a Wisconsin citizen is being denied the right to register
his vehicle. To date, Secretary Busalecchi has not seen fit to answer
Senator Ellis.
Your HMV is next to lose its registration and plates. You will not be able
to re-tag your HMV because a group of government gnomes in Madison has seen
fit to take away your property rights. We all know that virtually any
vehicle built prior to 1950 does not have a federal certification label on
it. Further, who is it to state that HMVs were not manufactured for road
use? Surely not bureaucrats who have decided to hijack Wisconsin State Law
and take matters into their own hands. Are you angry yet? And the real
question is, what are you going to do about it?
The MVPA worked hard with its Kansas members two years ago when a KSDOT
bureaucrat, despite the fact that no state law or state code prevented it
from happening, deemed a Ferret not roadworthy. In Kansas, the MVPA rallied
members to immediately contact their legislators about this serious breach
of property rights by a state employee. The legislators were extremely
agitated that a bureaucrat decided to "create" state law and deny the rights
of a Kansas citizen. Ultimately, a model HMV titling and registration law
was overwhelmingly passed and placed into law by the legislature.
This plan will work in Wisconsin too, but only if all Wisconsin HMV owners
immediately contact the elected state senator or state assemblyman from
their district to protest this policy put forth by bureaucrats last
December. You can find the contact information for your representatives at:
<http>. This needs to happen NOW. A phone call and
a letter/e-mail would be appropriate. You must strongly request an answer
from your representative. Personal phone contact would be the best at this
point. Refer to the bureaucrat's decision to make your legally licensed HMV
illegal without the authority to do so.
Nearly all HMVs were designed by the military for road use, and none have
federal certification labels. Neither do most vintage vehicles such as Model
A Fords, nearly all older classic cars, street rods, and foreign-made
vehicles. This is a bogus attempt to make criminals out of patriotic
Wisconsin citizens, and for what reason?
Remember, we all own HMVs because we honor and respect the veterans who used
them to keep this country free. We drive our HMVs in parades to celebrate
our veterans' sacrifices, and we display our HMVs in a variety of programs
and events to call attention to their service and to remind fellow citizens
of our proud military heritage. When your legislators hear of this travesty
and your anger, they will join together to overturn the December 2006 BVS
policy. Then, the next step will be to introduce model legislation when they
return to the Capitol for the 2008 session. Demand an answer from your
representatives as to why this has been allowed to happen. They must hold
the BVS accountable for criminalizing citizens and taking away property
rights of Wisconsin residents.
If your representatives fail you, we will take this "to the streets" in
Madison and statewide to effect change. The MVPA will help coordinate a
statewide media and demonstration effort to get this bogus policy
overturned, and the MVPA will help introduce legislation to make certain HMV
owners will have the everlasting right to operate their vehicles on the
roads of Wisconsin.
This is not a national issue; it does no good and probably causes harm for
people from Ohio or Minnesota to begin contacting representatives. Only
Wisconsin HMV owners have a voice that will be heard in Madison. The MVPA is
very aware of the Wisconsin HMV problem and will do everything in its power
to help Wisconsin MVPA members overturn this policy and create new law to
protect our vehicles in the future.
Do not delay in contacting your representatives about this serious issue.
The time is now.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns or need assistance
in communicating with your representatives.
Sincerely,
John Varner
John A. Varner
MVPA Board Member
Supply Line Editor
John.varner1@gmail.com <mailto>
__________________
Carl Reinemann
Watertown, WI
