My dear friend Lawrence Berezin of New York Parking Ticket.com has graciously shared his user-friendly way to identify defects in a New York City parking ticket. The below image show the 10 items which must be properly completed in order for your NYC parking ticket to be valid. If any one (or more) of these items are omitted or incorrect, you should plead not guilty to the ticket and explain which of these items are defective.
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Hi,
I received a $115.00 ticket for parking in a no parking zone. I had my DOT placard displayed in my windshield, and I as only parked there for an hour and a half. I’m a NYC teacher and I often park in the same place, for over a year, because my student lives in this building, and there was no parking. Is there anything I can do to fight it besides send in a copy of my Permit?
Thanks for reading this far and if there’s anything you can think of to help, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks and have a great day!
Marian
Marian,
Plead not guilty. You should be offered a reduced fine of $95 in about 30 days. This will save you a little money.
What does the ‘CD’ field on the ticket mean?
Petemc1969,
I’ve never seen such a field. Can you scan it and email it to me?
Matthew Weiss
mweiss@888redlight.com
I also would like to know if the “CD” field means # of cylinders. It is on the same line as the plate, all the way on the right. Mine is filled in as “8″. (My car is 4 cylinders, so if that is supposed to be cylinders, it’s wrong.)
My ticket also has the body type wrong – the tkt says “SDN ” but my registration correctly say “SUBN”. Is this enough to get the ticket thrown out? And what do I need to provide as evidence?
Thanks
Teevoz,
These errors may help you beat a NYC parking ticket. Plead not guilty and make your case.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks Matthew – is that “CD” field supposed to indicate # of cylinders?
I read that CD refers to the community district the ticket is given in, although I don’t know if that is correct – but apparently not cylinders, and apparently not a required field.
I sent in my request for online hearing – will let you know what happens.
Thanks again
Happy news – I plead not guilty online on Sunday, included a scan of my registration which clearly said the body type is “SUBN” and the ticket which clearly said “SDN”, and pointed out that if the officer couldn’t see that the car is a suburban wagon, he also was mistaken about how close to the hydrant I was – and today, two days later, I got notification that the ticket was dismissed!
Thank you so much for this informative site and your encouragement!
Hi,
This morning coming back from a doctor’s visit I double-parked my car in front of my house.Leaving my wife in the car,I moved my second car from the non cleaning side of the street to the cleaning side of the street since in 10 minutes the cleaning would expire and I was waiting with my engine on.Two “traffic officers” if you can call them that,go to the first double parked car and start writing me up a ticket.Now I am watching this from the second car and not because of the ticket,or for the money but for the sake of my wife’s health -the doctor said no stress or anxiety-I step out of my car walk six feet to the other car and I ask what’s going on.One of the female “officers” tells me I am double parked and I am getting a ticket.As everybody ,I am trying to explain the situation to them,no yelling,no swearing since I did double park.My wife calls me and says to me that it’s ok since we are double parked.I responded that I would rather get a ticket for the second car on the cleaning side since it was $45 instead of the $120 (double parking).Before I even finish my sentence both of the “officers”walked the six feet and are giving me now a second ticket for $45 on my other car!!!Now I am still trying to keep my patience and I ask the other female “officer”(of course right?it can’t be the same one at the same time…)why is she giving me a ticket since there was a car in front of mine and a car behind mine.I also asked if she was selectively choosing who gets a ticket and who does not.Her response was that both cars had a driver in them!!!!I really asked her if she was serious since iI came out of the second car because the other “officer” was giving me a ticket on my first car,and all this when people passing down the street were swearing at them,people that I do not know.She gave me the ticket,and they both continued strolling down the street…So let me get this straight…if I would have parked both of my cars at the cleaning side of the street and my wife was in one and me in the other,we would have never gotten a ticket…but instead I got 2 tickets for $165…What do I plead to that?I even asked the lady if i did something to offend her or if she knew me from the past and I did something to her to deserve such a retaliation…Of course no response…I am sorry for my long story and thank you in advance for your response.
Din,
Plead not guilty and fight these tickets.
Ok. They ticketed and towed me for my bumper being partially over the line which protects the entrance of a commercial driveway. The commercial driveway signs were placed improperly (they were 50 feet apart despite that city ordinance have a max length of 30 feet for any driveway) and one sign has already been moved but the other one (the one my bumper extended partially beyond) was not moved. The latter sign sits 7 feet beyond the driveway splay and is 40 feet from the other sign (they face each other). Do I have a chance in contesting this ticket? I need to get the tow, storage and ticket fees back or I’ll get behind on my car note!
Angela,
By all means, give it a shot but, I haven’t read anything that would lead me to believe that you can win. Check for any of the errors discussed above and consider taking a reduced fine (if offered).
Either way, the best of luck in fighting this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
Early this evening I recieved a ticket for being to close to a fire hydrant, which i wasnt aware of a just a couple a minutes from parking near the hydrant the meter maid handed me a ticket for the violation and i believe i noticed a few errors on the ticket. FYI i drive a ford explorer which is a FORD make and my registration says SUBN and honestly I don’t even know what that means anyways i reviewed the ticket and noticed a few possible errors on the ticket on the make section it states Make the officer listed it as a “MACK” which i believe a MACK stands for a MACK TRUCK which are usually large commercial truck. I also noticed the body type states 4DSD which should have been SUBN. anyways if these are legit error can I fight it or am I stuck with the violation???
Mike,
We have some useful information available on our website in the NY parking ticket section.
It should help you fight this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for parking “no parking 7am-4pm SCHOOL DAYS”. The ticket says “ALL DAYS 7am-4pm”. Although in the comments section of the ticket it is written school days, I think that the “violation” is in error. Do you think it is a valid claim for dismissal, and is there a code section that I should mention in my letter to them (that would say that if it’s not a correct citation then it is invalid)?
Thanks for your time.
Philip,
You should plead not guilty and fight this one. It sounds like you have a pretty good defense.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I was in a parking lot at the local pharmacy and while waiting for someone to come out of the store. I pulled into a handicap spot but did not shut off my engine or take off my seatbelt. An officer pulled up behind my car and blocked me in. He got out and told me I was in a handicap spot, I told him I was waiting for someone to come out, that’s why my car is still running. I apologized and said I would move immediately. He got nasty and wrote me a ticket. Since my car was still running, would I be considered as someone who was “parked” in a handicap spot? Can I fight this ticket?
Dana D,
You can definitely fight it. Perhaps, a judge will be sympathetic given the circumstances. Technically, you were not parked. However, you need to read the specific regulation under which you were charged to see whether “standing” or “stopping” is permitted within a handicap spot.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Dana,
Good morning.
Great questions.
First, the only “real life” difference between stopping, standing, and parking are the activities a member of the driving community can perform in each zone. For example, you can stop temporarily to drop-off or pick-up a passenger in a no standing zone, but you cannot drop-off or pick-up property. In a no parking zone, you can drop-off or pick up a passenger and property. If you stop in a no stopping zone, simply hand your wallet full of money to the parking ticket warrior.
Second, an off street parking space designated for use by a handicapped person with a permit, is a NO PARKING zone. Therefore, you can stop temporarily to drop-off or pick-up a person and property in a handicap parking space because it is considered a NO PARKING zone. The big but is….You can never wait for a passenger to finish his/her business in a store (no matter how fast the person is).
Waiting in a no parking or no standing zone is not permitted by the rules, even if you are behind the wheel with the motor running, and seat belt engaged. In other words, you can’t stake out a parking space, wait for your daughter to finish her piano lessons, and read the op ed section of the NY Times. Barnes and Noble is a better choice.
Here are some definitions that may be helpful. In the wacky world of NYC parking tickets:
Stopping means-”…any halting, even momentarily of a vehicle, whether occupied or not.”
Standing means-”…the stopping of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
Parking means-”…the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading property or passengers.”
Temporarily means two minutes or less.
I suggest you check the front of your parking ticket for mistakes. If a “required element” is omitted, misdescribed, or illegible you win upon application. A required element is a bite size bit of data that must be entered by a parking ticket warrior to establish a prima facie case against you. For example, the Make, Expiration Date, Body Type, Plate Type, Place of Occurrence, Plate Number, State of Registry, Time of Violation, etc are required elements.
However, the VIN #, color, or year of your buggy are not required elements.
Good luck, Dana D
No Parking is only $ 60 or $ 65. No Standing & Stopping is $ 115.00.
CD Stands for “Check Digit” A code on the NY Registration sticker that only DMV understands.
Matthew,
I’ve read on forums that the No Parking Street Cleaning tickets are hard to beat, even when the ticket is issued after the street cleaner has passed. But maybe you’ll share my opinion that these tickets are clearly not meritorious — so if you have a moment I’d love to glean your legal advice.
I have out-of-state plates and don’t plan on bringing my car back to NYC. So I have the option of not paying the ticket at all and leaving it be. But I’ll take the time to fight and defeat the ticket if I have a shot at it.
Essentially, I parked my car back into the 9a-10:30a No Parking Street Cleaning zone after the street cleaner and tow truck passed. At 10:17a, I received a ticket claiming I was in violation of “No Parking Street Cleaning” Sect. 4-08 (d) (1).
If I take this to a judge and argue the following, do I have a shot at getting the ticket voided?
- There could be no obstruction of street cleaning when my car would have been towed had it blocked street cleaning
- I could not have knowingly obstructed street cleaning 13 minutes prior to the end of the time restriction when I witnessed the street cleaner pass by and knew it would not clean the street again
- The alleged violation is for “No Pkg street cleaning,” not “no parking unilaterally,” and that without the street cleaning requisite for the no parking zone, there would be no no parking zone, and thus that I had not violated the street cleaning code?
Please let me know if you think I have even a modicum of chance at winning this. If not, I’ll just toss out the ticket as I have out-of-state plates. Many thanks for your help.
Jules,
I am going to ask my resident parking ticket expert, Lawrence Berezin, to answer this ticket. Standby.
Matthew Weiss
almost the same situation. 20 minutes before street cleaning would have expired. left the car for 2 seconds to grab something, come back and I’m being written a ticket while standing next to my car.
Mariya,
Two seconds (or not), you were illegally parked based on what you wrote. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but have to be honest.
