Call Kurtis: Driving Record Errors
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- "We feel insecure; we don't know are we going to be able to pay all our bills monthly" says Bistra Tsvetkova in the living room of her tiny two bedroom apartment in Citrus Heights.
The near-future is a worrisome thing for her and her husband Tsvetelin Tsvetkov.
Tsvetelin has a small legal matter hanging over his head and they've done all they can do.
"…to prove that he's innocent and to prove that this is a horrible mistake."
Time is ticking; they're at the end of their rope and say we are their last hope.
"We discovered this problem in 28 of January"(Sic) of this year, she says.
They were changing insurance companies when a check of their driving records revealed one big point.
It shows Tsvetelin had "failed to obey a red signal light" In Indio County in May of 2008.
"But we've never been to Indio actually," she says.
Since coming to the United States from Bulgaria four years ago, they've lived here in Citrus Heights.
But DMV records show the owner of the car cited lives in southern California.
It's also not the car Tsvetelin drove.
But his name is almost identical to the other driver's name except for the middle.
Bistra thinks that's where the problem lies.
"I believe that this is just a human error, they entered the violation in my husband's record."
Bistra says they've called and gone to the DMV sent letters to Indio superior court proving her husband was wasn't there the day the ticket was issued.
He was in Elverta, buying supplies for a fishing trip to Folsom Lake that day; his store receipts back that up.
But nothing they've tried has worked to clear his name; Bistra blames that, in part, to a language barrier.
"So it's really hard for us to try to explain what is exactly the problem."(Sic)
That blemish on Tsvetelin's driving record is keeping him from getting a job as a truck driver, his chosen profession; he won't even be able to get a job in pizza delivery.
"He never gonna find a job, we never gonna be live a normal life because only one salary it's very hard to survive."(Sic)
Too much longer and they may face losing their apartment.
We sent their documentation to the DMV and explained the urgency.
The DMV opened an investigation and in three days had a resolution.
They said Tsvetelin's problem "has been resolved," "the point has been taken off his record."
They claim this came as a result of Tsvetelin's letter to the Indio judge.
Whatever the reason was, it's done.
His driving record went from showing a violation to showing "none".
DMV says "in this situation, a review of the information the vehicle record and the documents submitted by Mr. Tsvetkov shows that the unique and almost identical name of the customers caused erroneous information to be placed on Mr. Tsvetelin Gachev Tsvetkov's record."
Now he can go get that job and forget about the stress.
"Why we have to go through all this nightmare to fix somebody else's mistakes?"(Sic)
Just like checking your credit, it's a good idea to check your driving record periodically. The DMV will let you run a check for $2, by clicking here. http://dmv.ca.gov/online/dr/welcome.htm
If you discover a problem with your driving record the DMV says it has procedures in place designed to help:
•Report Of Incorrect Record (Form DL 207)
•Report Of Incorrect Driver Record Traffic Collision (Form DL 208)
•Abstract/Document Error (Form DL 157) and,
•an Abstract Of Court Record (DL 106R), to have DMV review the information.
The DL 207 and DL 208 are available on the DMV website. The customer is instructed to mail the forms back to DMV. The DL 157 and DL 106R are three-part forms that are sent to DMV from a court. The customer may also contact the issuing law enforcement agency or traffic court and have them provide a letter on agency letterhead confirming the inaccurate information and upon review; the department will remove the erroneous information.
