MARYSVILLE The Marysville licensing agency has been shut down by state and county regulators.
Brad Benfield is a spokesman for the Washington State Department of Licensing, which regulates and oversees about 185 independent contractors who issue license plates and tabs for cars, boats and other vehicles, but not drivers licenses or identification cards. The state does not contract with sub-agents directly but through counties, and according to Benfield it was Snohomish County who closed the shop at 922 1/2 State Avenue on May 24.
It was closed for cause, Benfield said.
Vicky Lubrin is the license manager for the Snohomish County auditors office and she confirmed the closure but would not discuss specifics.
We are still conducting an audit at this time. Lubrin said.
The sub-agent appointees and owners were listed as Donald and Edith Beaman, but the agency was being run by their grandson Todd Beaman. Donald Beaman is a former municipal judge who is deceased, and according to Lubrin Edith Beaman is living in an assisted care facility out of state and her office doesnt know where. They have no contact information for Todd Beaman, she added.
The worst cast of abuse in recent times involved a south Seattle sub-agent where an employee was allegedly accepting bribes to clean the titles of wrecked cars by falsifying ownership histories. According to Benfield the Marysville case is nowhere near that severe, but he would not elaborate. Lubrin said it would take about three weeks to resolve the case.