Matthew Weiss
Jules,
Good morning.
My dear friend Matt asked me to share some of my thoughts about your thoughts.
I love it when a member of the driving community formulates excellent, reasonable arguments in defense of a NYC parking ticket. The big but is that these wonderful arguments are presented to a stone wall, the DOF.
There is legislation pending for more than 2 years before the NYC Council making your idea the law of parking ticket land and permitting drivers to return to parking spaces on the restricted side of the street after the street cleaning apparatus goes by. This bill is languishing in committee without sufficient votes to pass.
I am sorry to report your super argument will not win because you are required to obey all parking signs, no ifs, ends or buts.
Once upon a time there were millions of drivers from Pennsylvania who drove into NYC, were issued parking tickets, and thumbed their noses at Mayor B. Subsequently, NY and PA entered into a reciprocity agreement, and NY went after PA motorists with a vengeance to collect the left for dead fines/penalties/interest from old parking tickets. It was great for my parking ticket business, but a real headache for PA people. A parking ticket lives for 8.3 years.
Once a judgment is issued, all the evil tools employed by collection agencies are available to NYC (not just your car).
When you’re right-FIGHT. But, when you’re not right (as in your case) you may wish to pay your fine and move on.
Good luck.
Lawrence,
Thanks very much for applying your expertise & knowledge to my situation. Since I have NH plates, I had previously planned on chucking the ticket, so it’s helpful to know about potential future risks for defaulting. Fingers crossed for the referenced legislation to get signed into law.
JJ,
Points from a New York speeding ticket conviction will NOT transfer to you Ohio license. Therefore, a conviction generally will not affect your driving privileges in Ohio.
However, the conviction will be reported to the Ohio DMV and therefore your insurance company can learn about it. We therefore recommend that you speak with your insurance company before you plead guilty to this speeding ticket. If a conviction will affect your auto insurance, you may want to fight it anyway.
Matthew Weiss
Jules,
Thank you.
My old arthritic fingers are crossed, too…Nothing yet.
By the by…Was the month/year of your registration expiration date entered on the parking ticket? Or, was “N/S” or “N/A?” Does NH require a decal displaying the month/year of registration expiration on the license plates?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks for the follow-up, Lawrence. They do have all the info on my plates, including the correct expiration of my plates. The only information they don’t have is what cannot reasonably be taken without the driver present (year of car model, name of operator). I’m headed down to the Department of Finance later today to take my arguments before them, but given your advice I am going in with the expectation of having to pay them afterwards.
Well, you were right. I showed up and made my arguments: “1. There could be no obstruction of street cleaning when the City’s procedure for offenders of interfering with street cleaning is to tow their vehicle, and my vehicle was not towed. 2. The ‘No Pkg street cleaning’ rule is unique — where other rules to prevent interference with the fire department, police department, etc. are there because vehicles may need the space at any time, street cleaning only cleans once each designated period, and thus a reasonable reading of the ‘P’ sign with a broom through it means that the hours serve as a time window in which street cleaning can come through, and thus not obstructing the street cleaning is not a violation. 3. Having witnessed the street cleaning vehicle and tow truck pass by and receiving the ticket 13 minutes prior to the end of the 9A-1030A time window, and with a reasonable reading of the sign, I could not have violated the rule.”
He said my arguments were good and reasonable, “but the problem is that you’re wrong.”
Decision: “Respondent’s testimony that he parked his car after the street cleaner had cleaned the street is not a legal defense. Vehicles may not park in the street cleaning zones for the ENTIRE time that the regulation is in effect. Guilty.”
I’ve started on an appeals form but I don’t see any way of winning this. If I find the time and printer paper to move forward with the process I’ll let you know what happens. But in a nutshell, you were right.
Hi,
Today I recieved 2 tickets for parking too close to a fire hydrant. First off the hydrant clearly is not functioning… But i guess that’s besides the point?
1st question… I got the 1st ticket at 12:11 AM and the 2nd ticket at 8:53 AM. Is there any rules that limit how many times they can ticket you within 24 hours?
2nd question…. The location under “place of occurance” is different on both tickets. Does this matter? Ticket 1 = S/S Richardson St 60 ft W/of Union Ave. Ticket 2 = N/S Jackson St 65 ft E/of Union St. I had to look at a map to even see where Jackson St is. If I understand the way they are descridbing the location, the corecct place should be North Side (N/S) of Richardson St 60-65 ft E/of Union.
Do I have a chance if I contest?
Thanks!
M,
Good evening.
Great questions.
The fact the fire hydrant wasn’t working may be a get-out-of-jail-free card…If you can prove it.
The place of occurrence is a required element, and must be entered correctly on your parking ticket. If not, you win by presenting the proper proof properly. That’s the tough part.
I hate those “pirate treasure map” directions. But, I find more often then you might think, they are misdescribed. In a fire hydrant situation, you may wish to prove there is no fire hydrant within 15 feet, in either direction, of the location the parking ticket warrior claims you parked your vehicle.
Excellent research.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Jules,
I love your passion.
It is a shame that passion and reason is trumped by arcane rules and avarice.
Your burden of proof on appeal is to persuade the appeals panel the judge made a mistake of law or fact.
I am very sorry to say this time his honor was right.
Dear Mr. Weiss:
I got a ticket for an expired inspection sticker, the ticket was not personally handed to me but I can hardly read the ticket the carbon paper makes the plate number and all the other writing on the ticket look unreadable or illegible. The print is handwritten but very light. You can hardly read it. The vin number is missing, But plate is written but almost unreadable, Is the ticket dismissable?
Thanks,
Dave
Dave Shostack,
You can possibly win. Plead not guilty and set forth all of your arguments.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi guys,–
My sister-in-law was visiting us in Manhattan recently and she got a street-cleaning parking ticket. She’s definitely guilty, and I recommended that she just pay the $50, but since she’s from Nebraska, she was wondering what might happen if she simply didn’t pay the ticket. She’s probably not going to be back in NYC anytime soon, and certainly not with a car. Could it potentially affect her credit score or cause her NE license to get suspended?
Thanks in advance,
Evan
Evan,
Good morning.
Great question.
NYC is very aggressive in initiating collection activity against both in-state and out-of-state drivers that ignore parking tickets.
After 100 days, a default judgment will be entered on the record. NYC DOF will send this judgment to one of its collection agencies, that will make efforts to collect this debt.
I’m not sure how much importance a credit reporting agency is going to put an unpaid parking violation…But if it shows up, it will be a judgment.
I’m an old lawyer who hates loose ends. You never know when they’ll bite you.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Two tickets in one night ! I got a parking ticket while I was getting my muni meter ticket at the machine ( it shows 3 min. before the ticket was issued ) in a no standing zone. I was the last in a long row of cars and the only car to be ticketed ( I checked later )I am from Florida and told the officer that the signs were confusing-no joy there. The ticket omitted the expiration date on my registration and mis-identified the type of car I have. Should I pay or fight?
Clocked 26 miles over the speed limit for #2 and I am concerned about the 6 points on my license. Does Florida get this information? Is there a way to remove or reduce points?
Suzanne,
You should fight the NY speeding ticket. It carries 6 NY points, roughly a $200 fine, a $300 Driver Assessment Fee and will transfer onto your Florida license. The Florida points will be the amount of points that would have otherwise been assessed as if the ticket was issued there.
In regard to the parking ticket, you can fight that one yourself. Make all of the arguments that you reference above.
Matthew Weiss
Thank you so much for your valuable information. I just got a NYC parking ticket with a missing “time 1st observed, date 1st observed, and also a missing code/ fine. Will I be able to contest this ticket? Again, thank you.
Rowena,
Any parking ticket issued in New York State (but outside New York City) must include the following seven pieces of information:
* date (month, day and year) and time of offense
* location of the offense
* the plate designation (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the plate type (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the registration’s expiration date (month, day and year)
* the make or model of the vehicle
* the body type of the vehicle
If any of these items is omitted, you have a viable defense to the ticket. Any other omission does not render the ticket fatally defective.
Matthew Weiss
This morning I got a ticket , I have a Orange reddish 2 door mini cooper , the ticket was for not commercial vehicle, on the body type it says I have a 4 door vehicle which I do not have, its this mistake a reasonable enough excuse to plead not guilty and have the ticket dismissed? They ticketed twice in the same spot , once at 8:09am and then again at 9:18am, but the information on the second ticket is correct , also my car got towed , but second issue would be , are they allowed to ticket you twice if you already got a ticket ?
Cols,
Good morning.
Great questions!
1. “Body Type” is a required element. A required element is a bite size bit of information that a parking ticket warrior is required to enter on a parking ticket to establish a case against a driver. If a required element is omitted, misdescribed, or illegible, you’re entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket upon application. If your mini cooper is registered in NY, most judges (unfortunately, not all judges) will dismiss your parking ticket if the number of doors are misdescribed. (Is the plate type correct? What appears on your vehicle registration?)
2. The custom amongst parking ticket judges is to dismiss a second parking ticket issued for the same violation, in the same space, within 1-3 hours of the first parking ticket for a substantive violation (such as no parking, no standing, etc.) and 24 hours for a “status violation” (such as expired registration, no current inspection sticker, etc). In either case, it behooves you to fight the second parking ticket BECAUSE, if the second parking ticket is dismissed, your tow charges will be refunded!
Good luck,
Best,
Larry
Lawrence,
As always, thanks so much for sharing your parking ticket expertise. There is a reason that I recommend all of my clients with NYC parking ticket issues to you.
To learn more about Lawrence and his company, visit NewYorkParkingTicket.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I just got a parking ticket for double parking on a street cleaning day. I live in Brooklyn and do this almost every week so I was surprised. However, I was a little late (10 minutes past the “end”) and so I realize I need to pay better attention.
Of course, the officer gave me the ticket 3 minutes (per the ticket) before I got there. Bad luck.
I checked out the 10 things that have to be right. My ticket has 0 information for “Date 1st Observed”.
Is it worth trying to plead NG?
thanks
Amy
Hi Amy,
Good morning.
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit and share your parking experience. It benefits all of us.
