A Chardon man involved in a months-long, frustrating back-and-forth with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles nearly had his drivers license suspended despite seemingly doing everything right. Turns out, one small typo in a document his insurance company provided the state, along with other miscommunications, ended up derailing the entire process.
Like a lot of people, a drivers license and a working vehicle are a lifeline for William Eiduke. Not only does Eiduke need both in order to get to and from his job, but he’s also a full-time student at Kent State University, where he’s pursuing a degree in geology.
“I can’t afford to lose either one of them. I’m a senior. I’m almost done,” Eiduke said.
In August, Eiduke received a notice in the mail that the BMV had randomly selected his vehicle as part of the state’s routine check that motorists are properly insured. According to the BMV’s website, the state randomly selects 5,400 registered vehicles a week to provide proof of insurance for a selected date. Because it was his first time receiving one of the random compliance checks, Eiduke reached out to his insurance provider, Geico.
Geico representatives said the company would send the state the necessary paperwork, Eiduke said.
The state notices, however, kept coming.
“You think it’s over with because they say it’s [7 to 10 business days] to process and then you wait. You don’t hear anything,” Eiduke said. “Slowly but surely another notice shows up that you need to provide proof of insurance. You call them up. It’s the same information that they need. You call the insurance company up. They send it. It repeats. It gets annoying.”
Eiduke said he received a total of four notices from the BMV prior to a final notice that he received last week, notifying him that his license would be suspended and it would cost $150 to have it reinstated.
“You make the right moves and suddenly its not valid. Suddenly, you’re starting over and its frustrating and it sucks because you’re stranded,” Eiduke said. “$150? I certainly don’t have it. I barely scraped enough together to get books this year.”
Eiduke’s frustration turned into elation Tuesday morning when BMV officials notified him that the issue had been rectified. Eiduke said BMV representatives notified him over the phone that the state did not receive the first two attempts to have the records sent via email. When Geico tried to send the same records via fax in mid-September, one small typo derailed the process.
In records provided to News 5 by the BMV, Geico officials said in a letter dated September 26, 2018 that Eiduke has been properly insured since October 27, 2018. However, the letter should have stated October 27, 2017.
Although the past few months have been a lesson in frustration, Eiduke said he’s relieved to have it behind him.
“I have had insurance since I was 16. I'm not going to stop now,” Eiduke said.
