A Michigan alumnus has filed a lawsuit after being stripped of his Wolverines–themed vanity license plate, according to the Associated Press.
Joseph Hardig III, a Detroit-area lawyer, said he was informed that his “G0BLUE” plate had been assigned to another driver when he tried to renew it at a Secretary of State office. Hardig said he went to renew the plate early last month, about a month before the registration was set to expire, but was informed that it had been given to someone else.
“My dad’s passed away. I got it from him,” Hardig told The Detroit News. “It’s meaningful to me. We’re just huge fans and love the university.“
Jonathan Fine, the Ann Arbor resident and Michigan alum who was given the plate, told the News that he stumbled upon the fact that “G0BLUE” was available when searching the state’s license plate personalization tool.
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“I thought it was a mistake at first. ... I’m not actually that excited about the plate,” Fine said. “I just had to take it. It’s more just because it was available.”
While other personalized plates like “G0B1U3 and G0BIU3” have already been taken by other drivers, Michigan residents who aren’t lucky enough to land one of the coveted vanity plates can show their support for 15 of the state’s public universities with license plates that feature the school’s logo, with a portion of sales donated to the university.