Required elements are bite size bits of information a parking ticket warrior is required to enter to prove her case against you because his appearance in parking ticket court is not required. However, all potential “required elements” are not necessary for each and every one of the 99 parking violations. For example, “time first observed” is necessary for an overtime parking violation; but unfortunately not for a street cleaning violation.
A parking ticket warrior is prohibited from issuing a parking ticket until 5 minutes have elapsed from the beginning of the street cleaning rule (not the end). For example, if street cleaning (ASP) rules are in effect on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8-9:30 a.m. in your neighborhood, a warrior can’t issue a parking ticket until 8:06 a.m.
Double parking on the unrestricted side of the street on street cleaning days is a custom in most neighborhoods, but not the rule (it’s technically illegal). Parking ticket warriors and the police generally ignore the double parking until it is quota time…Then you receive a $115 ticket to the DOF fundraiser.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
I parked my vehicle in a legal parking spot before the “no standing” sign. I left and returned about 20 minutes later to see that my vehicle has been towed. When I retrieved the parking ticket, the ticket agent had lied and wrote that I was parked in front of an abandoned building (a few buildings next to the location that I parked at) which is a tow zone. I dont know why it was done because I wasn’t parked illegally. Is there any way I can beat this ticket so i won’t have to pay the towing fees as well as storage fees? Please help me. Thanks
Dear Cheyenne,
You were victimized by one of the 3-Card Monte’s of NYC parking ticket scams. A fraudulent location is inserted by a parking ticket warrior and the hook kidnaps your car. It is one of the particularly nasty and costly scams.
Carefully examine the front of your parking ticket for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. If so, you win upon application.
If not, try to formulate a story that persuades the judge you did not park at the location entered by the warrior. Don’t rant, recite conclusions, and accuse Mayor Bloomberg of corruption. Be persuasive not abusive.
Good luck.
I received a ticket for no std com mtr zone. The place of occurrence was incorrectly listed (ie. wrong street). There is no sign displayed for the place of occurrence listed on ticket. How should I handle? By mail or in person?
Louis,
Good afternoon.
Great catch.
Either way.
Please be sure to have overlapping photographs of all parking signs on the entire block and street signs and building numbers so the judge can easily confirm your testimony.
There are also some wonderful resources on my website that will help you properly prove your defense. http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com. Click on “Resources” in the navigation bar.
Nice observation.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Hi guys, I recently got a parking ticket for not displaying a parking receipt on the dash. However my vehicle was occupied at the time as my gf was sleeping in the front passenger seat. How the agent did not see her, I have no clue. But can you get a ticket with the vehicle occupied and legally parked, except there was no parking receipt displayed? Thanks in advance -mark
Mark,
Good afternoon.
I love your story…You can be having a family barbeque in the back seat, but you’re still required to pay for parking and display the muni meter receipt on the dash.
Your story has a happy ending because of a recent law passed by the NYC Council mandating parking ticket Judge Roy Beans to dismiss failure to display parking tickets upon submission of a copy of the mm receipt showing you paid for the time.
You can fight this parking ticket in person or by mail. I don’t recommend fighting parking tickets online.
Good luck.
Larry
Good afternoon,
I received a parking on a school day (no parking until 4pm), but they did not write a VIN # on the ticket. Is it a mistake and can be beaten?
Thanks for your help!!!!
I got a ticket on vandam st. and did not see the No Standing Anytime sign. My car has NJ plates and the parking ticket does not state the Date Registration Expired nor does it have the N/S checked for that field. Would this ticket be defective?
Also, the date of the offense is wrong. It is stated as 1:20AM on 9/22/12 when it should be 9/23/12. The Time 1st Observed is noted as 1:15AM on 9/23/12.
If this ticket can be dismissed for being defective. Can you please provide me with guidance on how to write a proper letter, or maybe an example or template letter?
- Vivek
My wife got a sppeding ticket on s/b Flatbush Ave going over the Belt Pkwy doing 53 in a 30. I noticed that “OWNER IS OPER” is filled in (which means yes). Since this is a leased company vehicle can this be seen as a defective ticket?
This has long been a speed trap which I actually told my wife about 2 months ago. They have this 30 MPH speed limit sign by the hump going over the Belt Pkwy presumably due to limited sight distance. Before that it is 40 and maybe 300 feet beyond the 30 is a 45 zone. They stand just over the hump and laser cars for speed. That does seem ridiculous when everybody ignores it, when I slow down people zoom by.
My contention is that my wife was distracted and went over the speed limit; the officer was distracted and didn’t realize that he checked off “OWNER IS OPER”.
Thanks in advance for listening and I hope for a positive answer. Ken
Ken,
The “owner is oper” mistake does not render the ticket fatally defective. Unlike parking tickets, these types of minor errors are unhelpful.
On the other hand, if you can show that there was insufficient notice of the drop in speed limit that might be persuasive. You’ll need photos and/or video to show the judge which show that there was an insufficient “read” time of the speed sign.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
PS There may be other ways to achieve a favorable result. Read through some of my other posts about speeding tickets.
Hi Matthew, I just received a parking ticket in NYC and I am not sure why. The ticket does not have any of the violations marked and doesn’t state what the ticket is for. Does this count as a defective ticket? Thank you for your time, Cassandra
Cassandra,
Check your ticket carefully. It is odd that it wouldn’t have a violation marked or violation description.
Matthew Weiss
It doesn’t have a violation marked or a violation description, I just read it over again it and had someone else read it for me as well, it does have “hours in effect” as 2AM- 6AM and ticket issued at 2:01AM but that’s it.
-Cassandra
Cassandra,
Then plead not guilty and make your arguments. Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I received a $115 double parking ticket when picking my kids up at their PS elementary school in Brooklyn. I left the car at 3:03pm to go into the school to get the kids – just like about 50 other cars do at 3pm, and just like I have been doing for 3 years now. However the other day I got a ticket when I returned to the car. I complained and the officer said that my car was there for more than 15 mintues, which it was not, it was actually there for about 13 mintues. (Maybe he meant 15 minutes after 3pm, which is true because the ticket states 3:16pm.) Can I fight this, based on past practice, cars are allowed to double park when picking up their kids without getting a ticket.
All of the details on the ticket are, unfortunately, correct.
Thanks so much, Tobias.
Tobias,
The “I did it before without being ticketed” defense is not very viable (in my opinion).
Did you check the ticket for errors. My firm does not handle parking tickets but has a helpful web page to help motorists fight a parking ticket.
Matthew Weiss
I got a $45 ticket for parking at a time when it was prohibited due to street cleaning. I noticed 2 potential defects on the ticket:
- one letter was missing from my license plate (there was just a blank space instead of the letter),
- the place for meter # was left entirely blank, not even an N/A was there. I should note that were no meters on this particular street whatsoever.
Are one or both of these grounds to contest the ticket?
Ron,
The missing license plate letter in particular sounds like a good one. Plead not guilty and make sure you raise this and any other arguments.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
About a week and a half ago, I received a ticket for parking in a No Standing – Authorized Vehicles Only zone. The No Standing Zone comprises about half of the block (I didn’t see the sign because it was blocked by a truck when I parked); however, the entire block had parking meters that were covered, and a Muni-meter point to pay for parking. The covered meter I parked at said “Please Pay at Muni-meter” on it – which I did. Is this a good enough defense? I honestly didn’t see the No Standing sign, and with a meter there, it made sense that I would be able to park!
Also, is it better to fight the ticket in person or by mail?
Rachel,
Good afternoon.
This one is a tough parking ticket to beat.
I am sorry to report that parking signs trump meters. If you can persuade a judge that the NO Standing sign was not visible, maybe…But, you may wish to check the front of your parking ticket for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. If you find one or more, than you win upon application and presenting the proper proof properly.
Good luck,
Best,
Larry
The only thing I’ve noticed that is incorrect on the ticket is that it states I was parked South of 46th Rd, when in fact I was parked North of 46th Rd (and South of 46th Ave). Is this enough of a defect to plead not guilty because of a defective ticket?
Rachel,
This very well be enough if you can prove it. You’ll need photos showing where you were parked. The photos should depict the street signs.
Matthew Weiss
Hi
I received a ticket for no parking certain hours, though there is no such address, is there somewhere i can go to a city website or something with a printout showing there is no such address?
Thanks
Abe S.
Abe Smith,
Google maps. You should beat this ticket if there truly is not such address.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi, I recieved a parking ticket for parking too close to a fire hydrant. The ticket states that I was 6 feet from the hyrdrant, but I took out my measuring tape and measured that the front of my bumber was 11 feet from the hydrant. I also took pictures with the measuring tape showing the distance. Do I stand a chance fighting the ticket?
Thanks,
Brett
Brett,
Give it a shot. Don’t forget to submit your photos.
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for speeding in a work zone for $360. The officer wrote the wrong expiration date for my license. Can I fight the ticket? Does that make it void?
Ryan,
This minor error does not render your speeding ticket void. You should nevertheless plead not guilty. If you do, you or your NY traffic lawyer can likely negotiate this down to a less serious charge.
Matthew Weiss
Ok. It was also given from TBTA. While driving over the Verrazano. Don’t know if the agency changes the situation.
Ryan,
A TBTA ticket is treated like a traffic ticket issued by a NYPD officer. It will be heard in the Traffic Violations Bureau.
I hope this helps.
Matthew Weiss
hey I was parked at a fire hydrant in nyc and received a ticket from an actual police officer written out but the ticket didn’t have a date of offense it only stated 10/ /12. Should I fight this ticket or am I wasting my time and theirs?
Chris,
Fight it. The lack of a complete date is a good defense.
Matthew Weiss
Thank you for your quick response Matthew I was wondering if their is a certain way I should word it or should I just write on the ticket that it isn’t completed which the date of offense.
Chris,
Please not guilty, and argue that the ticket is defective explaining how.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
today i went to drop off my wife at a medical clinic but remaind in the car was drinking my coffee becuase i felt a little light head due to my diabetes well then a traffic agent came bye and told me to move my car i ask her why she told me its a no parking i said ok so i was about to move the car when she again really nasty said move
i said ok i am so she went to the corner just a couple of feet from me and i turn on the car and was starting to move it when she came back and on her machine started to punch in my plate but she at no time scan my reg in the front window because i was moving out the spot when i finally park my car i saw her and ask her did you just write me a ticket she said yes because you did not move when i told you to is this ticket legal with out her scanning my reg please let me knw
Junior,
If she did not get all the required information on your vehicle, then you may have a chance to beat this ticket. Check out my parking ticket page for the checklist of items.
