Parking ticket- but Im innocent!!!

ss321

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 5:04 pm

I think the title is self explanatory.

Ive gotten parking tickets before (alternate, too close to a hydrant, you name it), but usually, they are things that I cant argue about. I ran to move my car at 11:01 on a Tuesday, meter ran out 5 min ago, etc. But this one - I didnt do anything wrong!

So on the back of the ticket, it says

"To plead not guilty and request a hearing....send...." the parking ticket along with any supplemental documents you want to send to help prove your innocence.

So in addition to some pictures, I wrote this letter. (see below). I was wondering if any of you have ever had any experience with "pleading not guilty" and if it is worth me going thru the trouble of developing these pics and waiting a month....or are they just gonna send me a bill in a month for the $65 plus a "penalty" for paying late and another penalty for "court" fees (which we all know amounts to some guy in an office reading my letter while surfing the net)?!?! Because then its not worth my time Sad

Im really annoyed about this. When Im wrong, Im wrong, and I pay up. But I am really innocent here!!! Stupid NYC traffic guys are seriously working on commision. So annoying.

April 23, 2009

Dear Judge:
I received a parking violation this afternoon while parked legally on the corner of 80th and Broadway (“corner of 2242 Broadway”). I am accused of “Failure to Dsply Muni Rec.” The Complainant, Traffic Enforcement Officer Rabbani’s comments state: “receipt face UPSIDE DOWN.”
I apologize that the officer was unable to see the times displayed on the ticket I purchased from the Muni-Meter up the block at 2:46 PM (to expire at 3:46 PM) when I was ticketed at 3:24 PM, however, the ticket was facing right side up, as you can see in the attached photo, taken when I returned to my car. It was placed in the dashboard near the passenger side, I did so in order to avoid having to open my door into oncoming traffic when placing it in my car. I am an upstanding citizen, a safe driver, and have always, without exception paid my parking violations the day I receive them. In light of my good driving record and the unfortunate situation in which I find myself, I am pleading for some leniency from the courts.
I have enclosed, for your consideration:
a) A photocopy of the parking receipt displayed on my dashboard before I left the parking spot at approximately 3:30 PM
b) A photocopy of both the front and back sides of the parking receipt, for the purpose of
1. Verifying that I did, indeed pay for 1 hour’s worth of parking
2. Comparing the two sides of the parking receipt to photograph “A” so that you can see that it was placed right side up, as I claim.
Thank you for your time,

Respectfully,

ME

any and all advice is really wanted.
anyone.
if youve sent a letter, gone in person, or done this online.
has anyone ever used one of those sites like "tixnix.com"? they charge you $ but claim that they get like all tickets dismissed. So I would be paying less, but still paying something, which would still be annoying, but maybe less annoying?
I dont know. Im really mad, this totally ruined my day.

leomom

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 5:07 pm

There's never a guarantee, but if you have an honest case and you bother to file the appeal (especially with photos) and show up, it is highly likely that your ticket will be dismissed.

Your letter is very polite and factual, and states your case clearly.

Mrs. XYZ

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 5:20 pm

I have successfully 'fought' parking tickets a couple of times, and had the tickets dismissed. (for my dh, I dont drive) I never went down to court, since I did not 'request a fair hearing' only 'contest the citation' which I did by mail and got a response in the mail. I dont think you have to pay a late fee if you send in a letter contesting.

SomebodyElse

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 5:20 pm

I think I read something recently about them automatically reducing your fine in NYC if you appeal the ticket. Yup, here it is: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com.....8107.

So go for it!

Beauticianista

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 5:23 pm

You can request an online hearing here:

http://nycserv.nyc.gov/NYCServWeb/NYCSERVMain (scroll to the bottom of the page).

Maybe you can upload your pics and send it (or a link to it, say from photobucket) in your online plea? Not sure if this would work but mb you can try.

ss321

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 6:18 pm

wow everyone, thanks for your responses!!

yy, thanks. I didnt want my letter to come across as like presumptuous or accusatory. I tried to be really respectful of the annoying meter maid man, referring to him as the Traffic Enf. Officer. Signed the letter respectfully yours. I wanted someone objective to read it and tell me that.

Mrs. XYZ, thanks for encouraging me by telling me youve done it and its worked Smile

. gives me hope. And also thanks for the info re: the late fees. I kept thinking-is htis worth my time? im probably gonna owe them 100+ by the x this is done with court fees and late fees!

s/oelse, thanks for the article! I didnt know abt the "quietly intdoduced" program. I stick to VIN, I think their news is less biased and they usually have more stores. Guess I missed that one. Anyhow though, even if htey give me the option of pleading guilty, to save a measly 23 dollars, I am going to take my chances and say no, I am "NOT GUILTY" and here is my proof, go ahead and make a case of it. Just on the principle. And Hope that they completely dismiss the charges, which are very unfair.

beauticianista, at first I did that, I typed the whole letter and was going to submit, but then I was like, "OK, how do I upload my proof- all my pics?" and then I re-read the rules- there is no way. If you want to plead online, you can only submit a document of explanation, no attachments with pics and such. So that is why I am doing the written version with a stamp and the whole 9 yeards of old fashioned mail....

anyway thanks u guys....
uve made me feel a drop less annoyed...

