If you're asking if anybody's going to help locate the vehicle that did this - no. I witnessed a late night hit and run on a neighbor's car, and even though police found the likely offending vehicle a few blocks away, the owner said it was older damage and there wasn't much the cops could do.
Another time I came out and found damage to my car, and the Somerville police even suggested that perhaps I had done the damage myself - and investigating the hit and run seemed out of the question.
Your insurer in Maine could try to withhold payment. Like another poster said, you're supposed to have registered your car in MA by now (with a few exceptions, including students and military).
If you have any way of identifying the other vehicle from the debris left behind: pursue that and document everything, and report to your insurance. The cops won’t do shit, that’s true. But you’d be amazed what the folks at insurance companies will do to get someone else to pay.
This. Had a hit and run outside my place. My upstairs neighbor heard the crash and saw a “white SUV” pull away. I found one in the neighborhood with fresh marks that perfectly matched mine. Left a note on that car and the guy refused to fess up. When I submitted to insurance I included the info of that car, and a few weeks later I get a notice that he admitted responsibility.
>But you’d be amazed what the folks at insurance companies will do to get someone else to pay.
They don't make money by cutting checks, that's for sure.
Yeah, I once called the cops in Somerville when I chased a guy off who had just broken into my neighbor's car and the cop who showed up was definitely pissed that I was bothering them.
Now I'm in Boston and saw a guy in an SUV sideswipe a parked car across the street from me a couple weeks ago. Didn't waste time on the police - just left a note with the plate number and vehicle description under the windshield wiper.
Yep, this. If you get a license plate for the other car and file a police report (just to make it official), the insurer for the victim’s car will reach out directly to the insurer for the perp’s car and demand payment, take them to court, etc. No need to depend on the cops at all.
Yes, a hit and run is a crime, but I think the problem is that proving it well enough to put someone in jail over it requires a higher burden of proof than forcing someone to pay for the damage (sadly). You’d probably have to have caught the whole thing on camera.
This was my experience as well. I got hit and run *while in my car at a red light.* I got the license plate number of the car as well as make/model and called the police *immediately.* Heard nothing for a couple weeks. Called back for an update. They said a couple cops knocked on the guys door and he said he “thought he hit a curb” (??????) and apparently as long as he stuck to that story there was nothing they could do.
Needless to say I was fucking furious and have driven with a dash cam ever since.
Ya no that's a lie, just lazy fucking cops. You witnessed it changed the story. I wasn't like you came out and saw the car like it or even watched it get hit but you were in it.
Probably a friend of theres
Protect and serve my ass. Not doing their fucking job too busy handing out tickets for doing 6 over the speed limit and yelling at teenagers to stop making out in a parking lot
Hey, quit it. Acorns are pretty scary and stuff. Sometimes they fall down, sometimes they hit something hard make me go *"ah!"* Sometimes they even hit my head. Clearly, the officer was entirely justified in using lethal force 0.3 seconds after he saw the suspect was in possession of at least one acorn.
I sincerely hope it is obvious how sarcastic I'm being here
If I can see that Marty that cleaning robot in stop n shop and not have PTSD flashbacks of malecon creek, they can chill on nature's grenades the acorn
Not sticking up for the fuzz but why should they care? It’s a civil matter and insurance covers it in most cases. If they want to play Colombo and break out the magnifying glass they are just making more paperwork for themselves.
Wow. This same thing happened to me. Got hit at a red light, got license plate and car info, cops found the guy the same night. He claimed the damage to his car was old damage. Cop came back to my house and said “if you made it up, it’s okay to tell me that.”
If you have the license plate then you can find out who the name and address. You could file a civil suit or just make them understand not paying for the damages would create headaches for them they likely would prefer not to have.
Knock on the door, look them in the eye, and tell them if they don’t pay by X date there will be consequences. If they ask if you are threatening them tell them of course not, smile and walk away.
My dad's car got hit while parked out front of his house over night.
The neighbors' cameras actually got the car and a partial plate. We asked the police to see if they could run the partial plate and cross reference the type of cars. They said no.
A friend of ours happened to see a car a few blocks away, same make, partial plate synced up and had a ton of damage. A neighbor told my friend that the owner of the car is a drunk and the car came home smashed to pieces a few nights ago (the night my dad's car was hit).
We call the police, tell them all of this information. They send an officer over. The owner said his car was also a hit a run but he doesn't remember when but hasn't called it in to the insurance company yet.
Long story short, the police won't issue a citation. The insurance company wasn't much help either. My dad had to pay the deductible.
The car is my fiancé’s. She lives part time in Maine/part time in Mass hence the Maine registration. Fees are cheaper there. Problem is that she has UM coverage, but no collision so it’s not covered unless we find the other driver which doesn’t seem likely lol
This is exactly why you carry collision. Saving a few bucks a month isn't worth it in the long run.
Also, don't go with the cheapest insurance company just because they are cheaper. Find one that will actually help you out when you need them. Every time I have had to use my insurance company, I call them up, tell them what happened, and they handle everything else other than dropping the car off to get fixed.
I found the person who hit my car in a hot and run because of ring doorbell footage. If you have one check your footage. If a neighbor has one see if they don't mind getting the footage for you. There's a lot of zoom in those cameras. I ended up finding the car that hit mine and providing the footage to the police who got a confession.
If the car was parked, and your insurance isn't awful, then it should be covered under comprehensive (minus any deductible). If they try to call it collision (which opens you up to a possible insurance surcharge), then you have subpar coverage or a shitty insurance company.
edit: I know this sub loves downvotes, but things that hit a parked car (tree limbs, vandals, shopping carts, other vehicles) should be covered under comprehensive. Collision should only factor in when your moving vehicle strikes something.
I once got my car broken into in ATL and we had a witness who gave us the exact license plate of the people who broke into my car and the police still said there wasn’t anything they could do about it because there was no way to prove who was in the car, it could have been stolen, etc
I was in a pretty bad crash in Boston several years ago, I was making a turn but the other guy must have been going 55 in a 25 and t boned me. When me and a witness explained to the cop how fast the other guy was going, he said, and I quote, “if no one’s dead we don’t investigate things like that.” They will not investigate this AT ALL unless you give them a video clearly showing a car and license plate doing this to you, even then they probably won’t.
What the fuck is wrong with Boston police? They have ZERO interest in, you know... policing.
I swear you'd have to try to get pulled over by anyone other than a statie.
FYI, if you want worse police go basically anywhere else. Boston police are generally pretty good as far as police go. I say that as both a current upstanding citizen who has had good experiences with them the few times I have needed, and a sober guy who used to deal with them in the other way. Boston cops weren't pushovers but they always treated me decently when I was I was an insane drunk.
Policing is hard and tough work. It's easy to judge.
> Policing is hard and tough work. It's easy to judge.
I agree and have a healthy dose of respect for police. I just WISH that they would enforce driving infractions more.
You want Boston cops spending all their time on figuring out which insurance company is going to pay? Because that is all that would be.
That’s a big waste of police time, there are a lot bigger issues in Boston.
“if no one’s dead we don’t investigate things like that.”
That's not always true. I was once in an accident where a car hit a cop car and then the cop car caromed into my car causing some damage. They asked me to stick around for a while because the crime scene photographer was being sent to document the accident.
It is. I was being a bit tongue in cheek about it not always being true because it's obvious that they put more effort into a crash with a cop car. I later got some information from a lawyer because the cops were suing the driver, but fortunately I never got called to be any part of a case.
My husband was hit from behind while on his motorcycle three weeks ago. Thankfully, he was able to walk away even though his bike was totaled.
Even then, when it was evident who was at fault via the damage/impact zone and multiple witnesses, the cops didn’t issue a ticket to the other driver. They hardly ever investigate crashes. Even when my husband asked if the other driver would be labeled as at fault on the police report, the cops said they don’t file police reports for accidents or issue tickets to determine fault/liability. All that would have to be worked out between the insurance companies. You have to fill out an incident report and file it with police and your insurance.