Matthew Weiss
my ticket is for no standing, but it has the wrong car color and incorrect police precinct. can i beat it?
William,
You can certainly try but neither argument is strong.
Any parking ticket must include the following seven pieces of information:
* date (month, day and year) and time of offense
* location of the offense
* the plate designation (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the plate type (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the registration’s expiration date (month, day and year)
* the make or model of the vehicle
* the body type of the vehicle
Matthew Weiss
Believe it or not, I have travelled all the way from China to visit NY for 1 day and got a parking ticket…..
I hired a Hertz car from New Jersey and parked in a street that had a parking meter. I paid for the parking and placed the ticket on the windshield.
Imagine my surprise when I come back and find a $65 parking ticket for “No pkg street cleaning (d) (1). TuF 9am-10.30am.
1) Can I claim that there were no signs indicating that street cleaning is in effect on that street during these hours ? I have photos to prove this.
2) Can I claim that I was mis-guided by the signs in the parking meters which explicitly allowed me to park on payment ? I have photos to prove this.
3) The parking ticket does not contain Meter # and Date/Time 1st observed. Can I claim this as my defense ?
Advise much appreciated..will provide reciprocal advise when you travel to China (where you can park anywhere).
Subramanian,
Answers after each of your questions below.
1) Can I claim that there were no signs indicating that street cleaning is in effect on that street during these hours ? I have photos to prove this. Yes.
2) Can I claim that I was mis-guided by the signs in the parking meters which explicitly allowed me to park on payment ? I have photos to prove this. No unless there was no sign about the street cleaning.
3) The parking ticket does not contain Meter # and Date/Time 1st observed. Can I claim this as my defense? You should mentioned these omissions but they are likely not enough alone to win.
Matthew Weiss
Hello, I’m wondering if you can help. I received a $115 double parking ticket and wanted to dispute it in hopes of getting it reduced. My issue is that it has been 10 days and when I go online and input it for dispute I get a message the ticket s still “not in the system… please wait until it is, usually about 1 week after issued”.
Should I be concerned? Is there any other way to dispute it? Thanks!
Robbie,
I would keeping check (regularly). It is never “hits” the system, you win. In my experience, it will “hit” shortly.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks for the reply. I thought you’d be interested to know, the ticket just hit the system today, 32 DAYS after being issued! I requested a hearing, going to see how they respond.
Robbie,
My pleasure. Your ticket hitting 32 days after the offense is quite common. Good luck fighting it.
Matthew Weiss
Love your site, Matt.
I have a ticket for parking in a No Parking spot. I parked according to the white lines indicating on-street muni-meter parking, which show it as a valid spot. I did not see the “No Parking” sign in front of my spot–until I returned to the car and saw the ticket and subsequently looked around.
I have pictures that show that the parking lane markings contradict the signage. Because I was ticketed for violating the sign, I assume the city made a mistake with the parking lane marking. Doesn’t seem right that I should pay for the city’s mistake, considering I was abiding by one set of instructions.
And had I seen the No Parking sign, it shouldn’t be my responsibility to discern which marking system is correct and which is not.
Do you think I can successfully beat the violation with this argument?
Barring that–the Exp. Date field on my ticket says “N/S – Rain.” My pictures show that there was no rain that day.
What would you advise?
Jay,
Thanks for your kind remarks.
You raise a pretty good defense. I would definitely fight this ticket and raise these issues (and present your proofs).
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matt,
I am a resident of MA, and got a parking ticket in Manhattan because I was 6 feet away from a fire hydrant.
Should I fight it? do I have a chance?
Thank you,
Sami,
The rule is 15 feet away from a hydrant. So 6 feet away is a violation of NYC law.
Matthew Weiss
got two tickets this morning because i parked by a fire hydrant and did not move the car in time. however a got another ticket that said i blocked the driveway which i did not. since when is a driveway that close to a fire hydrant right?? i was going to plead not guilty to the second ticket until i ran into this site which state that the ticket has to be filled out completely for it to be valid. so the ticket for parking near the fire hydrant doesn’t have my plate number filled out so how do you think i should plead to both of these tickets?
Kayla,
I would plead not guilty to the driveway ticket because a NYC parking ticket without a license plate number is fatally defective.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for parking to close to a fire hydrant. However the state is listed incorrectly on the ticket, on the ticket it says ‘MI’ and thats Michigan. However my plates are from Missouri which is ‘MO’.. If I fight the ticket, would I have a valid chance of finding it defective?
Ryan,
Yes, that is a good argument. Plead not guilty and include a copy of your registration and a photo of your plate as evidence.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I received a ticket today for parking in a no standing zone from 7-9 AM. I have been parking here for over 6 months and traffic cops never gave me a citation. However, today, I received a ticket from NYPD officers. The ticket has most of the information correct, however, it has the color of my car as grey as it is clearly gold, and the date of the offense is written clearly as 47:27. I could understanding if it was 0727, but it had 47:27. Please let me know if there is any way to beat this due to the time of the offense being a non-existent time
Josh,
The wrong date of offense is a much better stronger than the wrong color. Plead not guilty and make them both and see what happens.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
I see you give excellent advice here. Perhaps you can help me with my situation?
I parked on 118th & Pleasant Ave. When I came back, the officer had JUST scanned my registration. I looked around, and the CLOSEST “No Parking – Street Cleaning” sign was mid-block – close to 100 feet away! (there was construction scaffolding above me, which may account to why there was no closer sign). I lost in the “mail-in” try, but asked for an appeal. Is there an ordinance that states how close the sign must be? And my second question is, I recorded the “100 feet from my parked car to the closest sign” on an Ipad. Can I use that video evidence in court?
Thanks very much!
Marty,
Thanks for your kind remarks.
Lawrence Berezin, the go-to guy for parking ticket issues, will answer your question shortly.
Matthew Weiss
Dear Marty,
Good afternoon.
Great question.
I am sorry to report, the rules allow one parking sign located anywhere on the block to be sufficient to inform the driving public of a parking rule regulating a parking space.
This is another example of the absurdity of many of the arcane parking rules.
Parenthetically, the parking rule displayed on a parking sign regulates all parking spaces in the direction of the arrow on the sign until the next parking sign in the direction of the arrow, or if none, the end of the block.
I’ve beaten a a fair number of cases when the parking sign is not visible. It is easier to prove “invisibility” when the parking sign is hidden by a tree branch. Distance never wins, sometimes height will.
I suggest you check the front of your parking ticket for a omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required element.
Best,
Larry
Lawrence,
Thank you so much for your prompt response, albeit not the one I was hoping for…! Incredible that I will lose this fight…..there is scaffolding up right above my car, and it’s likely that the STREET CLEANING sign is ABOVE it, but no way I can prove it since it isn’t visible….!
I’ll follow-up with one more question, although it’s probably moot. I arrived at my car just AFTER the officer had scanned the registration on the car. He hadn’t printed the ticket or put in any other information in yet (i.e. intersection, etc). He says that once he has scanned it, there is no way to delete (he MUST print the ticket) . I don’t believe that. Do you know?
Once again, thanks for your advice, and thanks for providing this wonderful service.
Marty,
The only parking ticket a warrior is empowered to delete is one for failure to display muni- meter receipt. You are required to find the warrior within 5 minutes of the time the parking ticket was issued, and present a valid muni- meter receipt. Otherwise, nope.
Best,
Larry
Mr. Berenzin,
I recieved a parking ticket because the front half of my car was in a “No Standing” zone. I attend SUNY Maritime College and I was wondering if there was any way I can get the ticket dismissed. The ticket does not include the expiration date and it improperly states the body type of my car. The ticket states that it is a SDN but it is a 2DR hatchback. The place of occurrence is illegible and it does not state whether it was “Front of” or “Opposite” of the location written. Also, the “Time 1st Observed” is not filled out nor is the VIN number. Do you think this is enough to get the ticket revoked?
Thank you very much,
-Justin
Justin Langan,
These items may be enough especially the wrong body type and illegible place of occurrence. Plead not guilty, make your arguments and include a copy of your registration showing the correct body type.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Thank you very much Mr. Weiss. The ticket got revoked due to illegibility of the occurrence. I didn’t even have to give any more reasons as to why the ticket was faulty! Thank you so much for the information!
-Justin
Justin,
Perfect! Congrats!!
Matthew Weiss
PS I recently beat a reckless driving ticket on these same grounds.
Hi I got a $35 parking ticket because I didn’t purchase muni meter ticket. Can I just reply “not guilty” by checking the “incorrect sign” box (because the signs in the area are confusing!) so as to get an offer to reduce the fee? or do I have to provide written explanation with the not guilty plea? I don’t think I have enought reason to get the ticket waived, but if I could at least save few dollars…. please advise thanks
Debbie,
I don’t think such an effort will save you any money but, of course, you’re free to try.
Good luck either way.
Matthew Weiss
I received a NYC parking ticket the other day for parking in a NO PARKING zone. The ticket cites a vehicle make of “SUBA”, my vehicle registration states the make is “SUBAR”.
Additionally, the Meter # field was left blank on the ticket. There was no meters where I was parked, does this need to say “N/A” or something similar?
Would either of these be enough to contest the ticket as defective?
Thanks!
Ann,
Unfortunately, these two items don’t seem to be enough for your to win. Feel free to try, however.
Matthew Weiss
I got a $90 ticket in Nassau County for an expired inspection 10 days after it expired. The only information not recorded on the ticket is my VIN.
Any shot at me getting this reduced or dismissed if I show I got the inspection the next day?
No, the VIN is not a required element.
this morning i got a ticket for parking in a no standing zone but I was parked where the city put lines in where people should be parking, I am assuming the no standing sign was for the garage door at the side of the building but I did not park in front of the garage but only where the lines were drawn to be parked. Other cars where parked right behind me as well, do I have a fight with this ambiguous street sign? Should I submit photos of the area in question, I believe there wasn’t a sign saying not to park on the side I was except that specific zone.
Jahoon,
Unfortunately, the sign controls (despite the “City put lines”).
