Wrongful parking ticket

[blairhoney]

So I get home today and there's a $170 ticket slapped on my windshield for not having current tabs and "no visible permit." But the thing is... I do have a permit. Good for another week and VERY clearly displayed in my rear windshield. Obviously I'm going to contest the ticket, but I've never done something like this before and I don't know how to "prove" that my permit was displayed. I really can't shell out that much money for an undeserved parking ticket! Any ideas or advice?

[ChattyCat]

It should be straight forward. Dh and I have both had to do it before. As long as you can prove that you have a valid permit, it's usually enough to appease the traffic gods. If you don't have current tabs (I'm assuming we're talking about your license plate), that's another story.

[blairhoney]

Originally Posted by ChattyCat

It should be straight forward. Dh and I have both had to do it before. As long as you can prove that you have a valid permit, it's usually enough to appease the traffic gods. If you don't have current tabs (I'm assuming we're talking about your license plate), that's another story.

Well, I don't have current tabs - I just bought the car two weeks ago and got the new tabs in the mail this weekend. So I have a temporary registration permit in my window until I put the tabs on (tomorrow morning, when this blizzard is over). I should still be fine, right?

[ChattyCat]

Well, as long as you can prove that it had a current registration, it shouldn't be a problem. I thought you were saying that the registration had lapsed. It sounds like an overzealous meter maid. You should be ok.

[CameronsMama]

Most likely, once you show that you have a permit and you had current registration you just hadn't put the actual tags on yet, it'll get reduced at the very least. Since you can't "prove" that the permit was displayed at the time the ticket was written, you might not get it dismissed entirely, but I know here if you don't have current tags on the vehicle but the registration is current it gets dropped to a "fix-it ticket" which is just a few dollars ($10 I think). It can't hurt to try though, you might get it thrown out totally if all your paperwork is in order.

[Amys1st]

Hmmn, you can always do what I did with a parking ticket I got that wasnt deserved. Of course it was only a $15 ticket, not worth at the time, taking off work, going to court etc. So I went to our police station, explained it was wrongfully received blah blah blah. The clerk and manager gave me a bunch of this and that and I could go to court etc. So I left, went home, counted out $15 worth of pennies. The next day I called and asked if paying a ticket if I could just pay cash. Of course, as long as its exact. NO PROBLEM!! So went back, same people behind the counter. Asked and verified if I can pay cash. Yes. Handed them a huge bag of pennies. They said no cannot accept. I said they had to- its legal tender. They said come back tomorrow with the green stuff, I said cannot- had to work, was going out of town etc. They had to accept it- then I said- actaully quoting him the night before, its perfectly legal and you have to accpet it- "rules are rules" as you told me before. His face was flaming and he took it. I told him he is lucky I kept it in a ziplock and not a dirty old sock like my neighbor suggested.

A week later, got the same ticket, same cop. I went over, same guy. I told him, fix this up and correct it or I would bring back another $15 worth of pennies. He said he got in trouble with that. I said I would also share it with as many people incl the local paper about these phony tickets and encourage everyone else to pay in pennies. It was taken care of and I havent received a ticket in this town again.

[Pumpkin_Pie]

Originally Posted by Amys1st

Hmmn, you can always do what I did with a parking ticket I got that wasnt deserved. Of course it was only a $15 ticket, not worth at the time, taking off work, going to court etc. So I went to our police station, explained it was wrongfully received blah blah blah. The clerk and manager gave me a bunch of this and that and I could go to court etc. So I left, went home, counted out $15 worth of pennies. The next day I called and asked if paying a ticket if I could just pay cash. Of course, as long as its exact. NO PROBLEM!! So went back, same people behind the counter. Asked and verified if I can pay cash. Yes. Handed them a huge bag of pennies. They said no cannot accept. I said they had to- its legal tender. They said come back tomorrow with the green stuff, I said cannot- had to work, was going out of town etc. They had to accept it- then I said- actaully quoting him the night before, its perfectly legal and you have to accpet it- "rules are rules" as you told me before. His face was flaming and he took it. I told him he is lucky I kept it in a ziplock and not a dirty old sock like my neighbor suggested.