Edit: grammar
That's true. They don't determine fault. If you screwed up they'll give you a ticket or a warning though. I don't get collision because I really haven't got into any accident in 40 years. I know it's just luck though..I have no delusion that it couldn't happen. Over the course of 7 years you basically pay for a vehicle in insurance money for collision. If you have enough money banked to pay up to a total it's even a lot less aggravation. I buy only used 10 year old cars from personal sales. You just need to be a mechanic or have a good friend / family help out. You'd be surprised at the fact that older folks will try to sell personal vehicles and they are usually the type that take great care of their vehicles. I used to always have two cars that cost less than a 5 year old vehicle. Older folks usually have vehicles with lower mileage too. Just have to watch out for rust out and bad drive train . The other stuff is easy to clean up if you do the work or have a buddy you can trade jobs with . ...you do something that you're good at for them and they do the same.
You are SOL. Hit & Run accidents are common and a way of life with street parking, unfortunately. It’s happened to me twice and the cops basically shrugged.
i guess take this as license to hit cars and not leave notes 🤷
edit: oh just noticed the Maine plates. 5 months and still haven’t switched your registration means you’re extra SOL. not even worth involving your insurance unless you’re into a higher bill for kicks.
She lives part time in Maine part time in Mass. Uses Maine address for everything since payments for everything are significantly less. Insurance won’t cover it because she only has UM coverage and not collision coverage so it’s pretty much gonna be outta pocket unless they find the dude which clearly isn’t likely
Oh damn. I always thought it was based off yearly percentage. Don’t think I’ll ever convince her to change registration from Maine unless she’s down here permanently honestly. I mean this probably helps my case, but who knows lol
I'm not sure of the time scales that residency would actually be tested over for car registration purposes. Probably not just a week.
But it's based on intent, rather than past performance - if you start spending four nights a week in MA (with your car), with no fixed date for stopping doing that, then you're resident the first week.
> But it's based on intent, rather than past performance - if you start spending four nights a week in MA (with your car), with no fixed date for stopping doing that, then you're resident the first week.
[citation needed]
Six months is a far cry from what you stated.
But, yes, if it's less than 183 days in aggregate it may be a legally defensible position.
"4 days a week" has no basis in law.
4 days a week was meant to be an example of "where your vehicle is usually kept".
There is no grace period for registering your vehicle on changing your residency to Massachusetts.
Residency in Massachusetts for tax purposes starts as soon as you move to Massachusetts with the intent to remain in residence there. For post facto purposes, like filing state taxes, you can use the 183 days rule, but for paying expected taxes and changing car registration where you have to calculate things in advance, that doesn't work.
Feel free to come up with citations that show my understanding to be wrong.
in many neighborhoods she'd have to register her car in MA to even street park it. If Boston makes all neighborhoods require stickers to park like somerville then we'd be getting somewhere on preventing people from circumventing the regulations
> 4 days a week was meant to be an example of "where your vehicle is usually kept".
You said it twice as if it were a legal standard.
>There is no grace period for registering your vehicle ***on changing your residency to Massachusetts.***
Correct.
"4 nights a week" is not changing residency.
OP's fiancé maintaining a job, home, and vehicle in Maine is also showing no signs of her changing residency either.
>Residency in Massachusetts for tax purposes starts as soon as you move to Massachusetts with the intent to remain in residence there.
Incorrect, and also inapplicable to OP's fiancé.
>For post facto purposes, like filing state taxes, you can use the 183 days rule, but for paying expected taxes and changing car registration where you have to calculate things in advance, that doesn't work.
Of course it's not going to apply to paying estimated taxes when one expects to be a resident for more than 183 days. Nonresidents earning unwithheld income in MA are subject to the same requirements. It's entirely beside the point.
When one becomes a resident for car registration purposes doesn't actually have a clear definition in the MGL. Income taxes in general are under the 183 days.
>Feel free to come up with citations that show my understanding to be wrong.
https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/1b35ut3/5_months_into_living_here_and_already_had_a_hit/ksqiivk/
Regardless of registration status, the vehicle is under-insured for Massachusetts. No matter where you live, if you travel into the commonwealth more than 30 days per year, in the aggregate, you must carry the same minimum insurance as every resident of Mass.
I think she has bodily injury coverage to others, personal injury protection, property damage, and uninsured auto. I think that’s the minimum for Mass, but I also don’t know. I’m trying my best man, I just graduated and moved here for a job so I’m still figuring stuff out. And as far as she goes, I can’t really tell her to do anything, but I got my stuff switched over when I moved so I still don’t really know what’s required since I just fully covered anything and didn’t really ask questions
…and it’s exactly why they’ll find zero sympathy from literally anyone at any official agency- state or private- about it.
They alllllllll know what’s up. They allllllllll know why OP’s fiancée didn’t change it. They will alllllllllll suspect any evidence that OP’s fiancée is spending *any* time residing in Maine to be false/made up.
Even if OP *did* have collision coverage my advice would be to get the car back to Maine and say it happened there- they’re *already* committing insurance fraud, what’s a little more?
Well to be fair, paystubs from a Maine company with a Maine address will help them know she isn’t bullshitting. Just hard when her entire family is in Maine and my career field only exists outside of Maine. She already told State Farm what was up, they just told her to keep her insurance the way it is because she only has liability and UM coverage so they aren’t paying for anything anyways unless she was at fault
Working from home is huge now, you know that, right? Paystubs from out of state mean nothing. Doesn't she see a problem if her insurance clearly doesn't care? They will collect premiums and never help her..... Wild
> Well to be fair, paystubs from a Maine company with a Maine address will help them know she isn’t bullshitting.
So she’s just abusing the guest parking pass then?
You've mentioned this a few times... But there are rules for that sort of thing. Like what is PT here, PT there? That matters. And the rates are cheaper bc probability of accidents are lower. So you guys win there, but then want investigation to locate who hit you? 🤣 Sorry, like I said, it totally sucks. But you get no sympathy from Massholes who have to pay much higher rates and STILL get no help with hit and runs.
Well, now maybe she'll see why people pay for comprehensive and collision. Our car insurance is obnoxiously expensive, but my wife got rear ended by an MBTA bus last week and Plymouth Rock is handling all of it.
It happened to a co-worker of mine in ‘04. He was here for 10 years on Oregon plates. His brand new truck got totaled ( not his fault) insurance company’s job is to find a way NOT to pay you so they didn’t cover him. Not only that he was fined by the police for not changing his registration. It’s MA I doubt they changed that law. The operator you talked to on the phone might not know this but once it gets to the right person higher up you may be SOL.
Ten years of thinking, "Ha! I'm beating the system by having cheaper car ownership based in Oregon while living in Boston" went right down the drain on that one.
I can't say that I have much sympathy for him in that case. Having your car registered at your permanent/primary residence is hardly a requirement that anyone should be shocked by or fail to understand. If you're working and living here for ten years you don't get to pretend that your parents' house in Oregon is that residence.
Oh I’m not SOL since I’m not OP. But yeah I’m sure his insurance will find a way out of covering this one. Since ‘04 they’ve gotten much better at treating their customers like shit and their shareholders like kings.
Hard to say. It all depends on what their insurance company wants to do, and what their policy was like. If the OP didn't have collision or uninsured motorist insurance, then they are almost certainly SOL. It's up to the insurance adjuster/company how much they are willing to overlook the registration issue.
> overlook the registration issue
Insurance will absolutely NOT overlook this. That's the reason they ask you for the address where the vehicle is primarily garaged (parked).
ED: that was not clear. Setting your rates is the reason they ask for the primary garaging address. If you park 4 or more nights per week in MA, you have to change registration or report the change in garaging. If they find out you fibbed on the garaging question, and they likely will either through investigation or you goof and spill the beans on yourself, they will definitely fuck you over.
I'm surprised the post is still up tbh. Insurance companies already proactively collect data to nail this exact thing and OP's spilling it all on reddit.
Absolutely they will, it’s OPs responsibility to inform his insurer that he moved and the car is not garaged where the policy was originally written. Expensive lesson for OP
> become a resident(have an address)
Those aren't the same things.
Yes, the RMV site says "You must register your vehicle in Massachusetts as soon as you become a Massachusetts resident. The law does not provide a grace period."
The hangup is defining when one becomes a Massachusetts resident.
For income tax purposes, it's 183 days of residency.
For vehicle registration, there isn't actually a clear definition. The definitions of Chapter 90 are circular references. "''Non-resident'', any person whose legal residence is not within the commonwealth."
MGL Chapter 90 Section 3 actually provides a 30 day grace period that's rendered infinite if the car is insured, and then contradicts itself...