Matthew Weiss
My husband received a No U-turn ticket on Monday, 12/10/12. The ticket is handwritten and the date of offense plus the date affirmed are written as 12/10/13. Should he plead Not Guilty? If yes, should he state that the dates are incorrect when mailing in the form or wait for a hearing? Thanks very much.
Janet,
Yes, he should plead not guilty. With the right judge you should win this case. He should say anything about the wrong date until his trial and, even then, only after the police officer testifies and rests. Further, your chances for success based on this error are enhanced if you delay your trial until after December 10, 2013.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Received a parking ticket this morning on 34th street between Queens Blvd & Skillman Avenue. I parked adjacent to a pole with absolutely no signs on it indicating that I could not park there. Knowing this area, I purposely looked around to see if there were any other signs. The only other sign on this block was twisted around and facing a totally different direction than the direction this one way street was going. Other cars were parked around me. Can I fight this? I have pictures of the pole I parked next to (with my car in the shot) and the bent pole from the other end of the block.
Ariana,
Yes, give it a shot. Make sure you photos show the street sign and one (ore more) street numbers on a nearby building. If not, take a series of photos to show your precise location.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi ! I received a ticket for parking in a “no standing zone” however, i parked right after the pole where the no standing zone ended. The pole i parked right after actually had no sign on it, but it being a pole that clearly used to have a sign on it, i parked there thinking i was in the clear, since there were no signs throughout the rest of the block that indicated that i could not park there. Was I right in thinking i was in the clear? i also read online that a no standing sign usually ends at the next pole on the street, so i parked AFTER the pole with the missing sign on it. I asked 3 different people on the block that day after i parked and they all said i was in the clear. I thought they would know since they live in the area.
Lee,
My friend and parking ticket expert Lawrence Berezin answered a similar question a few weeks ago on this thread. Below is his response.
“[T]he rules allow one parking sign located anywhere on the block to be sufficient to inform the driving public of a parking rule regulating a parking space.
This is another example of the absurdity of many of the arcane parking rules.
Parenthetically, the parking rule displayed on a parking sign regulates all parking spaces in the direction of the arrow on the sign until the next parking sign in the direction of the arrow, or if none, the end of the block.
I’ve beaten a a fair number of cases when the parking sign is not visible. It is easier to prove ‘invisibility’ when the parking sign is hidden by a tree branch. Distance never wins, sometimes height will.
I suggest you check the front of your parking ticket for a omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required element.”
Hello!
I received a parking ticket for parking 5 feet away from a fire hydrant (which I do not believe is true). Prior to receiving this ticket, I had been parked at this spot for an entire week without being ticketed. Also, the expiration date on my ticket for my registration is listed wrong. It says 06/12 when it is in fact 06/13. And, there is a “N/S” listed under the Year portion of the make of my car. Are any of these considered to be defective? I also took pictures of where I parked as well for when I plan on appealing. (Also, what does NS mean under the CD portion). Thanks in advance for your help!
Erica, I passed your question along to parking ticket guru Lawrence Berezin of NewYorkParkingTicket.com. He replies as follows: “If your car was registered in NY and the expiration date refers to your registration, you may be able to beat this parking ticket. If vehicle is registered out-of-state, it is dismissible if the plate has those little decals signifying month and date of registration expiration.”
Hello…
I received a $165.00 ticket for “blocking a pedestrian ramp.” I have photos that prove I was not blocking the ramp, but I was found guilty because my photo didn’t show the street sign of my block. I’m appealing and showing more photos with the street sign but my car isn’t in the photo with the street sign. I have witnesses that will sign a statement and appear to testify that I didn’t move the car when I took the photos showing I was not blocking the ramp. Do I have a case?
Dolores,
Sadly, you will probably lose your appeal. Generally, on appeal, new evidence isn’t considered. You were required to present all of your evidence during your trial. With that said, please don’t let me from discourage you from trying.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Matthew,
on, 1/2/13, I woke up to a parking ticket on my for an expired inspection sticker. My inspection expired on 12/31/12. I received (a handwritten) ticket on 1/2/13 but the date of the offense on the ticket states it was issued on 1/1/13 at 8:50 am. I want to fight the ticket because my car was not parked on the street nor at the stated place of occurrence on 1/1/13. It was (admittedly) parked on the street at the stated date of occurrence on 1/2/13 at 8:50 am…lol.. Ironically, I got my car inspected on 1/2/13.
Do you think I can or should fight this ticket?
Thanks,
Cherelyn
Cherelyn,
Yes, you can fight it. You will have to prove through evidence that it was issued on the wrong date.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Received a parking ticket for parking during cleaning hours. However, the ticket shows only the first 3 symbols of the car’s license plate, which is a standard one with all 6 symbols. No expiration date is shown either on the ticket.
Will this license plate error serve as a ground for an automatic dismissal? The car is registered in NJ, not in NYS.
Thank you very much!
Gene,
This may be a winner! Give it a shot and raise these arguments as well as any others that you have.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hello Matthew,
Got a parking ticket while I was getting into the car. My butt was on the seat, but the traffic cop was writing the ticket at the time. I had control of the vehicle and occupied it before he finished the ticket. Can I argue what time it was? He did not notify me that I was being ticketed, despite the fact that I was actually in violation at the time.
Thanks!
Rudy,
You didn’t write what type of ticket that you received but, for many types of parking tickets, it is illegal to park, stand or stop even if you’re still seated in your car.
Matthew Weiss
Got it. It was No Parking for Street Cleaning.
Rudy,
You can stop in a “no parking” area but only to briefly pick up or drop off. If you were seen there for more than a brief stop (and/or without dropping off or picking up), then you do not have a good defense to this ticket (based on the information furnished).
Matthew Weiss
Hello, so I received a ticket for being parked in a bus lane but my car was within more than enough clearance of the bus sign . I took pictures to prove this. In addition I noticed that the expiration date and date/time first observed is missing. Would any of these help me fight this ticket? Thank you in advance!
Krissy,
Unfortunately, none of these items render your ticket fatally defective. With regard to the bus stop, it is 40 to 45 feet in length so there is a good chance you were still within it.
Below is parking ticket guru Lawrence Berezin’s take on parking tickets issued in a bus stop:
You can beat a bus stop ticket if you are dropping off or picking up a passenger.
Don’t expect to find a yellow curb to indicate a bus stop zone. That would be too easy
The parking signs on the block hold the secret to the length of a bus stop zone. There must be at least one official NYC parking sign that designates the beginning of a bus stop zone, with an arrow indicating the direction(s) of the bus stop zone.
There does not have to be a second bus stop sign to indicate the end of the bus stop zone. If there is not a second parking sign anywhere on the block in the direction of the arrow(s) on the bus stop sign, the bus stop zone ends at the corner.
The bus stop sign regulates the portion of the block in the direction of the arrow until the next NYC parking sign. The bus stop zone ends at the next NYC parking sign.
If the one official bus stop sign has arrows pointing in both directions, then the bus stop zone goes in both directions until you reach another NYC parking sign or the end of the block.
I hope this information helps.
Matthew Weiss
What if all of the information on the ticket is correct, except for the State? The ticket says “AK” for the state, but it should be “KS”.
Thanks!
Ryan
Ryan,
That might work. Plead not guilty and send a copy of your registration showing that the state of registration is incorrect.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hello, so here is my situation. Im sure its very common but since im a new comercial driver im still learning the rules and regulations of parking and traffic in nyc for commercial vehicles.. i was unloading in a no standing zone because of the convinience which was a mistake of mine. But this is my first ticket and another thing he gave me the ticket without any warning and then walked over to the other vehicles in the same no.standing zone and gave them warnings and didnt issue them a ticket and walked away.. can i fight this ticket and say he was being selective or i feel like he was being descriminating.. i took a picture of the car in front of me with him walking away. Is it worth fighting this ticket? Thanx in advance.
Gloria
Gloria,
You can fight this ticket but I don’t like your “I was discriminated” argument. Rather, if you can prove that you were only expeditiously un-loading, then you are allowed to “stand”.
Matthew Weiss
Hello. So I received a handwritten parking ticket in Yonkers, NY for an expired inpection sticker on my NYS registered vehicle while parked in a shopping center. Upon reviewing the ticket, I noticed that the police officer failed to fill out the caption where it asks for the actual expiration date of the inspection sticker. Also, he filled in the VIN#, but did so incorrectly. He did fill in my plate # correctly though. Do you think I have a shot of it being dismissed?
Vinnie,
Yes, give it a shot. You may get a dismissal here. Make sure you attach a copy of the registration showing the expiration date and the discrepancy in the VIN.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matt,
I am a brand new NYC driver (less than a month) and received 3 parking tickets over the course of one weekend, which I was out of town during. They are all for parking near a fire hydrant, but each of the tickets displays a different amt of feet from the hydrant (3 ft, 8ft, and 11ft). Also, two of the tickets display the location as: 309 E 90th whereas the other says 308 E 90th. And two of the tickets were written within 4 hours of each other! (2:14am and then 6:56am). I plan to go in-person to fight these and hope I can get them reduced in some way, but I am not sure how to set up my defense. Any help would be very much appreciated.
-Vanessa
Vanessa,
I am sorry to hear about your misfortune. I didn’t read anything that was helpful other than two of the tickets were issued relatively close in time. Plead not guilty and argue that one of these should be dismissed as redundant.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
I’ve rcv’d a ticket for a non seatbelt violation. In looking it over the officer filled out the ticket without entering my registration expiration. He had my registration in his hand, and he entered all the other fields, do you think I could win a not guilty plea?
Paula,
Assuming a “non seatbelt violation” means that you weren’t wearing your seat belt, then omitted registration expiration is not a fatal defective to the charge and, therefore, will not be enough for you to get a dismissal.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
This my issue, I parked my commercial truck on the street at 7am. Signs posted say street cleaning 8:30am-9am and meter parking from 9am-7 pm. I came to move my truck at 8:30am and find that construction has begun and they taped up all signs and put up “no standing all times”, while I was inside working. The ticket time says 8:08am..what can I do, they literally changed signs on me?
Lu,
You should plead not guilty and fight this ticket. Explain what happened and include the photographs that you hopefully took.
