CHARLOTTE — Martin Schram likes tennis so much that he got a North Carolina license plate supporting the Tennis Foundation.
The plate automatically comes with a ‘T’ and ‘F’ down the right side, similar to other special edition license plates in the state. Schram wanted something simple in the middle; he went with one letter, ‘D,’ for the tennis term ‘deuce.’
“The way the plate is spaced out. It’s more than far enough that the combination should not be seen as one complete statement,” he said.
If you don’t know what those letters stand for, you may want to look it up.
Schram told Action 9 attorney Jason Stoogenke he wasn’t trying to be inappropriate or get away with something.
In fact, the DMV thought it was fine and approved it.
But, apparently, someone saw it and complained.
“That’s one person’s take. I get it,” Schram said. “To me, it’s a little bit silly, too, that somebody complained.”
The DMV revoked the tag.
“I understand the reasoning behind it,” Schram said.
They say they sent Schram a letter -- certified mail -- saying the tag may be “offensive and in poor taste.” The DMV says the Postal Service tried to deliver the letter twice, but that no one was around and they finally delivered it more than month later.
That’s important because the letter said Schram had 30 days to respond.
He thought that meant he had 30 from the time the state mailed it. So it was already too late. He didn’t challenge it.
“I wasn’t able to appeal the decision. I wasn’t able to explain myself,” he said.
But the DMV told me he had 30 days to respond from the date he ‘received’ the letter. In fairness, they refunded his money, sent him a new, non-custom tag, and after Action 9 got involved, the DMV offered him another chance to appeal the revocation.
Bottom line: know the state can revoke a tag they initially approved. Also know you have 30 days to appeal -- from the time you ‘get’ the letter. Don’t assume the deadline’s passed. And if you have to give up the tag, make sure you ask for that refund.