Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Thomas Douglass

CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedOctober 23, 2019
Docket19A-MI-216
StatusPublished

This text of Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Thomas Douglass (Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Thomas Douglass) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles v. Thomas Douglass, (Ind. Ct. App. 2019).

Opinion

FILED Oct 23 2019, 8:38 am

CLERK Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals and Tax Court

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT ATTORNEY FOR APPELLEE Curtis T. Hill, Jr. Brian J. Johnson Attorney General of Indiana Danville, Indiana Frances Barrow Deputy Attorney General Indianapolis, Indiana

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF INDIANA

Indiana Bureau of Motor October 23, 2019 Vehicles, Court of Appeals Case No. Appellant-Respondent, 19A-MI-216 Appeal from the Marion Circuit v. Court The Honorable Sheryl Lynch, Thomas Douglass, Judge Appellee-Petitioner. The Honorable Mark Jones, Commissioner Trial Court Cause No. 49C01-1802-MI-6459

Riley, Judge.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-MI-216 | October 23, 2019 Page 1 of 19 STATEMENT OF THE CASE [1] Appellant-Respondent, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), appeals the

trial court’s Order granting the Appellee-Petitioner, Thomas Douglass’

(Douglass), petition for judicial review, in which he seeks to set aside his ten-

year suspension of his driving privileges in Indiana and his habitual traffic

violator (HTV) determination.

[2] We reverse.

ISSUE [3] BMV presents three issues on appeal, which we consolidate and restate as the

following single issue: Whether the trial court erred by granting Douglass’

petition for judicial review.

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY [4] In 2014, Douglass was a resident of Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana. At

the time, Douglass had a valid driver’s license. In May 2014, BMV initially

issued Douglass a duplicate license and a permanent driver’s license with an

expiration date of March 1, 2018, which was mailed to his home on May 29,

2014. In June 2014, Douglass moved to California. After surrendering his

Indiana driver’s license on June 9, 2014, the California Department of Motor

Vehicles (CA DMV) issued Douglass a California driver’s license.

[5] On August 20, 2014, BMV sent Douglass a letter to his last known address in

Indianapolis. The letter was titled “Habitual Traffic Violator Notice of

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-MI-216 | October 23, 2019 Page 2 of 19 Suspension” (Notice). The Notice informed Douglass that he had accumulated

three qualifying driving-related convictions within a ten-year period and, as a

result, he was deemed an HTV. Due to his HTV status, BMV informed

Douglass that it was suspending his driving privileges for ten years beginning

September 19, 2014. The Notice also informed Douglass that he could request

an administrative review within eighteen days.

[6] Approximately three and one-half years later, on January 5, 2018, CA DMV

sent a letter to Douglass’ home in California stating, “[w]e regret to inform you

that . . . [Indiana has] reported that your driving privilege is suspended or

revoked.” (Appellant’s App. Vol. II, p. 9). CA BMV notified Douglass that

unless it received a clearance from BMV, it would “cancel” his California

driver’s license within thirty days. (Appellant’s App. Vol. II, p. 19).

[7] Although untimely, on January 23, 2018, through his attorney, Douglass wrote

a letter to BMV requesting an administrative review of the HTV determination

and the suspension of his driving privileges. In part, Douglass averred,

Normal practice is for a person’s new home state’s drivers licensing authority to inform a person’s prior home state that the person moved, in this case California should have notified Indiana in 2014 that effective June 9, 2014, [] Douglass was licensed in California. However, the remarks section of [] Douglass’ driving record does not contain a notation that he moved to California and was licensed there.

****

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-MI-216 | October 23, 2019 Page 3 of 19 An error occurred because Indiana imposed a suspension for [] Douglass when he was no longer an Indiana resident on September 19, 2014. This error could have been avoided if California had notified Indiana in June 2014 that [] Douglass had moved to California. Nevertheless, the “home state” of California is supposed to impose suspensions on its residents based on their driving record. For example, I have had numerous clients who moved to Illinois or Michigan, and those states imposed [sic] suspensions for new residents based on the new residents’ driving violations that occurred out of state and prior to moving to Illinois and Michigan. The same scenario should have occurred here; meaning California instead of Indiana had the authority to impose suspension or revocations for [] Douglass starting June 9, 2014.

(Appellant’s App. Vol. II, pp. 24-25).

[8] After conducting an administrative review, on January 30, 2018, BMV sent its

response to Douglass and his attorney, reiterating that Douglass had been

convicted of at least three prior driving-related offenses within the last ten years

and that qualified him as an HTV. BMV also determined, in part, that

At the time the suspension was imposed, the BMV had not received notice that you moved out of state. However, because you held an Indiana driver’s license at the time of the qualifying offenses, your driving privileges would still be suspended for HTV even if the BMV did have notice. The BMV did not suspend one specific credential, but rather your driving privileges as required by law.

Your record has now been updated to reflect your move to California based on the California driver’s license that your attorney provided.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-MI-216 | October 23, 2019 Page 4 of 19 (Appellant’s App. Vol. II, p. 34). (italics in original). Concluding no “material

error” existed in its Notice, BMV upheld the suspension of Douglass’ driving

privileges and the HTV determination. (Appellant’s App. Vol. II, p. 34).

[9] On February 20, 2018, Douglass filed a verified petition for judicial review and

motion for a preliminary injunction. A hearing on Douglass’ motion for a

preliminary injunction was conducted on March 5, 2018. On March 9, 2018,

the trial court issued an order granting Douglass’ preliminary injunction

whereby it ordered BMV to “lift/stay the suspension noted in [Douglass’]

driving record” until the resolution of the underlying cause. (Appellant’s App.

Vol. II, p. 45). A hearing on Douglass’ verified petition for judicial review was

held on August 22, 2018. On December 26, 2018, the trial court entered its

findings of facts and conclusions thereon stating, in part, that:

4. Indiana is a member of the [I]nterstate [D]river’s [L]icense [C]ompact. [Indiana Code section] 9-28-1-3 provides, in pertinent part:

The driver’s license compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into with all other jurisdictions joining therein in the form substantially as follows:

ARTICLE 2 DEFINITIONS

As used in this compact:

(a) “State” means a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 19A-MI-216 | October 23, 2019 Page 5 of 19 (b) “Home state” means the state which has issued and has the power to suspend or revoke the use of the license or permit to operate a motor vehicle.

(c) “Conviction” means a conviction of any offense related to the use or operation of a motor vehicle which is prohibited by state law, municipal ordinance, or administrative rule or regulation, or a forfeiture of bail, bond, or other security deposited to secure appearance by a person charged with having committed any such offense, and which conviction or forfeiture is required to be reported to the licensing authority.

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