A week later, got the same ticket, same cop. I went over, same guy. I told him, fix this up and correct it or I would bring back another $15 worth of pennies. He said he got in trouble with that. I said I would also share it with as many people incl the local paper about these phony tickets and encourage everyone else to pay in pennies. It was taken care of and I havent received a ticket in this town again.

laughup

[grniys]

Originally Posted by Amys1st

Hmmn, you can always do what I did with a parking ticket I got that wasnt deserved. Of course it was only a $15 ticket, not worth at the time, taking off work, going to court etc. So I went to our police station, explained it was wrongfully received blah blah blah. The clerk and manager gave me a bunch of this and that and I could go to court etc. So I left, went home, counted out $15 worth of pennies. The next day I called and asked if paying a ticket if I could just pay cash. Of course, as long as its exact. NO PROBLEM!! So went back, same people behind the counter. Asked and verified if I can pay cash. Yes. Handed them a huge bag of pennies. They said no cannot accept. I said they had to- its legal tender. They said come back tomorrow with the green stuff, I said cannot- had to work, was going out of town etc. They had to accept it- then I said- actaully quoting him the night before, its perfectly legal and you have to accpet it- "rules are rules" as you told me before. His face was flaming and he took it. I told him he is lucky I kept it in a ziplock and not a dirty old sock like my neighbor suggested.

A week later, got the same ticket, same cop. I went over, same guy. I told him, fix this up and correct it or I would bring back another $15 worth of pennies. He said he got in trouble with that. I said I would also share it with as many people incl the local paper about these phony tickets and encourage everyone else to pay in pennies. It was taken care of and I havent received a ticket in this town again.

That's great!

[lalaland42]

What about taking a picture? Can't hurt, right?

[blairhoney]

Originally Posted by lalaland42

What about taking a picture? Can't hurt, right?

Yeah - it's snowing today (several inches) - so I brushed the snow off and snapped a picture of the temporary permit. I also put on the new tabs (just got them in the mail) and got some pictures of those too. And now that the tabs are on, I'll also be able to take the temp permit off the car and take it in to show that it was valid when I got the ticket. It's a pain to go in, but I will triumph!

[CarrieMF]

Was it snowing when you were ticketed? If so they may not have been able to see the permit in the window.

Handed them a huge bag of pennies. They said no cannot accept. I said they had to- its legal tender.

In Canada this wouldn't work, coins are NOT legal tender. Nobody has to accept coins here.

[Amys1st]

Originally Posted by grniys

That's great!

Thanks, I thought so too.

[minsca]

Originally Posted by CarrieMF

In Canada this wouldn't work, coins are NOT legal tender. Nobody has to accept coins here.

Interesting that you said that. I always thought that it was legal tender up to a certain amount. So I checked on line. Here is what the canadian gov't says

up to $40 for $2 denominations
up to $25 for $1 coins
up to $10 for $0.10
up to $5 for $.05
$0.25 for $0.01

http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc...l_I-gb:s_8//en
So there is no way that we would be able to pay a $15 fine with pennies.

I have always found that stores are willing to take a lot of rolled coins. I bought a bottle of wine with a roll of quarters and loonies and toonies. But it was $10 with the roll of quarters so I was still under the amount that they "have to accept".

Thank you for sharing that and making me look it up. I like to spend my coins as they add up, now I know what stores have to accept, and not have to accept.

[Morgana]

I haven't read through all the responses so don't know if it's been mentioned. Make sure you get something in writing if they let you out of the ticket. I got a bad ticket - situation was very close to yours. The person I spoke to laughed about the stupidity of the officer and agreed with me. She documented it on her end but I never got anything saying the ticket was voided. Turns out she didn't void it after all and it ended up on my credit report. I ended up paying it years later but it still stayed on credit report for 7 years. I tried to dispute it but no luck. Always get it in writing!