Feb. 19, 2020: News for Michigan MV's

[porkysplace]

So, I bought a new truck, an M51A2, and the guy had been running farm plates on it for 10 years. After talking to him for awhile, I decided I could also use farm plates, and the truck would be much easier to keep on the road with a $20 plate instead of paying for 40,000 plates.
How “eligible” does a guy need to be to run a farm plate?

Can you honestly sign this ?

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/SOS437_Farm_Plate_Certification_449198_7.pdf

 

[Marquette]

Can you honestly sign this ?

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/sos/SOS437_Farm_Plate_Certification_449198_7.pdf

I did read that page several times. I didn’t look into the actual definition of a farm. Maybe I can haul gravel to build a road into my property that will soon become a farm? There are other people that are claiming that it’s no big deal and they just put a farm plate on their trucks. I know there are laws, but wondering how it’s all interpreted.

 

[porkysplace]

I did read that page several times. I didn’t look into the actual definition of a farm. Maybe I can haul gravel to build a road into my property that will soon become a farm? There are other people that are claiming that it’s no big deal and they just put a farm plate on their trucks. I know there are laws, but wondering how it’s all interpreted.

https://www.michfb.com/MI/uploadedFiles/Documents/Farm_Business_Resources/Web%20Michigan%20Farmer%27s%20Transportation%20Guidebook.pdf

 

[Marquette]

If you have to have a legitimate current operating farm business then it’s pretty straightforward about the plate. My thoughts were I have land, I’m building roads and cleaning the property. Hauling gravel one day, hauling scrap tires that someone left in a creek, and piles of garbage the next.

 

[Marquette]

https://www.michfb.com/MI/uploadedFiles/Documents/Farm_Business_Resources/Web%20Michigan%20Farmer%27s%20Transportation%20Guidebook.pdf

Looks like a fun link to do a little learning. I’ll check it out. Much appreciated!

 

[TheQuaker]

If you have to have a legitimate current operating farm business then it’s pretty straightforward about the plate. My thoughts were I have land, I’m building roads and cleaning the property. Hauling gravel one day, hauling scrap tires that someone left in a creek, and piles of garbage the next.

Please, please, please do not even consider getting farm plates if you are not sure you meet the registration qualifications and you mention "open for interpretation" when discussing the law and that people are saying it is "not a big deal" to run farm plates erroneously...

Here, I'll help you out....It is a big deal to falsely run Farm plates and no, you don't qualify.

Just building things, clearing land and hauling junk from a piece of property you own does not make your land a farm or you a farmer!

Farm plates ARE NOT a way to work around vehicle registration laws to get reduced fees by non-farmers. If you want to play with big toys, don't own a farm and don't want to deal with historical registration restrictions then you need to ante up and pay the price to license them legitimately.

If people keep trying end runs around the SOS to get cheap registrations for their MV's like this, the state will be forced to crack down even harder and make it even more difficult or impossible to register a surplus truck for anything other than parade duty!!!

My family, along with untold numbers of other farm families across the U.S., rely on reasonably priced, easy to maintain and hard-working surplus military trucks. Military use and farm life have similar equipment needs and expectations.

Do not mess this up for legitimate farm users of surplus trucks and the MV community in general to save a few bucks and hope you don't get caught. We will all end up paying the price: farmers, commercial users, and hobbyists.

Title and register your trucks according to how you plan to use them and in accordance with the law.

If you can't "pay to play" they way you want with your truck, you need to re-think your choice of vehicle/hobby. Simple.

Sorry for the rant, but as a Michigan Centennial Farm family we are depending on our farm equipment (including our MV's) to get us deep into the second century of our family ownership and issues like this touch a nerve as they will negatively impact my family and uncounted others as well.

Things are hard enough already...

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

 

[Marquette]

Please, please, please do not even consider getting farm plates if you are not sure you meet the registration qualifications and you mention "open for interpretation" when discussing the law and that people are saying it is "not a big deal" to run farm plates erroneously...

Here, I'll help you out....It is a big deal to falsely run Farm plates and no, you don't qualify.

Just building things, clearing land and hauling junk from a piece of property you own does not make your land a farm or you a farmer!

Farm plates ARE NOT a way to work around vehicle registration laws to get reduced fees by non-farmers. If you want to play with big toys, don't own a farm and don't want to deal with historical registration restrictions then you need to ante up and pay the price to license them legitimately.

If people keep trying end runs around the SOS to get cheap registrations for their MV's like this, the state will be forced to crack down even harder and make it even more difficult or impossible to register a surplus truck for anything other than parade duty!!!

My family, along with untold numbers of other farm families across the U.S., rely on reasonably priced, easy to maintain and hard-working surplus military trucks. Military use and farm life have similar equipment needs and expectations.

Do not mess this up for legitimate farm users of surplus trucks and the MV community in general to save a few bucks and hope you don't get caught. We will all end up paying the price: farmers, commercial users, and hobbyists.

Title and register your trucks according to how you plan to use them and in accordance with the law.

If you can't "pay to play" they way you want with your truck, you need to re-think your choice of vehicle/hobby. Simple.

Sorry for the rant, but as a Michigan Centennial Farm family we are depending on our farm equipment (including our MV's) to get us deep into the second century of our family ownership and issues like this touch a nerve as they will negatively impact my family and uncounted others as well.

Things are hard enough already...

Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk

Just a little background here, I’ve owned an M35A3 deuce for apprx 5 years and it’s been weight plated. I was surprised to see that this guy had a Farm plate on his M51A2. I know I had been through lengthy conversations about plates when I bought the deuce, but talking to this guy rekindled the excitement about possibly using a cheaper plate. He’s using it in a much more rural setting so it may be easier for him to get away with it.

I wouldn’t worry too much about other users if I were you, as they would likely only be messing it up for themselves with fines and having their plate taken away.

 

[porkysplace]

Just a little background here, I’ve owned an M35A3 deuce for apprx 5 years and it’s been weight plated. I was surprised to see that this guy had a Farm plate on his M51A2. I know I had been through lengthy conversations about plates when I bought the deuce, but talking to this guy rekindled the excitement about possibly using a cheaper plate. He’s using it in a much more rural setting so it may be easier for him to get away with it.

I wouldn’t worry too much about other users if I were you, as they would likely only be messing it up for themselves with fines and having their plate taken away.

Michigan even gives you the option of 3 month, 6 month or 12 month GVWR plates , so you can choose .

 

[Marquette]

Michigan even gives you the option of 3 month, 6 month or 12 month GVWR plates , so you can choose .

I usually end up going 3 months at a time either because of winter or working out of town for long periods. A couple hundred bucks for a 40k plate for 3 months isn’t bad at all.

 

[Jbulach]

On the farm plates, firstly if your not filing a schedule F with your taxes, in most all cases your not legally eligible for farm plates. Also when you need your insurance to come to your rescue, they will say sorry we’ve been taking your premium payment all this time, but your SOL on your own with the claim against you.