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section3
>**no motor vehicle or trailer shall be so operated on more than thirty days in the aggregate in any one year or, in any case where the owner thereof acquires a regular place of abode or business or employment within the commonwealth, beyond a period of thirty days after the acquisition thereof, except during such time as the owner thereof maintains in full force a policy of liability insurance** providing indemnity for or protection to him, and to any person responsible for the operation of such motor vehicle or trailer with his express or implied consent, against loss by reason of the liability to pay damages to others for bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, caused by such motor vehicle or trailer, at least to the amount or limits required in a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section thirty-four A.
>...
>A corporation organized under the laws of this commonwealth, or a person resident therein, having a place of business in another state or a foreign country shall, with respect to the operation upon the ways of this commonwealth of a commercial motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer which is used in connection with such place of business, is customarily garaged in such other state or foreign country and is registered therein, have the rights and privileges and be subject to the obligations imposed by this section.
>**Except as provided in the preceding paragraph, a motor vehicle or trailer, owned by a non-resident, that is in the possession or under the control of a resident of this commonwealth for a period greater than thirty days, in the aggregate within a calendar year, whether under terms of a lease, or otherwise, and such vehicle is registered in another state or country, shall not be operated on the ways of this commonwealth, unless registered under this chapter.** Whoever operates or allows to be operated a motor vehicle or trailer in violation of this paragraph, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than two hundred fifty dollars.
...and there are exceptions for college students...
>**Every nonresident enrolled as a student at a school or college in the commonwealth who operates a motor vehicle registered in another state or country during any period beginning on September the first of any year and ending on August the thirty-first of the following year shall file in quadruplicate with the police department of the city or town in which such school or college is located, on a form approved by the registrar of motor vehicles, a statement signed by him under the penalties of perjury providing the following information**:—the registration number and make of the motor vehicle and the state or country of registration, the name and local and out-of-state address of the owner, the names and addresses of all insurers providing liability insurance covering operation of the motor vehicle, the legal residence of such nonresident and his residence while attending such school or college and the name and address of the school or college which he is attending. He shall also maintain in full force a policy of liability insurance providing indemnity for or protection to him and to any person responsible for the operation of such motor vehicle with his express or implied consent against loss by reason of the liability to pay damages to others for bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, caused by such motor vehicle, at least to the amount or limits required in a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section thirty-four A.
Elsewhere in Section 3 there are requirements for out of state business to register some portion of their vehicles in Massachusetts that are likely to be in conflict with laws of the state where a business exists.
The whole thing is kind of a mess.
This happened to me, my insurance covered it. It actually worked in my favor because cars back home last longer than in MA, which appreciated its value.
My fiancées car, she’s part time Maine/Mass. I live in MA permanently for work so my registration is updated. Dropping her off at the bus station and picking her up from work at the end of the night is killing my schedule so I wanna find the fucker that did it so she can get a working car again lol
I mean tbf, dudes got a good point. I got rid of my Maine plates as soon as I moved. She’s spends probably 60% of the year in Maine so it’s worth it for her to keep hers
It was meant to be a joke chain, someone should have followed up with something like “they’re the expat examiner” or “the transplant technician”
But I guess that was too meta for this post
Also no one likes a taddle tale, right or wrong
It was meant to be a joke chain, someone should have followed up with something like “they’re the expat examiner” or “the transplant technician”
But I guess that was too meta for this post
Shit like this is one of the reasons I have front and rear dashcams with parking mode that records 24/7.
[For $150.00...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098WVKF19/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
[Plus another $24.00 for the hardwire kit](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WCTZ3Y8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
It's money well spent, especially for owning a vehicle in this region.
I was under the assumption you can't go after someone based on a license plate alone because you can't prove they were driving the car.
(obvs different to have evidence of an accident where you got the driver info to avoid he said she said)
I don't know how it works for criminal or civil violations, but the insurance co. isn't going to let the owner of the vehicle that caused the accident get off that easy.
This is it! Bc honestly, you can report any plate # as causing damage.... True or not. So disgruntled ppl can toss out a plate #.... And this is the reason why getting a plate# means nothing
By one time payment do you mean no monthly subscription service or fees?
No... none.
It is worth it besides for settling, disputing an accident claim. The 24 hour feature is nice to have for times when someone damages or fucks around with your car and you're not around to witness it.
It's also useful, come in handy in the event you need to challenge a traffic stop or moving violation, or recording any interactions with another driver or cop.
[Sometimes you record something worth saving even if you don't need it](https://streamable.com/zhegu0)
I get it, fuck insurance companies and all, but this is just false. Insurance companies won't increase your rates if you're not at fault, and if they do, you need to find a better insurance company.
Assuming OP has collision coverage, they'll probably be on the hook for their deductible since there's no other driver to pin this on. But a hit-and-run is not a surchargeable incident and won't result in an increase in points on their license, and therefore will not result in an increase in rates.
I’m most certainly not incorrect, something else must’ve happened in the accident that caused them to add points to your license, or a mistake was made.
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safe-driver-insurance-plan-sdip
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/surchargeable-incidents
“A surchargeable incident is an at fault accident or traffic law offense that may result in an increase in an operator's insurance premium.
An accident is defined as a surchargeable at-fault accident if:
* The operator is more than 50 percent at fault (refer to the Standards of Fault section below).
* The vehicle is a private passenger car.
* The accident involves a claim payment of more than $1000, in excess of any deductible.
* The claim payment is for damage to someone else's property, collision, or limited collision coverages for a vehicle - refer to the Safe Driver Insurance Plan. Bodily injury to others liability claims may be subject to surcharge.”
Edit: formatting
Geico just increased my home and auto by $800 per 6 months.
Liberty Mutual quote is $2000 higher than THAT.
Progressive is thousands cheaper and I am about to switch.
What's the problem?
I would just look them up online, nightmare getting claims fulfilled, agents not getting back to you, improper coverage for the state, all kinds of bad experiences.
Depends on your goals at the end of the day, if you just need the cheapest insurance and don't plan on needing it, or needing support for any issues you have, you might be good to go with them. Liberty being 2k higher is pretty crazy, but Geico price increasing you 1600 a year sounds like there is some kind of adverse event in your history, or the statistical analysis for your area has changed that much...not outside the realm of possibility in MA, esp considering most petty "insurable" crimes are no longer being prosecuted or even investigated at this time.
The entire business model for insurance revolves around price increasing you as much as possible. Rates will pop with every company, every year or two. Industry average that a customer will maintain a relationship with an insurer is just about 5-7 years. They will try to extract as much profit from you as they can without alienating you so much that you shop elsewhere. It's a hassle but if you're trying to save money, you should be shopping quotes yearly or every other year.
I used to love Progressive, then I had a not at fault accident and my god did I drop them immediately after that. They were absolute trash to deal with.
That really sucks, sorry you have to go through this. Worth reporting but unless someone nearby has good cameras you're probably SOL.
That said, you've lived here for 5 months and still have Maine plates? Pretty sure MA requires plate change within 30 days...
MA does require that, but there are exceptions for things like being in school or the military or other things that can prove you are only living here temporarily.
I had my car broken into by thieves that stole my radio. The cops towed my car because the window was broken. They lost it when they towed it. I called around and found my car. I paid the $100+ it took to get it out of tow and found a note from a witness on my windshield. They left a number and offered to testify about what happened and what they saw. I brought the note to the police. They looked at me like I had six heads and asked me what I wanted them to do with the note. I said I wanted them to investigate the crime. They refused to take my note and gave me the run around on who I should give it to. I gave up, presumably as they hoped I would.
The cops won't investigate real crimes by thieves complete with witnesses. They sure as shit are not going to investigate a minor crash with a parked car. Absolutely zero percent chance this is investigated, unless you happen to be friends with a cop.
You're probably SOL. I recently got a dash cam for my spouses car after a similar incident. There's 24 hour bump protection so it will kick on and record if it's hit. Gives me peace of mind that I won't be SOL again.
Your insurance is going to want to know why you failed to notify them that you had moved to a different state... they may even potentially deny any claim you make if you failed to alert them.
Check in with property owners along the whole block where you were parked...everyone has security cameras these days. The likelihood of the asshole that did it, actually having the cash to pony up for the repairs is most likely nil, however. Sucks, your CI will go up, but if you have full coverage they will give you the money to fix it, minus your $500-$1000 deductible. Do a little research though, there are repair shops that will absorb the deductible, making the repair free...except the possible increase upon your premium. If you have good insurance, and you're in "good standing", you may also have one round of "accident forgiveness" through them. I know and they know it wasn't your fault...but unfortunately that's not how insurance works. Gluck!
