City adds 30 to 200 pounds in figuring vehicle weights

Question: Do you know what the city uses to establish the taxable weight of motor vehicles? I recently purchased a vehicle. All my resources — including the manufacturer’s website, car reviews, etc. — indicated the vehicle weighs less than 3,000 pounds. However, the city calculates my registration fees on its database number, 3,100 pounds. I admit that a 100-pound discrepancy may be considered manini, but if this is happening on all vehicles, that manini amount gets significant pretty quickly and taxpayers are maybe paying more than what they should.

Answer: Taxable weights are established under Section 249-1 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes (see www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol04_Ch0201-0257/HRS0249/HRS_0249-0001.htm).

"Net weight" refers to the actual weight of a motor vehicle, plus all equipment and accessories ordinarily attached to a vehicle, as well as the maximum fuel, oil and water that it could carry to operate.

The shipping weight is the weight of the vehicle as it comes off the assembly line. The fluids necessary to operate the vehicle are added during the new-car preparation phase at a car dealership, according to Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the Motor Vehicle & Licensing Division.

On the initial registration of a new standard-equipped passenger vehicle, motorcycle, motor scooter, mo-ped or truck, the city director of finance is allowed to add on additional pounds, as set forth in Section 249-1, without having to actually weigh each vehicle.

For a standard passenger vehicle, the net weight has been determined to be the shipping weight established by the manufacturer, plus 100 pounds; the net weight of a new standard-equipped motorcycle, motor scooter or mo-ped is the shipping weight plus 30 pounds; and the net weight of a new standard-equipped truck is the shipping weight plus 200 pounds.

Under the law, if a manufacturer’s weight is not available for whatever reason, the "net weight" would be determined by the actual weighing of the vehicle on a "standard scale."

That means being weighed at a state-certified scale. Information on where such scales are located is available from the state Department of Agriculture’s Measurement Standards Branch (832-0690), Kamimura said.

Fade Out: Pali Lookout Signs Replaced

The state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ State Parks Division replaced the faded, virtually unreadable signs at the Nuuanu Pali State Wayside (Pali Lookout) Wednesday.

"Because of complaints about the condition of the signs, State Parks acted to install replacements ASAP," said spokeswoman Deborah Ward. (See www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110718_State_has_plans__for_replacing__Pali_Lookouts_decrepit_signs.html.)

The replacement signs feature the original artwork, although they are made with a sturdier laminate resin material.

The plan is to install new artwork for the landscape view panel by late this year or early next year, Ward said.

Auwe

To a nervy lady. About 4:50 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28,

I parked on Lehua Avenue in Pearl City in front of a store, when she comes out and asks where I was going. I said to the nursing home. She then tells me to move my car since that space was for her customers! I asked if she "owned" the parking space. She said if her customers don’t park there they will not come. She told me again to move my car. I was appalled at her nerve! How many others has she told to move? — Disgusted

An officer did speak to the woman to explain that no one can reserve parking on a public street, whether it is in front of a business or home, a Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman said.

Write to "Kokua Line" at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.