BEVERLY HILLS, Mich. – A passionate University of Michigan alumnus is booing – and suing – the state over the loss of his revered license plate “G0BLUE.”
Joseph Hardig III said the sign has been on family vehicles for years. However, he was told it had been assigned to another car owner when he recently tried to renew it with a Secretary of State.
“My father has died. I got it from him. It has meaning for me. We’re just big fans and love the university,” Hardig told The Detroit News.
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Hardig, an attorney from suburban Detroit, is asking a judge to stop the state from giving the license plate to an Ann Arbor man who is also a University of Michigan graduate and lives just minutes from the football stadium.
The Secretary of State will not comment on the lawsuit.
Hardig, 65, said he visited a dealership on Nov. 4, a month before the license plate renewal deadline, and learned that “G0BLUE” was no longer available for his Ford Edge.
Blue is a color of the University of Michigan and “Go Blue!” is a rallying cry and a common greeting among Wolverines fans.
The personalized license plate has now been matched to Jonathan Fine and his 2007 BMW, although he said he had not received it in the mail as of Thursday.
Fine, 52, said he entered license plate options on a state website and saw “G0BLUE” was available.
“At first I thought it was a mistake. … I’m actually not that excited about the plate,” Fine told the newspaper. “I just had to take it. It’s just because it was available.”
He said he might be willing to give it up if he could find another option.
“I understand why he’s upset,” Fine said of Hardig. “If I had a plate that cool, I’d be upset to lose it.”