Matthew Weiss
Received a ticket today for no parking 8-6 M-F. There are three spots in between the two no parking signs – I was clearly parked legally with two other cars. How do I fight this ticket and prove I was legally parked? Isn’t it my word against theirs?
Jane, you should take photographs showing your vehicle was legally parked, the nearest street signs and the street address of the building of which you were park in front. If you cannot capture it all in one photo, then you need to take a series of connecting photos showing same.
Matthew Weiss
I received a ticked for parking in a “No Standing Bus Stop” on a Saturday night through Sunday morning. I have parked in this spot for years on weekends without ever getting a ticket. But I found out that the sign that allows weekend parking was down when I received the ticket. Now it is now back up again and people are parking on weekends without getting ticketed. Will I be able to have my ticket dismissed?
Alex,
You have a great defense. Take photos and send them in with your argument about the downed sign.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi. I received a handwritten parking ticket with the following defects -
1- Date was written as 1/23/12 instead of 1/23/13.
2- State was left blank.
Does the plate designation requirement under VTL sec. 238 inlude identification of the State or just plate number. Also, is the description of the body type satisfied by the officer simply checking off sedan or must it also state 2d or 4d like in the printed tickets.
Thanks.
Thank you.
Jennifer,
These mistakes are good. Fight this ticket.
The ticket, however, does not need the 2d or 4d.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew
Thank you for your very informative site! My ticket says that my registration expiration date is 06/13/13 but the registration actually expired on the last day of the month (06/31/13). Would the officer’s dyslexic notation of the date suffice to have the ticket dropped?
Thanks,
Priya
Priya,
Thanks for your kind praise. Yes, you should win this ticket. Explain it in a letter and attach a copy of your registration information (including expiration date).
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I received a parking ticket this summer for suposidly parking with in fifteen feet of a hydrant. The ticket clearly said FIVE feet ( defcetive ticket?). I took pictures that clearly shows the car as being very close to 15 feet. I did not have a tape measure with me to measure the exact distance , but the photos showing the standard size of sideway cement squares( 4 feet by four feet ) clearly indicates that the car was very close if not more than 15 feet. As I am from Montreal, I pleaded not guilty and provided all my evidence by mail. The verdict came back as guilty because I could not proove the exact location of the car. I appealed by mail , showing a blow up of one picture that clearly showed the adddress of where the car was parked. I have no clue what else I could have done to prove my point! Was the onus on me or the trafic officer to proove that my car was closer than 15 feet ?
The verdict is in and now I have to decide wether to pay or not to pay. Being from another country, I do not think I am going to jail over this one. I would appreciate your comments.
Richard,
I’m sorry that you lost. You write that your car was “close to 15 feet” away but that does not exonerate you. You must be more than 15 feet away. You have to decide if you want to appeal, but (to me) it doesn’t sound like it is worth appealing.
Matthew Weiss
I have the following defects on a handwritten parking ticket. It saids the color of my car is beige but my car is actually silver. Plus the letters of my plate is FTM but it looks like F7M. Someone said it doesn’t matter how it looks on my copy as long as it is correct on his copy. Thank you for the informative site and I appreciate the help.
Shida,
My advice would be to plead not guilty and raise this arguments. You have nothing to lose by fighting it.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Today I received a ticket for disobeying a right turn sign. There is a sign at the corner of the street that allows cars to make right turns at the red signal. Apparently the sign that was in place was modified in such that now it does not allow cars to make right turns in the hours of 8am-4pm during school hours. I was not able to see the sign because the MTA bus was also at the corner picking up passengers therefore the motorists was not able to see the sign. The police officer stopped 3 of us and we all had the same excuse. He gave us a ticket and told us to plead not guilty with our explanation.
I had planned to plead not guilty because the bus was obstructing the sign. After reviewing the ticket the officer put the wrong date of offense, vehicle type and color of my car. Would the judge use this as grounds for dismissal?
David,
Those errors (most especially the wrong date of offense) may help you beat this charge. If you have any proof that confirms that the officer wrote the wrong date of evidence, bring it!
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
they’re cleaning the street this morning so i double park on the other side of the road like everybody else but i ended up getting a ticket for it. i hope i can get out of this ticket. i have a mercedes but on the make they wrote mebe .. could i get out of this ticket or no?
Kayla,
You can try but I don’t think that this error will be enough to beat this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hi there- thanks for this amazing resource!
I parked directly under a street sweeping sign (with arrows in both directions, neither of them “stickered over”) on a friday evening, and came out saturday morning to find a ticket claiming I was parked in a “no parking except sundays” zone. there is indeed a second sign that says that, but it’s about 30 feet farther down the road than where I was parked, and the pictures I took show my car clearly right next to the street sweeping sign indicating I was clear in both directions. Can I fight this, or does the “except sundays” sign from 30 feet farther down supercede the one i parked right under?
Brendan,
You can try to fight it. Take photos showing your location (including the nearby address of a store or building), the sign and the 30-feet away sign. The photos (when placed together) must show the street without any gaps. Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I recieved 2 tickets for improperly displayed license plate. My car was involved in an accident. My vehicle was parked and someone backed into my car breaking off the license plate and bracket. I placed the license plate on the dash until the insurance fixes the damage. I have a police report stating the same thing and Ive also submitted it as evidence. I disputed the ticket but it was “not a valid defense” according to the judge. I have 30days to appeal. What should I do?
John,
You can appeal but I don’t think your prospects are success are very high. Even though the damage wasn’t your fault, you have an obligation to fix your equipment issues promptly and it is illegal to drive around without properly displaying your license plates.
Matthew Weiss
I was reading your blog and came across ‘Any parking ticket issued in New York State (but outside New York City) must include the following seven pieces of information.’ Do these 7 pieces of information not matter if the ticket is in NYC?
Anita,
I think that these 7 items are important throughout New York State (but particularly in New York City). If your ticket has any of these items wrong or omitted, then you certainly should argue them in defense of the ticket.
Matthew Weiss
I received a parking ticket for failure to display inspection sticker. I became a NYC resident about a month ago and still have a valid NJ inspection
The DMV website says that my NJ sticker should still be valid for 1 year. Can I fight this ticket?
Matt,
It sounds like you have a good defense if your registration and plates are from New Jersey. I think you should try (although I do not make any prediction about your success chances).
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
My car was parked on the main intersection where you have to move it by 7:00 am. I know that you have a five minute grace period to move the car. I was in my car by 7:06 but the ticket I got was also timed 7:06. Is there any way I can fight this ticket? I’m a student and 115 is a really big amount to me.
Shanza,
Unfortunately, you only get a 5-minute grace period.
Matthew Weiss
I had pulled over at a hydrant as it was the only place available to clean the vomit from my childs jacket and floor. I was about a foot or two away from the hydrant. As I was reaching back and bending over to clean the floor I turned back up and noticed the traffic agent scanning my registation sticker. I told him that I am leaving but he stood in front of my car and wrote me a summons for fire hydrant 0 feet. My car is small and I did not even have to take my seat belt off to reach over and clean the mess up. He said “TOO LATE”, I wrote the ticket. I noticed he also wrote on the ticket in the comment section”no driver”. In broad daylight on top of this. This is wrong. How can I fight this wrong $115.00 ticket.
Dear Silvy,
What a shame! Sorry about your parking ticket pain.
A defense to a fire hydrant violation is that you remained seated behind the wheel ready to move upon request to do so. If I understand your comment correctly, you did, in fact, remain seated behind the wheel, the keys were in the ignition, and you simply reached back to clean the floor.
The difficulty here is presenting the proper proof. The first step is to check out the front of the parking ticket for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. If none, check out the comments portion of the parking ticket. Did the parking ticket warrior enter a comment? If so, please reply and let us know the comment/ or that there wasn’t a comment.
Looking forward to your reply.
Best,
Larry
Thank You Larry for answering. It was hectic pulling over and cleaning up the mess. And I do recall him saying “TOO LATE”. The only thing I can assume is that he did not see me while I was bending to the right and cleaning the floor. When I turned back and up he was already scanning my registration. In his comment section he wrote “NO DRIVER”. This is wrong. Very wrong.
I also noticed on the ticket next to the plate, CD and he wrote 5 . What does this stand for? And he did not write in anything for date/time observed(N/A).
Yes, My friend told me CD is for community district and that is incorrect, he wrote 5. The Community District this was on which is also mine is 7.
I parked my car where everyday there is a car parking there and myself parked a few times as well, but I received a parking ticket for “6 feet from hydrant” in June last year. I took a picture of my car parking at the same place again without getting a ticket and other parked cars as well. But I lost the hearing – the judgement stated that location and cars in the pictures were unidentified (which was totally untrue, streets name were clearly shown in the pictures as well as cars) and past violation without being caught does not legalize repeated wrong doing. Just after the hearing, I moved to Houston permanently due to job transfer and turned in my NY plate as well. Of course, I filed an appeal pointing out all the facts again , plus that “Place of Occurrence” on the ticket actually was wrong and invalid which I just newly realized that . However the appeal also failed. I chose not to pay the ticket because I believe it is wrong and invalid, and I am a TX resident with TX plate and license now only. Two weeks ago I received notice from a collection agency about the ticket fine I owed to NYC. Penalty and interest have applied which makes totals balance $177 from the original $115.
I don’t know what to do. Could you tell me if I should and how/where to continue fighting the ticket?? Thank you so much!
Sue,
At this point, I recommend that you just pay the ticket rather than incurring additional charges.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks Mr. Weiss. So in your opinion, there is no other way or options but to pay the ticket under the circumstances?
Sue,
That is the only realistic option. A further appeal would be costly and time-consuming.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks again – last question – what will happen to me if I don’t pay it (I live in TX now and have surrendered my NY plate and license)? Any real damage or serious trouble?
Sue,
Your credit rating could be impaired and, technically, the City could try and enforce the judgment in Texas (although this is unlikely).