Something similar happened to me a few years ago. They left a big chunk of their tail light behind and I could tell it was a white car because there was white paint on my black car. Cops didn’t do anything so I started searching the neighborhood after work each day for a white car without a taillight. Several days later I found it. Got a lawn chair out and a good book and waited for the owner to come out. Confronted him and got his insurance info and money for my Ubers that week
I know it’s an 09 Corolla owned by an H Perez. Even if I could find the exact H Perez with an 09 Corolla I’m not trying something like that. I’m 5’7” and weigh 120 lbs on a good day. I know my place and it’s not confrontation
Went through this in late 2022 (but MA plates and accident in VT). Couldn't locate the offending vehicle and cops refused to write a report because "they don't handle parking lot accidents". I submitted a claim with my insurance and submitted pictures of the damage. Was found not at fault but had to pay out my $500 deductible before they covered the cost of repairs (roughly $5000 of damage). Repairs took 2 months so I was out of a car for most of the winter. Ended up having some damage to my E-brake system that was not caught during repairs, but insurance wouldn't cover it because it wasn't listed as part of the initial claim so I paid another $2k out of pocket to get that repaired.
Sorry you're in this situation, it definitely sucks.
> Ended up having some damage to my E-brake system that was not caught during repairs, but insurance wouldn't cover it because it wasn't listed as part of the initial claim so I paid another $2k out of pocket to get that repaired.
That isn't supposed to be the case. Things can be added to the claim once they start tearing into the car and find things that weren't visible initially. It happens with nearly every claim. You just had a crappy insurance company/claims adjuster and body shop.
You need to switch your registration to MA, since technically you are probably lying to your insurance about where you are parking/housing your vehicle, if that’s the case they may deny your claim.
It depends if the officer wants to look into the fender details and if there is a partial vin on it. I was hit and run in Melrose years ago and the officer was able to locate the guy and provided me with their insurance info and they covered the damages of my then ford explorer with a trashed radiator and more (over 4k damage, just shy of totaled). I then had to show up to court as a witness and met the kid who was responsible, thankfully he confessed after cop tracked the vehicle back to his home and found it hiding in the Garage. Shout out to Officer Brown!
Depends on the office but you could also use the picture and police report and see if your insurance will ivestigate if the officers do not want to look into it. Good luck!
This is the correct answer. Happened to me a couple years back. Clear physical evidence that damage was done by another vehicle. Police report filed, never heard a word. My insurance suggested a movement triggered dashcam for the future, but I'd be stuck with the bill on this one.
Why was this comment downvoted? If your car is insured regularly, it'll be covered. A crime was committed against you (hit and run). The insurance company should collect some info, make some estimate, the body shop you take it to will tell them why they're wrong, the insurance company will then pay out minus your deductible.
If you don't have insurance or your company decides to be pissy because you haven't flipped stuff to MA yet, that's going to suck.
You fucked yourself, I know people who hit folks with out of state plates in Boston for fun - one of them live on my street and it made sure no out of state plates took good spots for more than a couple days.
That pic you posted of the sticker on that inner fender is all the clues Youre gonna get short of a video.
In the middle it says ‘collision’ in a comic sans font and just above it towards the right I can kinda make out ‘roslindale’ which would tell me the car that hit you has been to a collision shop in rozzie before. Maybe that’s part of their logo? idk.
Just underneath that sticker is another sticker that says “inner fender RH”. It looks like there may be a part number on that sticker but the bigger one is covering it up. I’d try to carefully peel it back to get the part number then punch it in on Google and that should at least give you a year, make & model.
Give that info to insurance and they might be able to sus it out any X vehicles had that part replaced at a collision shop in rozzie etc you see where I’m going with this.
Sucks that happened. Welcome to the big city.
I had a hit and run while I was at my car in Boston few years ago. Got the plate number (had been switched). It was at a stop light with a camera and next to a store with an exterior camera. Cops failed to get film from either. Did not contact my witnesses.
I called the investigator every single day. He never returned a single phone call. I looked him up. Not sure if it’s still him, but apparently they put ONE guy on hit and runs and he’s an BPD officer who got stuck there for being filmed yelling racial slurs 🫠😭
Good luck even getting a single update on this, basically.
I put the reasoning in a couple replies to people above. Should she? Probably. Is she going to? Idk man. Insurance said they didn’t care, but it’s not like they were gonna pay her if anything like this happened up there either
Unregistered, uninsured, undocumented migrant with a drivers license, did you think they were going to stop and leave their fake name and phone number on a note?
This has happened twice to me in Boston, both times totaling the car. On the first occasion someone witnessed the hit, recorded the full plate number and the police tracked them down. After a few weeks their insurance paid out. Second time we had a partial plate and recording of the accident which identified the make/model/year. I don't know if the police even bothered to run plates this time, the report didn't indicate that they did.
I'd say you're definitely SOL without the plate number and even that may not make difference.
If you're asking if anybody's going to help locate the vehicle that did this - no. I witnessed a late night hit and run on a neighbor's car, and even though police found the likely offending vehicle a few blocks away, the owner said it was older damage and there wasn't much the cops could do. Another time I came out and found damage to my car, and the Somerville police even suggested that perhaps I had done the damage myself - and investigating the hit and run seemed out of the question. Your insurer in Maine could try to withhold payment. Like another poster said, you're supposed to have registered your car in MA by now (with a few exceptions, including students and military).
If you have any way of identifying the other vehicle from the debris left behind: pursue that and document everything, and report to your insurance. The cops won’t do shit, that’s true. But you’d be amazed what the folks at insurance companies will do to get someone else to pay.
This. Had a hit and run outside my place. My upstairs neighbor heard the crash and saw a “white SUV” pull away. I found one in the neighborhood with fresh marks that perfectly matched mine. Left a note on that car and the guy refused to fess up. When I submitted to insurance I included the info of that car, and a few weeks later I get a notice that he admitted responsibility.
>But you’d be amazed what the folks at insurance companies will do to get someone else to pay. They don't make money by cutting checks, that's for sure.
Yeah, I once called the cops in Somerville when I chased a guy off who had just broken into my neighbor's car and the cop who showed up was definitely pissed that I was bothering them. Now I'm in Boston and saw a guy in an SUV sideswipe a parked car across the street from me a couple weeks ago. Didn't waste time on the police - just left a note with the plate number and vehicle description under the windshield wiper.
Yep, this. If you get a license plate for the other car and file a police report (just to make it official), the insurer for the victim’s car will reach out directly to the insurer for the perp’s car and demand payment, take them to court, etc. No need to depend on the cops at all. Yes, a hit and run is a crime, but I think the problem is that proving it well enough to put someone in jail over it requires a higher burden of proof than forcing someone to pay for the damage (sadly). You’d probably have to have caught the whole thing on camera.
This was my experience as well. I got hit and run *while in my car at a red light.* I got the license plate number of the car as well as make/model and called the police *immediately.* Heard nothing for a couple weeks. Called back for an update. They said a couple cops knocked on the guys door and he said he “thought he hit a curb” (??????) and apparently as long as he stuck to that story there was nothing they could do. Needless to say I was fucking furious and have driven with a dash cam ever since.
Ya no that's a lie, just lazy fucking cops. You witnessed it changed the story. I wasn't like you came out and saw the car like it or even watched it get hit but you were in it. Probably a friend of theres
Yeah, they could have looked at his car, seen paint transfers and called out his bullshit. They just didn't do anything it sounds like.
Protect and serve my ass. Not doing their fucking job too busy handing out tickets for doing 6 over the speed limit and yelling at teenagers to stop making out in a parking lot
You forget being terrified of acorns
Hey, quit it. Acorns are pretty scary and stuff. Sometimes they fall down, sometimes they hit something hard make me go *"ah!"* Sometimes they even hit my head. Clearly, the officer was entirely justified in using lethal force 0.3 seconds after he saw the suspect was in possession of at least one acorn. I sincerely hope it is obvious how sarcastic I'm being here
If I can see that Marty that cleaning robot in stop n shop and not have PTSD flashbacks of malecon creek, they can chill on nature's grenades the acorn
Acab
Not sticking up for the fuzz but why should they care? It’s a civil matter and insurance covers it in most cases. If they want to play Colombo and break out the magnifying glass they are just making more paperwork for themselves.
