Whining Thread: Annoyed By Tinted Window Debacle In New Jersey

LOL !

The WHOLE STATE OF NJ is outrageous and morally unacceptable. It's like Nazi Germany with the State Police being the storm troopers or Gestapo.

By far the most disgusting state I've ever had the displeasure of working in.

They have more cops per capita than anywhere on earth, and they're ALL DICKS.

REV

 

The problem is you've got two or three full complaints here.
Window tinting laws.
Failure of The Dealership to inform you of local laws.
Failure of The Tint Shop to inform you of local laws.
Other people seemingly "getting away" with it.
PBA cards and what they mean and how they are applied.

Ultimately WE are responsible for our own actions. While I believe both the dealership and the tint shop SHOULD of informed you of the local laws before tinting the vehicles windows, I also think anyone asking for or having their windows tinted is responsible for making themselves aware.

You obviously have access to a computer, it would of taken 3.5 seconds of a single google search to make yourself aware of what your local tint laws were.

As far as PBA cards, favoritism in any particular police department, and the universal unfairness of some people seemingly getting away with something YOU just got caught for? Welcome to life.

I would say, that just because you see someone driving around with similar tint, doesn't mean they won't be caught or even that they haven't been caught.

Yes at some point, I believe somebody at either the dealership or actual tint shop should of discussed with you the applicable laws in your area. But I find it hard to believe that somebody having their windows tinted doesn't at some point ask, or at least inform themselves.

Proceeding in ignorance of the law, and assuming that your windows simply wouldn't be tinted unless it was legal in the area you live was a personal choice and evidently a mistake.

Since leaving NJ doesn't seem to be a possible answer for you at this time, I don't think there is an easy answer here.

 

I can't vouch for the validity of the following statement I saw on eHow after searching for NJ laws on tinting, but thought it may be interesting in your case:

"In addition, the state makes it unlawful for car retailers to sell and/or install window tinting without first informing consumers of the law

Read more: New Jersey State Automotive Tinting Laws | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7216355_new-state-automotive-tinting-laws.html#ixzz2QvYhup5g"

 

Maybe it's me- but you would think a shop that does window tinting is aware of the local laws/regulations regarding tinting and would advise a client against doing something illegal?

I'm considering getting my PIP's windows tinted- so I already looked into what's kosher in NY- but I will also consult with the tint shop before they start the job just in case there's some local codes that are informally enforced too. I think it's common for most people to rely on the professional doing the job to know the local laws/codes regarding their trade.

It's almost like hiring an electrician to do some work on your house- are you responsible for him knowing and performing his work in compliance with the local codes? Most people hire the electrician- and assume his work will be up to code. Same with the window tint shop- only way that they should perform work disregarding local codes would be with a signed waiver from the customer stating that they know they're in violation of local regulations.
If I were the OP I'd be livid that the Toyota dealership applied tint that caused me to get a ticket.

 

It could be a case where everyone simply made assumptions. You made the assumption that Toyota dealership wouldn't offer tinting if it was illegal in the surrounding area. The dealership and also probably the tint shop, made the assumption that A. You wanted tinting and B. You either did not live in NJ, and/or knew and were willing to take the risk.

Ultimately though, it's your vehicle. And YOU know where you live, and YOU know that your windows are being tinted. I still think it's primarily any owners responsibility to know if any modification they are doing to their vehicle is legal or not.

You believe you had the "reasonable expectation" that if full tint windows were offered by the dealer, they're legal. I can believe that is the thinking you applied, but simultaneously say it should be lesson learned. Window tinting ISN'T a casual action. It's a pretty major change to your entire vehicle.

Your whining thus far, is blaming everyone else for your failure to know the legality of what you were asking to have done to your vehicle.

It's not my fault....the dealership shouldn't be offering it.
It's not my fault.....the tint shop should of told me.
It's not my fault.....NJ's tinting restrictions are unfair.
It's not my fault....other people get away with it.
It's not my fault....I don't own an PBA card.

I can agree with you, only up to the point that I do think somebody BEFORE the tinting was done, should of asked you where you lived, and if you were aware of local laws concerning tinting. But in absence of this happening? I still think it is primarily the owners responsibility to make themselves aware of the legality of any modification being done to their vehicle. Be it window tinting, suspension work, audio equipment...whatever...Your vehicle...your responsibility.

I don't mean to sound so harsh. I think it is a mistake anyone could make. I do think I would complain to the dealership and see if they would be willing to cover the costs of having the tint removed. Somebody SHOULD complain to the dealership. If it is a NJ based dealership and they are offering tinting...they should simultaneously be aware of local laws and be informing customers of the risks.

Along these lines, have you thought about some of the new clear window "tints"? I have no experience with them, but I know 3M and others offer tints that are considered "clear" but supposedly significantly reduce heat and block UV rays.

 

If your dealer put a license plate frame on your car, check to make sure none of the lettering on the plate is covered by the frame. Some towns ticket for that, too.

 

Idk man, you may not want the new tint job. It's a potential headache down the road that it seems you may not be up for dealing with. If it were me, I would get them re-tinted but it seems to me like you had enough...maybe it would be worth it to push for a refund?

 

So, if you put in aftermarket Zeon headlight bulbs,

And don't leave out any of the bolts that secure the plate, and don't park more then 12" from the curb, and if you've done a mod to your headlight's, undo it

 

Obviously, you felt it was worth $300 to have a cool looking and feeling car. So what's an extra $54 every few months?

 

Making assumptions is what got you into this mess to begin with. You should really start doing some research instead of relying on uninformed hypotheses...

New Jersey Statutes - Title 39 Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation - 39:3-75.3 Violations, fines


Legal Research Home > New Jersey Laws > Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation > New Jersey Statutes - Title 39 Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation - 39:3-75.3 Violations, fines


39:3-75.3. Violations, fines
3. a. A person who violates the provisions of subsection b. of section 2 of P.L.1999, c.308 (C.39:3-75.2) shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100;

New Jersey Statutes - Title 39 Motor Vehicles and Traffic Regulation - 39:3-75.3 Violations, fines - New Jersey Attorney Resources - New Jersey Laws

 

What is a PBA card?