Matthew Weiss
Hello: A few days ago I got a ticket on 28th Street in New York City for ‘No Standing Com Mtr Zone (1)(3)(ii)’. I literally got out of the car for two minutes because I was dropping my grandmother off in my cousins car. His car was only 1 car behind me and this NYPD towing truck comes out of nowhere and writes up a ticket and starts towing my car right away. It was like they were watching me the entire time and waiting for me to step away. I also had my puppy in the car and she still towed the car! I honestly only step away for a minute or two the most because I’m aware thats a commercial zone. Luckily I was coming back to my car and I noticed her driving off and I ran to her and told her to stop. She stopped and called her supervisor so they released my car there and gave me a release agreement and told me to pay $100 within 30 Days or my license will be suspended. I need to know how I can fight this because I have 2 tickets, $115 and $100, and on top of that I’m not working right now. Please advise. Thanks a lot.
Kevin,
Leaving your car for only 2 minutes does not furnish a viable defense to a “no standing” ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hello Matthew,
Let me first thank you for the wonderful service, it is greatly appreciated.
The other week I received an alternate side ticket on my girlfriend’s car. The car is registered in Alabama and has a custom plate with a “-” symbol. The car complies fully with Alabama state laws but does not have any registration sticker or any sticker for that matter on the windshield or plate. There is a factory VIN number clearly displayed though.
The ticket I received has the plate spelled without the “-”, N/S permit displayed, N/A Permit #, N/A type, NS CD, N/S Exp Date, AL state, PAS Plate Type, correct make, correct color, N/S year, 2DSD Body Type (car is a roadster), No VIN#…
I hope that there is enough lacking here to have it dismissed, but some advice would be much appreciated especially on how to word such a request for dismissal.
Thank you for your time!
Yakov,
Thanks for your kind remarks. None of these omissions render the ticket fatally defective. Read my post entitled “NYC Parking Ticket Checklist” for a complete list of required elements.
Matthew Weiss
i was given a ticket for a no front license plate displayed in yonkers, i lived in connecticut. my front license plate was stolen.is there a way i can waive the ticket?
Nadia,
The fact that it was stolen may help but the effort may not be worth it. This is a 0-point ticket that will not affect your insurance rates.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
So I have a specific question about the body type of the vechile. My car is registered in MA and on the registration, the body type is “Hatch”. Does NY state have a seperate body type category for hatchbacks? I would fight the ticket if NY does, since the officer used 4 door sedan as the body type. Thank you.
Best,
John
John,
No, NYC doesn’t have a separate classification for “hatch backs”.
Matthew Weiss
Hi. I got a parking ticket this morning at 7:20 AM and then was towed at 8:50 AM. I parked last night on W. 77th Street between Amsterdam and Columbus. I was parked behind a post with two signs. One said No Parking 7 AM-4PM on school days with one arrow pointing forward. To reiterate, I was behind this sign and the arrow for this sign was pointing in the opposite direction of where I was parked. Another sign underneath this sign said No Parking 11 AM to 1230 PM Tues & Friday and had a double-sided arrow pointing both away and towards my car. I went out to move my car a little before 11 AM this morning, only to find it was towed. I double checked the sign I was parked behind to make sure I had read it correctly and I took a picture of it. Then when I was walking back down the street I noticed another sign about 40 feet behind where I was parked with a “No Parking School Days 7 AM- 4 PM” with an arrow pointing forward in the direction of where my car was parked. This sign indicates that I may have been parked illegally but the sign I was parked closest to did not indicate that that was the case. I cannot find anything online that explains whether I am at fault for correctly following the sign nearest my vehicle but not the one 30 feet behind it. And I also believe that these signs do not make sense. The sign in front of my vehicle should have been double arrowed, indicating that everything behind it and in front of it was a “No Parking on School Days 7 AM-4 PM Zone,” shouldn’t it have? Thanks for any help with this.
I’m hoping that someone can make some recommendations. I received a ticket in my mail today stating that it is the second notice regarding a parking ticket a month ago. I was visiting my daughter in the city at the time, however my car was parked on a street in a different neighborhood about 1 mile away for the location they claimed I parked.
Nor did I ever drive my car down that street EVER. My car was parked on a street that didn’t require any payment, so how do I prove that they have made a mistake? I never received the first ticket because I was never illegally parked. I will fight this, but my concern is how do I prove it?
And why would they have run my plates in the first place? When I was legally parked the whole time? (I’ve been parking in my daughters neighborhood for years so i am familiar with the rules and regulations).
Any advice?
Thank you!
Chris,
Good morning.
I feel real badly about your parking ticket pain.
I feel worse that trying to apply common sense out to the NYC parking rules is an exercise in futility.
A NYC parking sign regulates the curb space in the direction of the arrow (s) on the bottom of the parking sign; until the next parking sign in the direction of the arrow, or the end of the block. The harsh reality is that there may be one parking sign on a city block more than 100 yards from your parking space. But, if the arrow on the sign points to your car, and there are no other intervening parking signs, your car is toast.
I am sorry to report that the unjust ticket was deserved.
I suggest you check the front of your parking ticket for mistakes (follow the diagram at the top of the page to find “required elements”). If no mistakes, you may wish to pay the fine before penalties begin to accrue on the 31st day.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Kim,
Good morning.
As you very correctly observed, proving a negative is next to impossible. You may wish to:
1. Examine the front of your parking ticket for mistakes (see above diagram).
2. Check to see whether the rule you were charged with violating, actually is the rule displayed on the parking sign that regulates the phoney place of occurrence the warrior entered on your parking ticket. One way to check is by using the DOT parking regulations map. Here’s a link to a link on my website that you can follow. First, click on this link…http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/resource-links/
When you land, click on the large, red button that says DOT Map.
When you land, click on the tiny box next to “parking regulations.” Then scroll down and enter the scam street address and borough.
The map with little red flags will magically appear. Click on the little red flags on both sides of the address where you “parked” to learn the parking regulations. If the arrow on the signs point to your phoney parking space…Check out the rule to see if it matches the rule entered on your parking ticket.
For example, if the rule displayed on the parking sign is NO STANDING, and the rule entered by the rogue parking ticket warrior does not match, you win because it is a misdescribed required element.
I am sorry to report, you were scammed by one of the well-known NYC parking ticket scams.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Thanks for your quick reply Larry. I did go to the street and address they listed. All seems aligned with what they wrote in the letter (other than the car actually ever being there!). So I suppose they have succeeded in scamming me and I need to pay the ticket even though the car was never there. I’m wondering if you have any recommendations on reporting this scam? I was going to call 411, but wasn’t sure if you have any other thoughts on how to report the police for scamming me? Many thanks for taking the time to have this site and make suggestions.
Kind regards,
Kim
Hello,
I received a $115 ticket for parking in a No Standing zone. I was very close to just paying the ticket when I noticed that the body type on the ticket says 4DSD when my car is clearly a 2 door coupe. 2dr is also on my registration as well. Do you think this mistake would be enough to get the ticket dismissed? Oh and in addition the violation on the ticket states: No Standing, “All Days”, where as the actual street sign said No Standing “School Days”. I took a photo of the sign before I left.
Ron,
I think you should fight this ticket and raise both arguments. You got a good shot here.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Good morning,
I received a parking ticket this morning for “parking in a bus stop” however only the front 1.5 ft. of my car was past the No standing/ No parking sign. Is there a good defense for this?
Evan Sullivan,
You can try but I don’t think you’ll win.
Matthew Weiss
Kim,
It really pains me when a member of the NYC driving community gets scammed.
The parking ticket warriors are supervised by the police. You may wish to visit the police precinct in which the warrior issued the ticket, and make a complaint with internal affairs. I am sorry to report, that your complaint may not carry much weight because:
1. I’m not sure how much the police really care about supervising the parking ticket warriors
2. You don’t have proof to support your complaint
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Thanks for your insight AND this site! I’m so glad I came across it…just wish I had come across it before I got the scare of my life from the incident below. =)
I received a ticket AND my car was towed for parking too close to a hydrant. Admittedly, I didn’t know that the distance was supposed to be so great or I wouldn’t have even THOUGHT of parking there. A former friend of mine is a cop AND I’d seen her count out steps less than 15 ft several times before. BUT that was also a more than a few years ago. Maybe the rules have changed? I was gone for less than 30 mins bc when I got out of the car it was 2:05 and I was back by the early part of 2:30. I was going to just pay the ticket but realized they listed the place of occurrence as “opposite” an address that is incorrect. I don’t even think that address exists (I tried looking it up on google maps but it wouldn’t come up). Possibly a typo but, considering the place of occurrence is listed incorrectly, can the ticket be deemed defective? Also, on a more technical note – and really just for clarification – the ticket was documented Time of Offense 2:12pm and my car was towed at 2:22pm. If the driver isn’t present (in the vehicle or w/in sight) and the “ticket warrior” didn’t actually witness it occurring (as they tend to do) shouldn’t the date/time information for a ticket like this be listed under the “1st Observed” section?
Janel,
If the place of occurrence is wrong, then you may win. You’ll need photos and print outs of your Google Map searches to prove to the parking judge that this location doesn’t exist.
In terms of the date/time issue, this does not sound like a persuasive argument.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Thank you Mr Weiss!! In respect to the date/time issue, I was just asking for my own “education”, so to speak, and not for arguments sake. =) I will go ahead and send in my statement.
I received two tickets for parking in front of a pedestrian ramp. On one ticket, the address seems to correctly read #3980, but could be misread as #3780. On the second ticket, the address is clearly written as #3780, as though mis-copied from the first. There is no such address as 3780 on this street. The second ticket is clearly defensible because of the defective address, but both tickets are also defensible under the T-intersection rule at pedestrian ramps. Should I submit the second ticket separately, by mail or online perhaps, under the defective ticket defense? Or should I defend both in person under the T-intersection defense while also noting the defective second ticket?
Nathan,
I would defend them separately.
BTW, what is the “T-intersection rule”. Thanks
Matthew Weiss
It’s an amendment to the Pedestrian Ramp Rule that happened in 2008. It says it is “no longer a violation to park in front of a pedestrian ramp located in the long street of a T intersection with an unmarked crosswalk, and no traffic control device to regulate the flow of traffic.” (according to the slide presentation by L. Berezin)
I ended up getting both tickets dismissed because of the defective address, which I’m pleased about, although out of principle I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to defend them on the grounds of not being illegal. Of course, the next time I try to park there the whole situation is set to repeat itself!
Nathan,
Congratulations! I always say “A win is a win”. Take it anyway you can (and run).