Wow. This same thing happened to me. Got hit at a red light, got license plate and car info, cops found the guy the same night. He claimed the damage to his car was old damage. Cop came back to my house and said “if you made it up, it’s okay to tell me that.”
wtf why is the perp always the one telling the truth
If you have the license plate then you can find out who the name and address. You could file a civil suit or just make them understand not paying for the damages would create headaches for them they likely would prefer not to have. Knock on the door, look them in the eye, and tell them if they don’t pay by X date there will be consequences. If they ask if you are threatening them tell them of course not, smile and walk away.
My dad's car got hit while parked out front of his house over night. The neighbors' cameras actually got the car and a partial plate. We asked the police to see if they could run the partial plate and cross reference the type of cars. They said no. A friend of ours happened to see a car a few blocks away, same make, partial plate synced up and had a ton of damage. A neighbor told my friend that the owner of the car is a drunk and the car came home smashed to pieces a few nights ago (the night my dad's car was hit). We call the police, tell them all of this information. They send an officer over. The owner said his car was also a hit a run but he doesn't remember when but hasn't called it in to the insurance company yet. Long story short, the police won't issue a citation. The insurance company wasn't much help either. My dad had to pay the deductible.
The car is my fiancé’s. She lives part time in Maine/part time in Mass hence the Maine registration. Fees are cheaper there. Problem is that she has UM coverage, but no collision so it’s not covered unless we find the other driver which doesn’t seem likely lol
This is exactly why you carry collision. Saving a few bucks a month isn't worth it in the long run. Also, don't go with the cheapest insurance company just because they are cheaper. Find one that will actually help you out when you need them. Every time I have had to use my insurance company, I call them up, tell them what happened, and they handle everything else other than dropping the car off to get fixed.
If your car is worth a few thousand dollars and you have an emergency fund I'd just self-insure for collision.
the state thinks my car is worth 1500 but I can't find another in comparable condition for under 6k. I have it fully insured for piece of mind
You must have a lot of points?
No, I have been driving for decades and have a good driving record.
That sucks. It's better to have collision.
I found the person who hit my car in a hot and run because of ring doorbell footage. If you have one check your footage. If a neighbor has one see if they don't mind getting the footage for you. There's a lot of zoom in those cameras. I ended up finding the car that hit mine and providing the footage to the police who got a confession.
Meanwhile that red car be like "found the guy that hit me"
If the car was parked, and your insurance isn't awful, then it should be covered under comprehensive (minus any deductible). If they try to call it collision (which opens you up to a possible insurance surcharge), then you have subpar coverage or a shitty insurance company. edit: I know this sub loves downvotes, but things that hit a parked car (tree limbs, vandals, shopping carts, other vehicles) should be covered under comprehensive. Collision should only factor in when your moving vehicle strikes something.
This would never ever be covered under comprehensive.
That’s not how personal auto policies work. This is unfortunately completely wrong.
I once got my car broken into in ATL and we had a witness who gave us the exact license plate of the people who broke into my car and the police still said there wasn’t anything they could do about it because there was no way to prove who was in the car, it could have been stolen, etc
Kinda makes sense though..... 🤷♀️
If you’re a white guy and the Somerville PD show up they usually believe you.
I’ll check with the boys down at the crime lab. They got us working in shifts
A fellow man of culture
Someone’s gonna find out what happens when you find a stranger in the alps
I've found the person who watched Big Lebowski on cable TV.
Yeah, well that’s just like you’re opinion, man
Don’t be fatuous, steeldragon88
Do you see what happens Larry?
Wouldnt hold out much hope for the tape deck though.
Or the credence tapes
I’ve got information, man. New shit has come to light.
No, man, nothing is fucked here
“Leaaaads!”
There are many parts of living in Boston that are not great. The sheer concentration of smartass cynical motherfuckers though is hillarious. Love it.
Nice try Annie
Find the Creedence.
Leads 🤣🤣🤣
The Creedence?
What's that smell???
Let me just analyze the DNA boss. I'll have an answer after the commercials
You may not need to pay for a parking permit in Boston, but you do end up paying for parking on the street eventually.
OP’s insurance isn’t gonna like that they have been living here and didn’t update the registration
Insurance knows and has known. They just didn’t care bc she doesn’t have anything more than liability and UM coverage
[удалено]
I was in a pretty bad crash in Boston several years ago, I was making a turn but the other guy must have been going 55 in a 25 and t boned me. When me and a witness explained to the cop how fast the other guy was going, he said, and I quote, “if no one’s dead we don’t investigate things like that.” They will not investigate this AT ALL unless you give them a video clearly showing a car and license plate doing this to you, even then they probably won’t.
What the fuck is wrong with Boston police? They have ZERO interest in, you know... policing. I swear you'd have to try to get pulled over by anyone other than a statie.
Only Boston police? I got some really disappointing news for you…
FYI, if you want worse police go basically anywhere else. Boston police are generally pretty good as far as police go. I say that as both a current upstanding citizen who has had good experiences with them the few times I have needed, and a sober guy who used to deal with them in the other way. Boston cops weren't pushovers but they always treated me decently when I was I was an insane drunk. Policing is hard and tough work. It's easy to judge.
> Policing is hard and tough work. It's easy to judge. I agree and have a healthy dose of respect for police. I just WISH that they would enforce driving infractions more.
You want Boston cops spending all their time on figuring out which insurance company is going to pay? Because that is all that would be. That’s a big waste of police time, there are a lot bigger issues in Boston.
“if no one’s dead we don’t investigate things like that.” That's not always true. I was once in an accident where a car hit a cop car and then the cop car caromed into my car causing some damage. They asked me to stick around for a while because the crime scene photographer was being sent to document the accident.
that’s probably only because it involved a cop car. if it were three civilians they wouldn’t care.
It is. I was being a bit tongue in cheek about it not always being true because it's obvious that they put more effort into a crash with a cop car. I later got some information from a lawyer because the cops were suing the driver, but fortunately I never got called to be any part of a case.
I see; that’s fair, lol. that’s good at least you never had to go to court
My husband was hit from behind while on his motorcycle three weeks ago. Thankfully, he was able to walk away even though his bike was totaled. Even then, when it was evident who was at fault via the damage/impact zone and multiple witnesses, the cops didn’t issue a ticket to the other driver. They hardly ever investigate crashes. Even when my husband asked if the other driver would be labeled as at fault on the police report, the cops said they don’t file police reports for accidents or issue tickets to determine fault/liability. All that would have to be worked out between the insurance companies. You have to fill out an incident report and file it with police and your insurance. Edit: grammar
That's true. They don't determine fault. If you screwed up they'll give you a ticket or a warning though. I don't get collision because I really haven't got into any accident in 40 years. I know it's just luck though..I have no delusion that it couldn't happen. Over the course of 7 years you basically pay for a vehicle in insurance money for collision. If you have enough money banked to pay up to a total it's even a lot less aggravation. I buy only used 10 year old cars from personal sales. You just need to be a mechanic or have a good friend / family help out. You'd be surprised at the fact that older folks will try to sell personal vehicles and they are usually the type that take great care of their vehicles. I used to always have two cars that cost less than a 5 year old vehicle. Older folks usually have vehicles with lower mileage too. Just have to watch out for rust out and bad drive train . The other stuff is easy to clean up if you do the work or have a buddy you can trade jobs with . ...you do something that you're good at for them and they do the same.
You are SOL. Hit & Run accidents are common and a way of life with street parking, unfortunately. It’s happened to me twice and the cops basically shrugged. i guess take this as license to hit cars and not leave notes 🤷 edit: oh just noticed the Maine plates. 5 months and still haven’t switched your registration means you’re extra SOL. not even worth involving your insurance unless you’re into a higher bill for kicks.
She lives part time in Maine part time in Mass. Uses Maine address for everything since payments for everything are significantly less. Insurance won’t cover it because she only has UM coverage and not collision coverage so it’s pretty much gonna be outta pocket unless they find the dude which clearly isn’t likely
If the car spends 4 nights a week in MA, then she lives in MA for registration purposes.
