A worker enters the Whiteville License Plate Agency for another load of boxes Wednesday.

Staff photo by Mark Gilchrist

• State abruptly closes office; notary under investigation

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Drivers coming to renew their tags yesterday (Sept. 19) were surprised to find two officers and a unmarked car pulled up to the door of the Whiteville license plate agency.

The agency on Love Mill Road closed at the end of the business day Tuesday but Wednesday officers stood outside as a large white van was loaded with boxes of what appeared to be documents and records.

“Basically this was a situation where contracts between the DMV (N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles) had to be terminated because they were not completed as written,” DMV Spokeswoman Margaret Howell said. “We required valid notary public capabilities (and) there were insufficient notary public capabilities.

“That part was no longer enforced and we had to terminate the contract.”

Linda Richardson (now Linda Russ) is listed as the commission contractor on the license office contract dating back to Feb. 1998.

Under the terms of the contract “the commission contractor and designated employees shall hold a Notary Public Commission issued by the Secretary of the state of North Carolina.”

Russ’ notary public certification is listed in the name of Linda Richardson and is in active status with the N.C. Secretary of the State.

It is set to expire Feb. 2, 2008 but an investigation is underway, according to that office.
Details on the type of investigation were not revealed and attempts to contact Russ were unsuccessful.

The license plate agency was responsible for receiving applications for registrations, and motor vehicles titles and issuing license plates and validation stickers, among other duties.

Under terms of the contract, immediate termination of the contract is allowed upon written notice for “cause.”

According to an NCDMV press release issued Sept. 18, beginning Sept. 24, the Whiteville driver license office, located at 917 Washington St., will offer limited services, such as registration renewals.

Full vehicle registration and titling services will be offered at the office beginning Oct. 1.

The office will be open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Elizabethtown plate agency, located at 1106 W. Broad St., is also open for vehicle registration and titling and can be contacted by telephone at 862-3527.