Unearned parking ticket in SF: WWMD?

[skimoore]

A few weeks ago I was gone for a three day weekend, and left my car in a Monday street cleaning spot on Laguna street. Ok, my bad, I get back and there's a ticket. I deserved it. However, when I went online to pay, lo and behold, there was another ticket on my license plate. I did not have a paper ticket for that one, and as of now still haven't received anything in the mail. I contacted SFDPT and they gave me the info on the ticket...it had been issued on Octavia street. I was out of town, and could not have possibly moved my car.

I appealed the ticket with a letter (and paid the one I deserved), and they already rejected it. Today I emailed them asking for full info on both tickets (time, location, and officer) Turns out, the second ticket (the one I never received and sure as hell didn't earn) was issued 4 minutes later by a different officer on a street that my car was NOT on.

It would cost me more to take PTO and fight this by showing up, and I know if I do this by mail they'll ignore me again. What the hell can I do?

[pappag]

Take a look at the city laws regarding ticketing, cite the appropriate sections that support your case and show the officer to be in incorrect in giving you the ticket, and mail it certified to the parking bureau.

Here's the link:
http://www.municode.com/Resources/ga...id=14143&sid=5




I've done this and haven't paid a ticket in NYC in over 3 years - largely due to the officers' lack of including my vehicle's expiration date on the ticket which automatically qualifies the ticket for dismissal.




Or you can request trial by jury (I think someone here mentioned that). Basically, it would cost the city more money for a jury trial so they'll probably end up dismissing it without second thoughts.

[skimoore]

Thanks, I'll scan over that and figure out what I need to support my case...

Take a look at the city laws regarding ticketing, cite the appropriate sections that support your case and show the officer to be in incorrect in giving you the ticket, and mail it certified to the parking bureau.

Here's the link:
http://www.municode.com/Resources/ga...id=14143&sid=5
Basically, it would cost the city more money for a jury trial so they'll probably end up dismissing it without second thoughts.

[OldLarry]

Take a look at the city laws regarding ticketing, cite the appropriate sections that support your case and show the officer to be in incorrect in giving you the ticket, and mail it certified to the parking bureau.

Here's the link:
http://www.municode.com/Resources/ga...id=14143&sid=5




I've done this and haven't paid a ticket in NYC in over 3 years - largely due to the officers' lack of including my vehicle's expiration date on the ticket which automatically qualifies the ticket for dismissal.




Or you can request trial by jury (I think someone here mentioned that). Basically, it would cost the city more money for a jury trial so they'll probably end up dismissing it without second thoughts.

This has largely dissappeared under our dear friend bloomie- tha douche

[TurxSki]

This scam sounds different, it involves a paper ticket for a start, but maybe someone used your cars# on their ticket, somehow
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...&sn=005&sc=351

Could someone even get between the 2 different ticketing points in 4 mins?

[pechelman]

just curious how this works

sounds like the ticket is only linked to you by your plate number, which in california includes a lot of characters. It seems to be they could easily have a typo.

Did the information they reccord accurately describe your car?

ie Blue Subaru WRX etc etc for example

[schindlerpiste]

How much is the fine? It may be cost effective just to pay. Of course, you can fight it; spend the night in court; plead not guilty; the cop won't be there, so the Judge will grant an adjournment; go back to court; spend the majority of another night there; argue that you couldn't be in 2 places at 1 time; maybe win; maybe lose...


Asswipe muni Gov't. How do you think they pay their bills.

[hop]

I have nothing to add except I'm still awaiting SF DPT's response to my 2nd (of two allowed) protests of my ticket in March. I'm not expecting to get my $40 back. Assholes.

[skimoore]

This scam sounds different, it involves a paper ticket for a start, but maybe someone used your cars# on their ticket, somehow
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...&sn=005&sc=351

Could someone even get between the 2 different ticketing points in 4 mins?

Yeah...not that scam because my license plate was on it. The description was accurate as well.

I could conceivably have gotten between the 2 different points since the streets are only a block from each other, and it doesn't give cross streets so I'm assuming they were in close proximity? My only guess as to how this even happened is the typo was for the street name, but even then I should have received a paper ticket.

Yeah, it's only $40, but I already paid $40 for the one I deserved...it's the principle at this point, it's totally corrupt and I'm sick of being raped by SFDPT. Some paper pushers reject every appeal, and in turn it helps the city by bringing in more ticket revenue.

I also like how you have to pay and THEN fight it, and if they decide to you get your money back. Guilty until proven innocent...

Edit: and I perused the traffic laws, didn't see anything that I thought would help, but then again, I'm no expert when it comes to legalese.

[Superstar Punani]

What the hell can I do?

You suck it, Trebek. Suck it long, and suck it hard.

[skimoore]

You suck it, Trebek. Suck it long, and suck it hard.

Huh, now that you mention it, that DOES sound like the best option. Thanks SuPu!

[DJSapp]

Contact local media about it. Everyone likes a story about how fucked up the metermaids are.

[Dexter Rutecki]

I've done this and haven't paid a ticket in NYC in over 3 years - largely due to the officers' lack of including my vehicle's expiration date on the ticket which automatically qualifies the ticket for dismissal.

Seriously? I used to get about 2/3 of my tix dismissed, but with the scanners they now use it's become a lot harder. I've even had to pay a few tickets that actually were incorrectly given. My favorite defense used to be 'complainant's name is illegible.'
I hate the NYC DOT.

[pappag]

Seriously? I used to get about 2/3 of my tix dismissed, but with the scanners they now use it's become a lot harder. I've even had to pay a few tickets that actually were incorrectly given. My favorite defense used to be 'complainant's name is illegible.'
I hate the NYC DOT.

Of the 20 or so tickets I've received over the years, almost all were with scanners, and not one of them included the expiration date of the vehicle.







§ 238 of New York State Law reads as follows:

238-2:
A notice of violation shall be served personally upon the operator
of a motor vehicle who is present at the time of service, and his name,
together with the plate designation and the plate type as shown by the
registration plates of said vehicle and the expiration date;

...

The notice of violation
shall be served upon the owner of the motor vehicle if the operator is
not present, by affixing such notice to said vehicle in a conspicuous
place. Whenever such notice is so affixed, in lieu of inserting the name
of the person charged with the violation in the space provided for the
identification of said person, the words "owner of the vehicle bearing
license" may be inserted to be followed by the plate designation and
plate type as shown by the registration plates of said vehicle together
with the expiration date; the make or model, and body type of said vehicle;

...

238-2(b):
If any information which is required to be inserted on a notice of
violation is omitted from the notice of violation, misdescribed, or
illegible, the violation shall be dismissed upon application of the
person charged with the violation.




The law and its entirety can be found here:
http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi

Click on Laws of New York.
Then VAT.
Then Article 2-B.
Section 238.