Got a parking ticket

[amkxoxo]

So I am in college and live in my own place. My mother came down to visit me from our home state.

 

We drove down the street to a parking lot I know, parked, and walked this long hiking trail that I love. I've parked here many times during the year, but this is the first summer I have stayed here instead of going home.

 

We were gone for just about an hour and when we got back we saw we got a parking ticket. I guess during the summer residents of this state must get a parking sticker for their car to park there. As people from another state, my mom and I had no idea of this rule and no signs clearly say anything about it.

 

What I also didn't understand was the ticket. Our offense was listed under the $15 dollar violations. But the police officer wrote down the offense as the fifteen dollar one and put X2 and doubled the fine to $30.

 

He didn't write anything else. He didn't write why it is doubled. I don't get it. It was one car for one hour. Why would our fine be more than the listed ticket price?

 

I talked to a local friend of mine and she told me how a person is always stationed at the open gate of the parking lot to check parking stickers and take money for those without stickers to put a temporary ticket in their window.

 

There was no person posted when we went there and no person when we got back.

 

I feel horrible that this happened to my mother's car. Now she is going back home and I told her I would deal with the ticket.

 

I don't know if I should appeal it or just pay for it. I would semi understand the $15 base fine, but doubling it seems fishy to me.

 

What should I do?

[jen1447]

Is $30 enough to hurt you financially? If not, just pay it and move on.

 

btw there's no justice in the world of parking tickets, so it's pointless to even try. Just get in and out as quickly as possible and try to stay off the meter maid's radar.

[kenmore]

Agree with Jen, pay it and f*ck it. You are in college now, it's time to get how the world and finance works. Pay stupid small sh*t, pick your fights. This is not one of them especially since he's probably right and you will probably lose, and honestly $30? I paid that much to feed a potential client who didn't give me his business.

 

Spend the time that you would spend fighting this; figuring out how, hating cops, etc. doing more useful things such as studying, flirting, kissing your professors asses.

 

While you're at it, be especially nice to your mom. She went out of her way to visit you and love you, so love her back by protecting her (you said you would pay the ticket, bravo!!), never mentioning this to her again, and making sure all issues come to you. It's part of the man package and you are on the right track my friend!

 

Ken

[LostOne1]

Last time I got a parking ticket, I paid it.

 

The other time was an exception, because I had a pass. But, they didn't read it or something so I called and they let me off.

 

But, for me it seems pointless to not pay. Especially, since I didn't get back in time to top up my minutes so I was at fault.

[newmoon]

if you call the city department they can tell you why it was doubled. my own guess is that the $15 is for the actual infraction, of not parking with a permit, and the additional $15 is either for the cost of what a daily permit might be, or if you parked there on a holiday (July 4), all fines normally double on holidays. i live in a no-parking city as well, and people are often ticketed who do not know the no parking rule. but, in every no-parking city you are required to buy day/night permits and i would guess that might be the extra he tacked on if it isn't a holiday "double fine."

[Tayla]

Contact the office listed on the ticket. Get clarification. Paying simply because you have the funds doesn't resolve your true inquiry. Which is the way the tabulation was accessed. I disputed a parking ticket and won. They had transposed the license plate number and it was an entirely different make model and year. So even though I had the funds ,I had the gumption to refute til they admitted clerical error. It happens.

[pink_sugar]

We got a ticket for going through a toll for non-payment once. However, no one was at the toll booth collecting money, so all cars were passing through it. We called the number on the citation we got explaining the situation. Thankfully, the $30 fine was waived and they just asked us to send the cash for the cost of the toll, which was $6. I would look into doing something similar if it lists a number you can call. It doesn't hurt to explain your situation and see what they say. The worst that could happen is that you end up paying the $30, but you never know, they might reduce the ticket or waive it.

[amkxoxo]

I went to the police station and filled out a form to challenge the charges. I also spoke to a Sargent, who could have cared less. What struck me as odd, was the sargent looked at the ticket and couldn't understand why the cop double charged us. Where we were parked closes at 10:30pm. We were only there around 8:30pm. The Sargent said he didn't understand why we were charged more, because we were still there when the lot was considered to be open. I'm hoping that fault wins me the case. I read that if the ticketing officer makes any little mistakes on the ticket and you challenge it, the whole ticket immediately goes away. I'm crossing my fingers that is the case. The Sargent was a jerk and then was trying to explain to me where there was a sign. This supposed sign isn't in the lot. It isn't even driving into the lot. Its in the actual park. I wanted to laugh. I then told him how my mother and I didn't even go in the park, we actually went somewhere else, we just parked in that lot. Which is true. My mother and I walked the street and went to an ice cream shop. The Sargent didn't seem to believe me and questioned if I was sitting in the car when I got the ticket, I again told him "no" that my mother and I were walking down the street. He kind of just blew me off and rolled his eyes, assuming we went to the park anyway. It was 8:30pm at night. Why would we have gone to the park in the dark?

 

I talked to the ticketing officer on the phone and when I asked him why it was doubled all he said was "well thats just what we do here."

 

That to me is as good as saying 'well I just felt like it that night.'