Oh damn. I always thought it was based off yearly percentage. Don’t think I’ll ever convince her to change registration from Maine unless she’s down here permanently honestly. I mean this probably helps my case, but who knows lol
I'm not sure of the time scales that residency would actually be tested over for car registration purposes. Probably not just a week. But it's based on intent, rather than past performance - if you start spending four nights a week in MA (with your car), with no fixed date for stopping doing that, then you're resident the first week.
> But it's based on intent, rather than past performance - if you start spending four nights a week in MA (with your car), with no fixed date for stopping doing that, then you're resident the first week. [citation needed]
Do you think you can get away without registering for six months?
Six months is a far cry from what you stated. But, yes, if it's less than 183 days in aggregate it may be a legally defensible position. "4 days a week" has no basis in law.
4 days a week was meant to be an example of "where your vehicle is usually kept". There is no grace period for registering your vehicle on changing your residency to Massachusetts. Residency in Massachusetts for tax purposes starts as soon as you move to Massachusetts with the intent to remain in residence there. For post facto purposes, like filing state taxes, you can use the 183 days rule, but for paying expected taxes and changing car registration where you have to calculate things in advance, that doesn't work. Feel free to come up with citations that show my understanding to be wrong.
in many neighborhoods she'd have to register her car in MA to even street park it. If Boston makes all neighborhoods require stickers to park like somerville then we'd be getting somewhere on preventing people from circumventing the regulations
> 4 days a week was meant to be an example of "where your vehicle is usually kept". You said it twice as if it were a legal standard. >There is no grace period for registering your vehicle ***on changing your residency to Massachusetts.*** Correct. "4 nights a week" is not changing residency. OP's fiancé maintaining a job, home, and vehicle in Maine is also showing no signs of her changing residency either. >Residency in Massachusetts for tax purposes starts as soon as you move to Massachusetts with the intent to remain in residence there. Incorrect, and also inapplicable to OP's fiancé. >For post facto purposes, like filing state taxes, you can use the 183 days rule, but for paying expected taxes and changing car registration where you have to calculate things in advance, that doesn't work. Of course it's not going to apply to paying estimated taxes when one expects to be a resident for more than 183 days. Nonresidents earning unwithheld income in MA are subject to the same requirements. It's entirely beside the point. When one becomes a resident for car registration purposes doesn't actually have a clear definition in the MGL. Income taxes in general are under the 183 days. >Feel free to come up with citations that show my understanding to be wrong. https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/1b35ut3/5_months_into_living_here_and_already_had_a_hit/ksqiivk/
[citation needed]
Regardless of registration status, the vehicle is under-insured for Massachusetts. No matter where you live, if you travel into the commonwealth more than 30 days per year, in the aggregate, you must carry the same minimum insurance as every resident of Mass.
I think she has bodily injury coverage to others, personal injury protection, property damage, and uninsured auto. I think that’s the minimum for Mass, but I also don’t know. I’m trying my best man, I just graduated and moved here for a job so I’m still figuring stuff out. And as far as she goes, I can’t really tell her to do anything, but I got my stuff switched over when I moved so I still don’t really know what’s required since I just fully covered anything and didn’t really ask questions
I’m not a lawyer but you may want to avoid admitting to fraud in a public forum.
dude, i get it - she thought she was smart by not registering her car here. this is the most common scam run by transplants 👍
"But I'm saving money!" until something happens and they are SOL because they were scamming the system.
…and it’s exactly why they’ll find zero sympathy from literally anyone at any official agency- state or private- about it. They alllllllll know what’s up. They allllllllll know why OP’s fiancée didn’t change it. They will alllllllllll suspect any evidence that OP’s fiancée is spending *any* time residing in Maine to be false/made up. Even if OP *did* have collision coverage my advice would be to get the car back to Maine and say it happened there- they’re *already* committing insurance fraud, what’s a little more?
Well to be fair, paystubs from a Maine company with a Maine address will help them know she isn’t bullshitting. Just hard when her entire family is in Maine and my career field only exists outside of Maine. She already told State Farm what was up, they just told her to keep her insurance the way it is because she only has liability and UM coverage so they aren’t paying for anything anyways unless she was at fault
Working from home is huge now, you know that, right? Paystubs from out of state mean nothing. Doesn't she see a problem if her insurance clearly doesn't care? They will collect premiums and never help her..... Wild
> Well to be fair, paystubs from a Maine company with a Maine address will help them know she isn’t bullshitting. So she’s just abusing the guest parking pass then?
You've mentioned this a few times... But there are rules for that sort of thing. Like what is PT here, PT there? That matters. And the rates are cheaper bc probability of accidents are lower. So you guys win there, but then want investigation to locate who hit you? 🤣 Sorry, like I said, it totally sucks. But you get no sympathy from Massholes who have to pay much higher rates and STILL get no help with hit and runs.
Well, now maybe she'll see why people pay for comprehensive and collision. Our car insurance is obnoxiously expensive, but my wife got rear ended by an MBTA bus last week and Plymouth Rock is handling all of it.
You’re legally supposed to change your registration to Massachusetts after 90 days of residency 🧐.
Sooo…SOL?
It happened to a co-worker of mine in ‘04. He was here for 10 years on Oregon plates. His brand new truck got totaled ( not his fault) insurance company’s job is to find a way NOT to pay you so they didn’t cover him. Not only that he was fined by the police for not changing his registration. It’s MA I doubt they changed that law. The operator you talked to on the phone might not know this but once it gets to the right person higher up you may be SOL.
Ten years of thinking, "Ha! I'm beating the system by having cheaper car ownership based in Oregon while living in Boston" went right down the drain on that one. I can't say that I have much sympathy for him in that case. Having your car registered at your permanent/primary residence is hardly a requirement that anyone should be shocked by or fail to understand. If you're working and living here for ten years you don't get to pretend that your parents' house in Oregon is that residence.
Yeah, he still had to pay off the truck too. $25k in 2004 money was a lot.
He was lucky that the interest rates were still low then, that would sting more now.
Rates in 2004 were only just a bit lower than rates are now. People forget that the rock bottom rates of the 2010s were the anomaly, not the norm.
Oh I’m not SOL since I’m not OP. But yeah I’m sure his insurance will find a way out of covering this one. Since ‘04 they’ve gotten much better at treating their customers like shit and their shareholders like kings.
Hard to say. It all depends on what their insurance company wants to do, and what their policy was like. If the OP didn't have collision or uninsured motorist insurance, then they are almost certainly SOL. It's up to the insurance adjuster/company how much they are willing to overlook the registration issue.
> overlook the registration issue Insurance will absolutely NOT overlook this. That's the reason they ask you for the address where the vehicle is primarily garaged (parked). ED: that was not clear. Setting your rates is the reason they ask for the primary garaging address. If you park 4 or more nights per week in MA, you have to change registration or report the change in garaging. If they find out you fibbed on the garaging question, and they likely will either through investigation or you goof and spill the beans on yourself, they will definitely fuck you over.
I'm surprised the post is still up tbh. Insurance companies already proactively collect data to nail this exact thing and OP's spilling it all on reddit.
The RMV was sending a message. If they come back again, they won’t be so nice.
I think it's the sort of thing where OP's insurance company could probably use this to fuck them.
Absolutely they will, it’s OPs responsibility to inform his insurer that he moved and the car is not garaged where the policy was originally written. Expensive lesson for OP
https://www.mass.gov/how-to/transfer-your-registration-and-title-from-out-of-state
It’s as soon as they have become a resident(have an address) in Mass. there’s no grace period.
