CHARLOTTE — Mechanics are still open and still doing inspections -- but viewers keep asking Action 9′s Jason Stoogenke why the state hasn’t put them on hold, saying they’re trying to limit social interaction and honor the stay-at-home order.
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"I’m not going to put myself and my family at risk for a car inspection, so I decided just not do anything about it. If there’s penalties or whatever, I will deal with them later, but I’m not going to venture out with everything going on,” Deepak Hemnani told Action 9.
He said his inspection was due March 31 and that he asked the DMV if it could wait.
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"I was flatly [told], 'No. Either you get it done today (because it was my due date) or you can start incurring fines and penalties starting tomorrow.’ I said, 'Are you guys kidding me?’ And with everything going on, there’s no way I’m going out, especially since I’ve got elderly parents at home and I don’t want to take a chance of going out and getting something and coming back home so,” Hemnani said.
Another viewer emailed Stoogenke, "I’m definitely in the 60+ category. I have to go out in public to get my car inspected?”
Another messaged Action 9 on Facebook: “I don’t need to be going out.”
The government has put other requirements on hold -- like taxes and student loan payments -- so drivers have been asking why it won’t delay inspections.
The DMV told Action 9 that it "doesn’t have the legal authority to extend any expiration dates. Only the General Assembly can do that as the registration process is state law. We expect that issue will be considered when the legislature is able to meet.”
"It just makes sense for them to do something about this because I’m sure I’m not the only one in this situation and to be asking us to go get these inspections done with everything that’s going on outside, it’s just nuts,” Hemnani said.
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