Automobile "power of attorney" 5 times cheaper

Changes and additions in the Russian Federation's law "about governmental impositions (fees)" came into effect in the end of July and on the whole significantly lowered the charges for notary services. The price was lowered from 5 minimum wage units to 1

<BR>Changes and additions in the Russian Federation's law "about governmental impositions (fees)" came into effect in the end of July and on the whole significantly lowered the charges for notary services. The price was lowered from 5 minimum wage units to 1 unit for notarial attestation of power of attorney for the rights of use and sale of an automobile by another designated person. By admission of Petersburg notary offices this has not become a basis for an increase in the flow of customers to their offices. Autmobile owners are used to using the free power of attorney that is hand written. The possessor of such a "hand written power of attorney", in the case of a misunderstanding with the traffic police (GAI) carries on his/her person a photocopy of the explanatory note which is addressed to the head of the Petersburg GAI at the Petersburg office of the public prosecutor and says that "active legislation doesn't make provisions for the necessary notarial certification of power of attorney for the rights of use and sale of an automobile", and "the power of attorney for the direction of the automobile, issued in accordance with the demands of article # 185 of the citizens legal code, formatted in simple letter form with additional information (about the person who formulated the power of attorney, to whom it is given, for what time period, general characteristics of the car, the date that the power of attorney was issued, and the signature of the owner), can not be considered in violation of the law". In the road patrol division of the petersburg GAI, some workers commented that there have been no compalints of arrest or detention of drivers by inspectors because of the possession of these kinds of power of attorney letters. Although, the inspectors have the right to detain a driver in a situation if the driver or his/her automobile or the signature on the power of attorney letter causes any doubts. The inspector in this case makes this decision based on intuition but acts strictly according to the law. In order to avoid excess the vice head of the road patrol division Alla Korobchinskaya recommends that drivers obtain a notarial certification or at least a notarized signature of the owner on the hand written letter (this proceedure runs about 20,000 rubles). The problem is that notary offices refuse to certify signatures on such hand written power of attorneys alluding to official instructions: "the signature only guarantees the document but not a power of attorney", said Olga Smirnova, a secretary of a notary office.<BR>