NOBODY!
(MM)
NOW TO A TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS' EXCLUSIVE:
DMV DEBTS.
FEW PEOPLE ENJOY THEIR TRIP TO
THE D-M-V.
FOR A WOONSOCKET MAN-----IT GOT
EVEN *WORSE* WHEN ------HE WAS
TOLD----- HE COULDN'T RENEW HIS
REGISTRATION BECAUSE OF A
14-YEAR-OLD TAX BILL.
(HE)
WE'VE LEARNED -- A LAW THAT PUT
A LIMIT ON WHEN THE GOVERNMENT
CAN COME AFTER YOU FOR BACK
TAXES -- DOESN'T APPLY TO MOTOR
VEHICLES.
It's obviously reprehensible.
It's unacceptable."
(HE)
NOW A STATE LAWMAKER SAYS OUR
REPORT IS PROMPTING HIM TO
REEXAMINE THAT LAW.
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR TOLLY
TAYLOR IS HERE NOW WITH THE
DETAILS --
AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR YOU.
SHANE SARTINI WALKED INTO A
TRIPLE-A TO RENEW HIS CAR
REGISTRATION IN FEBRUARY 2018.
INSTEAD, HE WAS TOLD HE HAD TO
ON HIS CAR FROM 2004 TO 2006...
IF HE WANTED TO RENEW HIS
REGISTRATION.
SHANE SARTINI SAYS HE PAYS HIS
TAXES ON TIME... AND KEEPS TAX
RECORDS DATING BACK A DECADE.
BUT THAT DIDN'T HELP HIM IN
2018.
SHANE SARTINI:
"I didn't have any of that
documentation--I wasn't even
with that bank anymore, so I had
no way of proving my case."
SARTINI SAYS HE NEVER RECEIVED A
WRITTEN NOTICE FROM WOONSOCKET
OF THE TAX BLOCK THAT PREVENTED
HIM FROM RENEWING HIS
REGISTRATION...
AND DECIDED TO CONTEST IT AT
CITY HALL.
HE EVEN TOOK HIS CASE TO SMALL
CLAIMS COURT... BUT WAS TOLD IT
WAS A MATTER FOR SUPERIOR COURT.
BY THEN... HIS TIME RAN OUT.
"I had no choice but to renew
the registration so, I paid
under protest."
ON MARCH 5TH OF 2018... HE PAID
THE CITY OF WOONSOCKET 916
DOLLARS.
ON THE MEMO LINE HE WROTE:
"PAYMENT BEING MADE UNDER
PROTEST."
"I was like, this is not fair."
A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE RHODE
ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR
VEHICLES SAYS IN AN EMAIL THAT A
NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM IN JULY
2017... MADE IT EASIER TO LINK
MUNICIPAL TAX RECORDS TO DMV
RECORDS.
"10, 12, 14 years later--that's
unacceptable. It shouldn't be,
and it should go away. Shame on
the state for doing that."
STATE SENATOR FRANK LOMBARDI
INTRODUCED -- AND HELPED PASS --
A BILL IN 2019 THAT CREATED A
10-YEAR STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS
FOR PERSONAL INCOME, SALES,
ESTATE AND CORPORATE TAXES.
BUT LOMBARDI SAYS HE DIDN'T
INCLUDE *VEHICLE* TAXES...
BECAUSE THERE WASN'T A DEMAND AT
THE TIME.
AND THAT MEANS RIGHT NOW,
ACCORDING TO CITY OF WOONSOCKET
ASSISTANT CITY SOLICITOR PETER
WAS-I-LICK -- CITIES AND
MUNICIPALITIES CAN COME AFTER
TAXPAYERS FOR DEBTS THAT ARE
DECADES OLD.
His view as the assistant
continue to do this,
municipalities can continue to
do this to taxpayers until this
is fixed via legislative action.
What's your response to that?"
8:57
"If he thinks that, certainly,
people that are watching, I'll
go to legislative council and
ask them to look at this." 9:04
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WRITES
THE BILLS THAT MAY EVENTUALLY
BECOME LAWS.
WHEN I ASKED SARTINI WHY HE
WAS STILL FIGHTING WHAT *HE
CALLS* A WRONGFUL TAX BLOCK 3
YEARS LATER... HE SAYS IT'S
ABOUT THE PRINCIPLE.
SARTINI SAYS HE'S CERTAIN THIS
HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS AROUND
THE STATE.