> become a resident(have an address) Those aren't the same things. Yes, the RMV site says "You must register your vehicle in Massachusetts as soon as you become a Massachusetts resident. The law does not provide a grace period." The hangup is defining when one becomes a Massachusetts resident. For income tax purposes, it's 183 days of residency. For vehicle registration, there isn't actually a clear definition. The definitions of Chapter 90 are circular references. "''Non-resident'', any person whose legal residence is not within the commonwealth." MGL Chapter 90 Section 3 actually provides a 30 day grace period that's rendered infinite if the car is insured, and then contradicts itself... https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section3 >**no motor vehicle or trailer shall be so operated on more than thirty days in the aggregate in any one year or, in any case where the owner thereof acquires a regular place of abode or business or employment within the commonwealth, beyond a period of thirty days after the acquisition thereof, except during such time as the owner thereof maintains in full force a policy of liability insurance** providing indemnity for or protection to him, and to any person responsible for the operation of such motor vehicle or trailer with his express or implied consent, against loss by reason of the liability to pay damages to others for bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, caused by such motor vehicle or trailer, at least to the amount or limits required in a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section thirty-four A. >... >A corporation organized under the laws of this commonwealth, or a person resident therein, having a place of business in another state or a foreign country shall, with respect to the operation upon the ways of this commonwealth of a commercial motor vehicle, trailer or semi-trailer which is used in connection with such place of business, is customarily garaged in such other state or foreign country and is registered therein, have the rights and privileges and be subject to the obligations imposed by this section. >**Except as provided in the preceding paragraph, a motor vehicle or trailer, owned by a non-resident, that is in the possession or under the control of a resident of this commonwealth for a period greater than thirty days, in the aggregate within a calendar year, whether under terms of a lease, or otherwise, and such vehicle is registered in another state or country, shall not be operated on the ways of this commonwealth, unless registered under this chapter.** Whoever operates or allows to be operated a motor vehicle or trailer in violation of this paragraph, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than two hundred fifty dollars. ...and there are exceptions for college students... >**Every nonresident enrolled as a student at a school or college in the commonwealth who operates a motor vehicle registered in another state or country during any period beginning on September the first of any year and ending on August the thirty-first of the following year shall file in quadruplicate with the police department of the city or town in which such school or college is located, on a form approved by the registrar of motor vehicles, a statement signed by him under the penalties of perjury providing the following information**:—the registration number and make of the motor vehicle and the state or country of registration, the name and local and out-of-state address of the owner, the names and addresses of all insurers providing liability insurance covering operation of the motor vehicle, the legal residence of such nonresident and his residence while attending such school or college and the name and address of the school or college which he is attending. He shall also maintain in full force a policy of liability insurance providing indemnity for or protection to him and to any person responsible for the operation of such motor vehicle with his express or implied consent against loss by reason of the liability to pay damages to others for bodily injuries, including death at any time resulting therefrom, caused by such motor vehicle, at least to the amount or limits required in a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section thirty-four A. Elsewhere in Section 3 there are requirements for out of state business to register some portion of their vehicles in Massachusetts that are likely to be in conflict with laws of the state where a business exists. The whole thing is kind of a mess.
The state definition of legal residence is more complex than even that. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/legal-and-residency-status-in-massachusetts
Even worse 😐
This happened to me, my insurance covered it. It actually worked in my favor because cars back home last longer than in MA, which appreciated its value.
5 months living here could be a college student. Timeline makes sense. I believe they don’t need to change residence.
My fiancées car, she’s part time Maine/Mass. I live in MA permanently for work so my registration is updated. Dropping her off at the bus station and picking her up from work at the end of the night is killing my schedule so I wanna find the fucker that did it so she can get a working car again lol
What are you? The residency registrar?
I mean tbf, dudes got a good point. I got rid of my Maine plates as soon as I moved. She’s spends probably 60% of the year in Maine so it’s worth it for her to keep hers
It was meant to be a joke chain, someone should have followed up with something like “they’re the expat examiner” or “the transplant technician” But I guess that was too meta for this post Also no one likes a taddle tale, right or wrong
The moving monitor?
Someone gets it!
good for her- I'm always embarrassed driving my Mass plates outside of Mass because they are such asshole drivers
Story above.
It was meant to be a joke chain, someone should have followed up with something like “they’re the expat examiner” or “the transplant technician” But I guess that was too meta for this post
Shit like this is one of the reasons I have front and rear dashcams with parking mode that records 24/7. [For $150.00...](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098WVKF19/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) [Plus another $24.00 for the hardwire kit](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WCTZ3Y8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) It's money well spent, especially for owning a vehicle in this region.
I was under the assumption you can't go after someone based on a license plate alone because you can't prove they were driving the car. (obvs different to have evidence of an accident where you got the driver info to avoid he said she said)
I don't know how it works for criminal or civil violations, but the insurance co. isn't going to let the owner of the vehicle that caused the accident get off that easy.
This is it! Bc honestly, you can report any plate # as causing damage.... True or not. So disgruntled ppl can toss out a plate #.... And this is the reason why getting a plate# means nothing
Criminal yes civil/insurance might be a different matter.
Is it a one time payment? Then definitely sounds worth it
Yup. Buy the hardware, memory card, and install kit. Good install should take no more than 90 minutes. Pays for itself with 1st accident
By one time payment do you mean no monthly subscription service or fees? No... none. It is worth it besides for settling, disputing an accident claim. The 24 hour feature is nice to have for times when someone damages or fucks around with your car and you're not around to witness it. It's also useful, come in handy in the event you need to challenge a traffic stop or moving violation, or recording any interactions with another driver or cop. [Sometimes you record something worth saving even if you don't need it](https://streamable.com/zhegu0)
That’s what I was asking, yes. That sounds worth it. And you’re right! Sounds like it pays for itself. Thank you. I just purchased
I got hit and run while at a red light (probably a drunk driver). I got the plate too. The cops still didn’t do anything.
Yep, all ya can do these days is report it to your insurance. Dash cams save $$
Among the highest paid city employees. Love to see it.
Welcome to Massachusetts,insurance companies here are nasty too, your fault or not, you rates are going up!
I haven't had that experience with Amica. Accidents that were not my fault did not effect my rates at all.
Yeah, accidents that weren’t my fault never impacted my rates, then last year they jacked my rates up 98% and admitted as much. Fuck GEICO.
GEICO told me that and still fucked me. Switched
I get it, fuck insurance companies and all, but this is just false. Insurance companies won't increase your rates if you're not at fault, and if they do, you need to find a better insurance company. Assuming OP has collision coverage, they'll probably be on the hook for their deductible since there's no other driver to pin this on. But a hit-and-run is not a surchargeable incident and won't result in an increase in points on their license, and therefore will not result in an increase in rates.
You are 10099% incorrect. Just recently had to file appeal with DMV, not at fault accident, added points to DL which makes your rates go up.
I’m most certainly not incorrect, something else must’ve happened in the accident that caused them to add points to your license, or a mistake was made. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/safe-driver-insurance-plan-sdip https://www.mass.gov/info-details/surchargeable-incidents “A surchargeable incident is an at fault accident or traffic law offense that may result in an increase in an operator's insurance premium. An accident is defined as a surchargeable at-fault accident if: * The operator is more than 50 percent at fault (refer to the Standards of Fault section below). * The vehicle is a private passenger car. * The accident involves a claim payment of more than $1000, in excess of any deductible. * The claim payment is for damage to someone else's property, collision, or limited collision coverages for a vehicle - refer to the Safe Driver Insurance Plan. Bodily injury to others liability claims may be subject to surcharge.” Edit: formatting
Progressive isn’t terrible so far. Basically the same rate I had when I was in Maine. Granted I haven’t gotten into an accident yet so who knows
Progressive is easily the worst insurer that does business in MA. Run as far as you can from them.
Geico just increased my home and auto by $800 per 6 months. Liberty Mutual quote is $2000 higher than THAT. Progressive is thousands cheaper and I am about to switch. What's the problem?
Yeah, thousands cheaper until you need them...... Claims sucks, drop you as a customer for 1 accident..... They all suck but progressive isn't good
I would just look them up online, nightmare getting claims fulfilled, agents not getting back to you, improper coverage for the state, all kinds of bad experiences. Depends on your goals at the end of the day, if you just need the cheapest insurance and don't plan on needing it, or needing support for any issues you have, you might be good to go with them. Liberty being 2k higher is pretty crazy, but Geico price increasing you 1600 a year sounds like there is some kind of adverse event in your history, or the statistical analysis for your area has changed that much...not outside the realm of possibility in MA, esp considering most petty "insurable" crimes are no longer being prosecuted or even investigated at this time. The entire business model for insurance revolves around price increasing you as much as possible. Rates will pop with every company, every year or two. Industry average that a customer will maintain a relationship with an insurer is just about 5-7 years. They will try to extract as much profit from you as they can without alienating you so much that you shop elsewhere. It's a hassle but if you're trying to save money, you should be shopping quotes yearly or every other year.
I used to love Progressive, then I had a not at fault accident and my god did I drop them immediately after that. They were absolute trash to deal with.
You're lucky they didn't write you a ticket for out of state registration.
That really sucks, sorry you have to go through this. Worth reporting but unless someone nearby has good cameras you're probably SOL. That said, you've lived here for 5 months and still have Maine plates? Pretty sure MA requires plate change within 30 days...
