West Virginia Code 17A-3-3b – Motor vehicles believed illegally unregistered; assessor to make verification
If, on information and belief the assessor has reason to believe that a motor vehicle has not been properly registered in this state in violation of the provisions of section one of this article, he or she shall give notice by posting on the vehicle a notice advising the owner of the vehicle to contact the office of the assessor within fifteen days to verify that the owner is not a resident of the State of West Virginia. Factors to be considered in determining whether or not such person is a resident of this state include, but are not limited to, the following:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17A-3-3b
- Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Owner: means a person who holds the legal title to a vehicle, or in the event a vehicle is the subject of an agreement for the conditional sale or lease thereof with the right of purchase upon performance of the conditions stated in the agreement and with an immediate right of possession vested in the conditional vendee or lessee, or in the event a mortgagor of a vehicle is entitled to possession, then the conditional vendee or lessee or mortgagor shall be considered the owner for the purpose of this chapter. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- Person: means every natural person, firm, copartnership, association, or corporation. See West Virginia Code 17A-1-1
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(1) The person is registered to vote in this state;
(2) The person enrolls the person's child or children to be educated in an elementary or secondary school in this state or has complied with applicable provisions of this code indicating an intent to home school the person's child or children in this state;
(3) The person is receiving public assistance from this state;
(4) The person resides or has continuously remained in this state for a period exceeding thirty days, except for infrequent brief absences;
(5) The person has accepted employment or engages in any trade, profession or occupation within this state, except that this does not include a person who is commuting from the person's residence in another state or whose employment is seasonal or temporary, not exceeding thirty days;
(6) The person has filed for a homestead tax exemption on property in this state;
(7) The person subscribes to public utilities in this state in his or her own name;
(8) The person receives his or her mail in this state pursuant to verification from the United States postal service.
In the event the assessor receives no response from the posting, the assessor will refer the matter to the prosecuting attorney. If it is determined that the vehicle has not been properly registered in this state, the owner of the vehicle is in violation of the provisions of this article and the person will be subject to the criminal sanctions contained in section one of this article.