Lechatchila Ariber

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 6:40 pm

Quote:

I am pleading for some leniency from the courts.

why would you ask for a leniency if you did nothing wrong? asking for leniency implies "I know I'm wrong but cut me some slack" .

greenfire

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 6:51 pm

you gotta fight city hall or they'll get away with injustice ...

ss321

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 7:36 pm

Lechatchila Ariber wrote:

Quote:

I am pleading for some leniency from the courts.

why would you ask for a leniency if you did nothing wrong? asking for leniency implies "I know I'm wrong but cut me some slack" .

thanks
by leniency I meant be lenient in terms of your rule of making me pay 65 dollars.

do you know how else I can phrase this? I see what you mean. I dont want to say I am pleading for "justice" because then its like I am saying the stupid meter maid guy was 100% wrong (and was injust). and although he was I dont want to come across too arrogant.

NotInNJMommy

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 7:42 pm

maybe "understanding" instead of "leniency"?

ss321

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 7:46 pm

NotInNJMommy wrote:

maybe "understanding" instead of "leniency"?

ok, I changed it and reprinted

thanks!

HAPPYMOMMY

Thu, Apr 23 2009, 10:28 pm

Talking about injustice. My dh recently got a seatbelt ticket when he was wearing his seatbelt. There was nothing he could to stop the policeman from writing the ticket, although he was 1,000% innocent. The cop handed him the ticket and told dh that he can go tell the judge that he was wearing a seatbelt. Mad

Tamiri

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 12:36 am

DH fought a ticket in East Orange NJ this winter and won. It's worth a try. Good luck.

Marion

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 2:03 am

My experience (in Israel) has been that if you take the time to write the letter they tend to assume you're right. Otherwise it takes less time and it's less hassle to just pay the fine. I know I've done both...I even paid a fine once that I KNEW was not justified because I was in a rental car and had this feeling it would become a bigger headache (and expense) if they started trying to involve the rental company.

And yeah, as long as you send the letter before the payment date of the fine they shouldn't charge you any late fees.

wiggirl

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 8:06 am

well firstly, if one pleads not guilty and requests a hearing online ' in all my previouse experiences ive recieved a plea barging for a lesser fine. if you do belive that you are truly inocent, I saw a report last night or 2 nights ago ( I dont remember) that in 41% of the cases you can win and pay nothing. in regards to all the ticket fighting servises there are many of them who actually very good in lessening the fine and even getting the ticket dismissed , for a fee..........depending if its a moving violation, than there are "points" involved and ure insurrence goes up as well . Seatbelt ticket dont have points but are still reflected on your insurence . Remember ' cops are public service eemployers and must fill thier quota of tickets so even if you win they still will write them because they have to so always fight . Worst case is ..... you wont win.....they are betting you wont fight and just pay ..........my dh has had many tickets dismissed so if I can be of any help please let me know.....Hatzlacha

bubby

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 8:39 am

Before you send it, check the ticket very carefully for errors. If the VIN or plate # is illegible, if the street name is wrong, it's automatically dismissed. I got tickets dismissed because the idiot cop wrote the wrong color of the car! Hooray

OTOH, I got a ticket for illegal parking when there were no signs on a street (I didn't live there!) I sent pictures...no joy. Sad

Innocent or not, if they want your $$ you'll pay up! Good luck!

Bsimcha

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 9:23 am

The only thing you have to beware of is that if you have tickets that are in the middle of being negotiated and you have other tickets you owe, it can get you car towed by a Marshall.
It happened to me on tickets that were being fought (and I was found to be not guilty), I had to pay the tickets, the towing and a had to go get my car back. The whole thing took a few hours.
They actually sent me a check to refund the tickets as they were proven to be not guilty, but hey don't care that it was towed and cost be about $350 more and hours of my time.

One ticket took about a year in a half until it was cleared.

red sea

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 9:32 am

All you can do is try. Once I tried fighting a fake ticket, if you will call it that - came back and still had time left in my meter and ticket claimed I was in the spot behind mine which was a no parking area) we ended up paying in the end because we got nowhere, but maybe you will get lucky.

HAPPYMOMMY

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 10:02 am

We actually sent in a check for my husband's seatbelt ticket, but we marked off "not guilty" on the ticket. We also included a letter with the payment which explained that dh was wearing a seatbelt, but there is no way to prove it. It's the policeman's word against my husband. Who do you think they'll believe.

They actually returned our check and gave dh a hearing date. Dh wants to file a complaint against the policeman. There is nothing a policeman can do if someone files a complaint and it will stay on his record.

Kumphort

Fri, Apr 24 2009, 10:31 am

I got a ticket for parking right in front of a no standing sign, I was totally guilty I just didnt see the sign, I wrote a letter saying that I was sorry, I didnt try and get out of it, and the reduced it from $115 to $90