 

I find that to be a vague and ridiculous excuse. The ticket only specifies that parking in a lot without a sticker is $15. It doesn't say anything about different charges at different times, or holidays, or anything specifying why it would be higher. To me, if they want to charge more, they have to specify it on the ticket violation prices or at least hand write it on the ticket. The ticketing officer also stupidly was telling us how there is public metered parking on such a street far away from the lot we were in etc... I again reminded him we were not from the area so how would we know where there is parking on some random street in an area we are not from. It was stupid to even bring it up. Then there should have been a sign in the lot directing us to the other lot where we could have parked.

Edited July 7, 2015 by amkxoxo

[introverted_1]

In my state, there is usually a kiosk that contains envelopes and pencils, etc. so that you can place the money in the envelope and write the license # of your car- that way, when an attendant comes back on duty, they check the kiosk, see that you paid, etc. Was there anything like that at the front of the parking lot or at the trail base? I know you didn't hike on the trail, but if you parked in the lot, I'm sure the assumption was that you hiked.

 

I am sorry the Sergeant didn't explain things satisfactorily.

 

Perhaps you should go back and inspect the lot for signs or kiosks and if there are none, contest the whole debacle. If those things were present, I'd just pay the fine.

 

Take care...

[Clarence_Boddicker]

Years ago in California I saw a news episode about this guy that racks up tons of parking tickets & gets them all dismissed in court. At that time you a to be sworn to the CA state constitution to be legally able to write parking tickets. Only 3 cities in CA where parking enforcement officers were sworn. At that time being sworn was about the same as peace officer status. Dunno if Cali has closed that loophole.

[amkxoxo]

I put in to have the ticket investigated and disputed. I put up a tough case claiming there was no sign in the lot, the lot attendants were off duty, and that we were charged double for no reason. I just received a letter in the mail yesterday that they dropped all charges and fees because there is no "resident only" sign in the lot like there is in all the nearby lots. I was so happy. It was worth my own research and time to save the pointless money.

[amkxoxo]

So like my last post says I got a letter in the mail and it said that we won the dispute. My family and I were so happy. The letter clearly states that we do not have to pay.

 

That was over a month ago. Today my mother got a letter in the mail saying how she hasn't paid the fine and how the fine is now doubled. My mom can no longer find the letter. Its ridiculous. We don't know what to do. Wouldn't the police department have something like that on record? That they sent us a letter?

[rester]

You can dispute it again, but it would have been a lot easier if you had the letter. Always save proof of dispute resolutions because situations like this come up all the time.

[amkxoxo]

I fought it because there is no signage in that lot, and we were charged twice (which is usually after 10pm) but we were ticketed at 8pm, which was not supposed to be. I had a cop tell that to me himself. The letter we got said there was no sign in that lot and that is why we won the dispute.

[jen1447]

But you're still wrestling with this 3 months later, over $30. Is that at all worth it?

 

As to what to do, it would probably be a circuit court level thing, not the police department. I'd contact your local circuit court, give them your info, and ask for a disposition on the matter.

 

Or just pay the fine now and close the lid on the whole thing for good.

[amkxoxo]

So frustrating. We would have paid the $30 no problem, but the letter said we didn't have to. Now the fine is $60 for my poor parents. They got a letter that if they don't pay a warrant will be out for my moms arrest. Its ridiculous. Wouldn't you think that they would have something on record that we won't he dispute and they sent us a letter?

[introverted1]

Wouldn't you think that they would have something on record that we won't he dispute and they sent us a letter?

 

Wouldn't you think that you'd have kept the letter?

[amkxoxo]

I called the police station today and luckily since I had the original ticket number the officer pulled it up. Told me how sorry he was and how the ticket should have been deleted from the system. We didn't need to pay. So happy. My poor mom's credit was going down the toilet because she looked delinquent for nothing.

[jen1447]

That's cool but you're credit score doesn't suffer from non-payment of parking tickets.

[Maggie4]

I called the police station today and luckily since I had the original ticket number the officer pulled it up. Told me how sorry he was and how the ticket should have been deleted from the system. We didn't need to pay. So happy. My poor mom's credit was going down the toilet because she looked delinquent for nothing.

 

...and did you write down the name of the person you spoke to?

[amkxoxo]

Yes of course I did. Wasn't making any mistakes this time around.

[pink_sugar]

Never heard of that. We got slapped with one by some meter maid by only a couple minutes expired in San Diego. Apparently that city is crazy greedy. We paid for 3 hours for a 2 hour cruise and couldn't have possibly been gone that long. Appealed and still have to pay $40. It was a rental too. Not cool and we got slapped with another $30 admin fee by the rental agency. Greedy places.

[Frank13]

I called the police station today and luckily since I had the original ticket number the officer pulled it up. Told me how sorry he was and how the ticket should have been deleted from the system. We didn't need to pay. So happy. My poor mom's credit was going down the toilet because she looked delinquent for nothing.

 

Glad you stuck to your guns and challenged the wrong. Those who said to just paid it only encourage corrupt behavior and are the same ones who would willingly give up their constitutional rights that the forefathers died for. Shame on them.

 

The feeling of vindication was worth the effort wasn't it?

[jen1447]

Glad you stuck to your guns and challenged the wrong. Those who said to just paid it only encourage corrupt behavior and are the same ones who would willingly give up their constitutional rights that the forefathers died for. Shame on them.

 

Will you be leading the revolution against the police department and circuit court?

[lucy_in_disguise]

Nice job for following up.

 

You are lucky you dont live in a big city like NY or Chicago, where parking tickets are an important source of city revenue run anywhere from $60-$120 for minor violations.