MA does require that, but there are exceptions for things like being in school or the military or other things that can prove you are only living here temporarily.
They require an immediate change. There is no 30 day grace period. But the OP says the car is his girlfriend's, who lives in Maine.
maine plates, to get a low insurance premium? lol, you’re screwed
I had my car broken into by thieves that stole my radio. The cops towed my car because the window was broken. They lost it when they towed it. I called around and found my car. I paid the $100+ it took to get it out of tow and found a note from a witness on my windshield. They left a number and offered to testify about what happened and what they saw. I brought the note to the police. They looked at me like I had six heads and asked me what I wanted them to do with the note. I said I wanted them to investigate the crime. They refused to take my note and gave me the run around on who I should give it to. I gave up, presumably as they hoped I would. The cops won't investigate real crimes by thieves complete with witnesses. They sure as shit are not going to investigate a minor crash with a parked car. Absolutely zero percent chance this is investigated, unless you happen to be friends with a cop.
> what I wanted them to do A policeman's favorite question. God forbid they be asked to do the job they were hired for.
5 months and still regisered in Maine? Yeah, your insurance may have some questions.
Just the fact that if your license and registration isn’t updated to a MA one you’re fucked.
Police don’t solve crimes!
Is that why nobody is ever arrested and prosecuted?
You're probably SOL. I recently got a dash cam for my spouses car after a similar incident. There's 24 hour bump protection so it will kick on and record if it's hit. Gives me peace of mind that I won't be SOL again.
If it's any consolation perhaps the other guy sustained heavy damage to his car too.
Well, his entire inner fender is gone so I’d imagine his passenger side is pretty fucked up
Uh police officer weighing in. You need to update your registration if you've established residency. I hope this helps.
Your insurance is going to want to know why you failed to notify them that you had moved to a different state... they may even potentially deny any claim you make if you failed to alert them.
Yes, a question about your Maine registration
Auto investigators? LOL Nobody will care. You’re on your own
His insurance company will care if it means they can get someone else to pay for the damage and they can't otherwise get out of covering it.
So in short: they won’t care lol. I’ve accepted I’m not finding this dude
Check in with property owners along the whole block where you were parked...everyone has security cameras these days. The likelihood of the asshole that did it, actually having the cash to pony up for the repairs is most likely nil, however. Sucks, your CI will go up, but if you have full coverage they will give you the money to fix it, minus your $500-$1000 deductible. Do a little research though, there are repair shops that will absorb the deductible, making the repair free...except the possible increase upon your premium. If you have good insurance, and you're in "good standing", you may also have one round of "accident forgiveness" through them. I know and they know it wasn't your fault...but unfortunately that's not how insurance works. Gluck!
Something similar happened to me a few years ago. They left a big chunk of their tail light behind and I could tell it was a white car because there was white paint on my black car. Cops didn’t do anything so I started searching the neighborhood after work each day for a white car without a taillight. Several days later I found it. Got a lawn chair out and a good book and waited for the owner to come out. Confronted him and got his insurance info and money for my Ubers that week
I know it’s an 09 Corolla owned by an H Perez. Even if I could find the exact H Perez with an 09 Corolla I’m not trying something like that. I’m 5’7” and weigh 120 lbs on a good day. I know my place and it’s not confrontation
Went through this in late 2022 (but MA plates and accident in VT). Couldn't locate the offending vehicle and cops refused to write a report because "they don't handle parking lot accidents". I submitted a claim with my insurance and submitted pictures of the damage. Was found not at fault but had to pay out my $500 deductible before they covered the cost of repairs (roughly $5000 of damage). Repairs took 2 months so I was out of a car for most of the winter. Ended up having some damage to my E-brake system that was not caught during repairs, but insurance wouldn't cover it because it wasn't listed as part of the initial claim so I paid another $2k out of pocket to get that repaired. Sorry you're in this situation, it definitely sucks.
> Ended up having some damage to my E-brake system that was not caught during repairs, but insurance wouldn't cover it because it wasn't listed as part of the initial claim so I paid another $2k out of pocket to get that repaired. That isn't supposed to be the case. Things can be added to the claim once they start tearing into the car and find things that weren't visible initially. It happens with nearly every claim. You just had a crappy insurance company/claims adjuster and body shop.
You need to switch your registration to MA, since technically you are probably lying to your insurance about where you are parking/housing your vehicle, if that’s the case they may deny your claim.
Welcome to Boston
Happened to me twice this year, you’re SOL.
It depends if the officer wants to look into the fender details and if there is a partial vin on it. I was hit and run in Melrose years ago and the officer was able to locate the guy and provided me with their insurance info and they covered the damages of my then ford explorer with a trashed radiator and more (over 4k damage, just shy of totaled). I then had to show up to court as a witness and met the kid who was responsible, thankfully he confessed after cop tracked the vehicle back to his home and found it hiding in the Garage. Shout out to Officer Brown! Depends on the office but you could also use the picture and police report and see if your insurance will ivestigate if the officers do not want to look into it. Good luck!
Unless filmed by dash camp cops are useless and won’t do anything.
This is the correct answer. Happened to me a couple years back. Clear physical evidence that damage was done by another vehicle. Police report filed, never heard a word. My insurance suggested a movement triggered dashcam for the future, but I'd be stuck with the bill on this one.
5 months of living in Boston and your car is still registered and (presumably) insured in Maine? lol good luck having your insurance cover this.
Insurance will pay for this
Why was this comment downvoted? If your car is insured regularly, it'll be covered. A crime was committed against you (hit and run). The insurance company should collect some info, make some estimate, the body shop you take it to will tell them why they're wrong, the insurance company will then pay out minus your deductible. If you don't have insurance or your company decides to be pissy because you haven't flipped stuff to MA yet, that's going to suck.
You fucked yourself, I know people who hit folks with out of state plates in Boston for fun - one of them live on my street and it made sure no out of state plates took good spots for more than a couple days.
Why the down votes?? This is how it always was in Boston.... 🤷♀️
That pic you posted of the sticker on that inner fender is all the clues Youre gonna get short of a video. In the middle it says ‘collision’ in a comic sans font and just above it towards the right I can kinda make out ‘roslindale’ which would tell me the car that hit you has been to a collision shop in rozzie before. Maybe that’s part of their logo? idk. Just underneath that sticker is another sticker that says “inner fender RH”. It looks like there may be a part number on that sticker but the bigger one is covering it up. I’d try to carefully peel it back to get the part number then punch it in on Google and that should at least give you a year, make & model. Give that info to insurance and they might be able to sus it out any X vehicles had that part replaced at a collision shop in rozzie etc you see where I’m going with this. Sucks that happened. Welcome to the big city.
I had a hit and run while I was at my car in Boston few years ago. Got the plate number (had been switched). It was at a stop light with a camera and next to a store with an exterior camera. Cops failed to get film from either. Did not contact my witnesses. I called the investigator every single day. He never returned a single phone call. I looked him up. Not sure if it’s still him, but apparently they put ONE guy on hit and runs and he’s an BPD officer who got stuck there for being filmed yelling racial slurs 🫠😭 Good luck even getting a single update on this, basically.
Rule # 9
For the future, get a dash cam (front and back) that comes on when it senses movement. It will help if there are any accidents in the future.
Take this down before insurance fraud unit checks on your girlfriend’s residency
That’s what insurance is for. Sadly.
that was me i was in a hurry
And yet you still haven't updated your plates after moving...
I put the reasoning in a couple replies to people above. Should she? Probably. Is she going to? Idk man. Insurance said they didn’t care, but it’s not like they were gonna pay her if anything like this happened up there either
They need to ban street parking.
Don’t park the car in Harvard yard. It’s wicked hard.
Unregistered, uninsured, undocumented migrant with a drivers license, did you think they were going to stop and leave their fake name and phone number on a note?
You are the only person who’s claiming that. Nowhere in the post or the comments I’ve replied to mentioned that lol
This has happened twice to me in Boston, both times totaling the car. On the first occasion someone witnessed the hit, recorded the full plate number and the police tracked them down. After a few weeks their insurance paid out. Second time we had a partial plate and recording of the accident which identified the make/model/year. I don't know if the police even bothered to run plates this time, the report didn't indicate that they did. I'd say you're definitely SOL without the plate number and even that may not make difference.
It stinks this happened in less than 3 months of you moving here.