Thanks for updating us.
Matthew Weiss
“The New York City Traffic rules allow parking at some “T” intersections—those without traffic signals, all-way stop signs or crosswalk markings—even if there is a curb cut at that location.” —http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/motorist/prkintro.shtml
Applicable rule is Sec. 4-08 (f)(7), “Pedestrian ramps,” as defined in Sec. 4-01 (b), “Unmarked crosswalk”.
Hey Matthew,
I just got a ticket (and was towed), but don’t know if I can contest it based on the following. I don’t even know if I’m able to contest them both (ticket & towing), or just one. Would you be able to tell me if any of these are grounds for contesting them?
Situation: I received a ticket for parking “Opposite 62 W 45th St” for “No Standing (c) DAYS/HRS: MON-FRI / 7A – 6P”.
Potential Grounds for Challenging:
1) The Meter # on the ticket is missing.
2) The P/O was across from 70 W 45th St, not 62 W 45th St.
3) There is a one-directonal arrow “No Standing Anytime” sign three car lengths before a parking meter (no sign over it), and another three car lengths after. I parked between the “No Parking Anytime” signs, just after the parking meter, seeing only the unidirectional sign in front of my car pointing away (didn’t see the one before my car except now by google maps). Given that my ticket says “No Standing (c)” not “No Standing Anytime”, would this be grounds for a challenge?
4) There is a different meter a half block back with a triple sign above it reading “No Standing 7AM – 6PM / 6PM – Midnight Mon-Fri Metered Parking / 8AM – Midnight Saturday Metered Parking” with bidirectional arrows. Does this sign apply to the whole block? And would a sign like this negate the “No Standing Anytime” signs following it, or would those take priority? If the “No Standing Anytime” signs take priority because they are closest to my car, again, my violation would be mislabeled. It seems they were able to post these signs down the rest of the block, and on the opposite side several times as well, but not where I was parked.
Your help is immensely appreciated. The parking ticket was $115 and the tow was $185 for an awful total of $300 that I’d like back very much.
Thank you!
Tony,
It sounds like you have some good defenses especially the wrong location. I recommend that you plead not guilty and fight it. Don’t forget to include copies of any proofs to show your defenses.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hey Matthew,
I just received a parking ticket for no standing anytime at a construction site but there is also another sign that states that this street has no parking from 7:30-8am. Also I checked that all the other cars that was also parked on that street did not get a ticket expect for me.
Serena,
Which sign was closer? The closer one generally should govern.
Matthew Weiss
It was the 7:30-8am that was closer. However, there was no other sign that can be seen on the street. I only saw this sign on the street as I parked the car. So I was confused why I was ticketed for a NO STANDING. However, when I walked to the other end of the block there was a sign that was stuck to the building that had overhead covering the sign it was blocked from sight.
Serena,
Take photos of the block signed. Make sure the photos can be placed together (without gaps) connecting the place of your car and the blocked sign. Perhaps that will be enough to get a dismissal. Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Hello Matthew,
I just received a $55 ticket for not displaying my current registration tag on my license plate, although my registration has been paid in full through September of 2013. I know that technically my license plate is not valid without the current registration year sticker on it, but what are my chances of getting the ticket dismissed if I provide the judge proof of current registration and a picture to prove I have now applied the sticker (which was in my glovebox!)? I forgot to mention this ticket was written while the car was parked unattended (legally) on the street in my neighborhood. This also occurred in Wisconsin.
Katie,
Because you were registered at the time, you should plead not guilty. Your proof should be enough for a dismissal (assuming you were charged with un-registered as opposed to failure to display registration).
Matthew Weiss
Hello Matthew,
Thanks for the reply, the ticket itself was for failure to display current registration, as I had forgotten to apply the ’13 sticker on the license plate although it is legally registered. What are your thoughts about being able to get the ticket dismissed if I provide proof that the sticker has now been applied and the registration had been paid in full six months ago?
Katie,
You can try but it sounds like you were, in fact, guilty of this particular charge.
Matthew Weiss
Hello Matthew,
I just received a $115 ticket for “no standing” 10pm-6am . There is two points make me feel like to fight for the ticket,
1. The sign is far away from the spot that I stand, there is already a long line there,so I stopped and walk to see if there is a sign or anything, while I am walking back in a few minutes there is an officer writing me the ticket. I have explain to him nicely but not working.
2. I feel like I was guided by a misleading sign as well. Beside the spot that I stopped, there is a yellow official notice that pasted on the biking rack says “no parking ,your car will be towed by Monday,April.1st 10:00″. I saw the sign then I walk out of the car because that day is Mar.30th.
Jessica,
You cannot park in a “no standing” zone. Further, the sign governs over the temporary yellow notice that was pasted on a bicycle stand.
I unfortunately do not see much of a defense here.
Matthew Weiss
Hi, yesterday I got a ticket for being parked at a No standing zone except for loading and unloading truck but my Ford E250 had a Pennsylvania license plate that labels it as a Truck and I was ticketed for being parked there for over an hour when the limit is 30 minutes tops but no where in the parking sign did it say that. So the ticket was issued as being parked there for over an hour (which I was) but they got the expiration date of my plates wrong, they put exp date 01-13 when it’s really 11-13 so I’m wondering could this get the ticket dismissed? I’m not willing to pay that $95 ticket when they didn’t say there was a 30 minute parking limit at all.
Frank,
You have a shot given the wrote expiration date.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I received 2 tickets for parking too close to a fire hydrant. I was clearly far enough away but the key is that I got the two tickets on separate days without moving my car in between. One ticket says I’m 5 ft from the hydrant and the other says 9ft. That’s a huge differential. The one that says 5ft was issued subsequent to the 9ft one which adds to my case of why would I move the car closer to the hydrant and leave it there? Clearly they aren’t using any sort of measurement device and they’re just eyeing it. Hence the 80% difference in length perceived between the two ticket officers. How can I fight this? I’m going to plead not guilty online.
Thomas R,
I don’t think you’ll beat this ticket based on this significant discrepancy. The law requires that you park 15+ feet away and, in your case, you apparently did not.
Matthew Weiss
Matthew, apply that 80% discrepancy to the 9ft one and then I’m far enough away. I also have a photo of the car parked far enough away. If we’re knocked down how much do you think they’d take off? They’re $115 each…
Thomas,
The NYC Parking Violations Bureau does not “knock down” tickets. It is “all or nothing”.
Good luck fighting them.
Matthew Weiss
Im 9 months pregnant and I just received a double parking ticket as I went to move my car. Street cleaning on my street is 11.30 to 1 pm. At 1pm im heading down the block to move the car and i see a police car near to my double parked car. I tried to get their attention but i couldn’t run and they were in the patrol car. The ticket shows issued at 1.01 pm, can i fight this ticket?. I don’t even drive any more because i cant work, i don’t have this $115.00 to pay this fine.
Kerry Tender,
Because the ticket was issued outside the prohibited time period (11:30 pm to 1:00 pm), you have a chance to beat this ticket. Please not guilty and make this argument. You may want to include a few photos of the sign and stretch of roadway.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Hello!
I have a question regarding the absence of signage. I am parked, and have been parking for a few days now, on an avenue in Brooklyn that has meters (muni-meter), but absolutely NO parking regulation signs posted on the whole block. Is it possible that I may get a ticket if I leave my car parked there for a day without feeding the meter? The only thing that worries me is that on the NEXT block down, the signs say 1hr parking, 8a-4p. But again, since there are no signs whatsoever on the block I’m parking on, wouldn’t my chances fighting a ticket be pretty good?
Dan,
Interesting question. Sounds like you found the only block in NYC without signage. My advice: I wouldn’t take a chance. If you don’t “feed the meter” and get a ticket, you won’t be happy spending time and effort to fight the ticket (especially one that you could lose anyway). It’s much cheaper to just pay the Muni Meter.
Matthew Weiss
I’ve been parking in my neighborhood for a while (20+ years) and parked on First Avenue after 10PM on a Saturday (Should be good till Monday AM). Walking out on Sunday, I find a ticket, $115 No Stopping. Seems the signage was changed on Friday or Saturday in advance of bike lanes coming in the following week. Fight (Web/Mail/Inperson) or Pay.
Fred Seid,
Fight it in person and explain the situation. You should make sure that you mention that you had no notice of the change.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I recieved a parking ticket in NYC sometime in January if this year for failure to move my car for the street cleaning, however I submitted my case online and pleaed not guilty since the body type on my car was incorrect. It said my car was a 2 door and its a four door. So I submitted two pictures of my car showing the doors with the plates and door showing and also my nj registration that states my car is a 4 door car. I received an Email from NYC Department of Finance saying the received my case but its been since 2/20/2013 an d I haven’t gotten a reply. What should be my next step? Thank you
First Class,
You can check the status of the case online. Otherwise, you should continue to just wait for a decision.
Matthew Weiss
Hi
My brother and I parked his car right in front of 11 E 16hth street this Saturday. There’s a sign that says “no parking 8am-6pm Mon thru Friday (single arrow)”. We parked behind that sign (so that the arrow was pointing towards the car) thinking it was safe. When we got back, the car was towed ($185) and we got a ticket for ‘no standing except auth. vehicles’ ($95). What happens in this situation? There were no pictures to take since the car was taken in. There are no defects on the ticket except that they wrote 11 E 16th as the address…but that address spans the ‘no parking 8-6′ and ‘no standing’ sections. All it says in the description on the ticket is ‘police dept vehicles’.
Natasha,
From what you’ve written, I don’t see much of a defense. Sorry.
Matthew Weiss
Hello, I’m from out of state where we are not required to have a front plate or inspection stickers. I’ve gotten I think 9 tickets and have only had to pay one small one. They almost always put the wrong state on the ticket and I’ve always won just by submitting a copy of my registration. I’m from Arkansas (AR) and they almost always put Alaska (AK) which has made every ticket easy to fight, but now I have one I am unsure about. This parking ticket, hand written by a police officer not a traffic cop, is very hard to read, but has some wrong and right information. They got the right state this time, but the wrong body type. Says it’s a suburban, but it’s a pick-up actually. They got my license plate number, but I don’t see the expiration date with it. The cop gave me this ticket at either 1:49 or 4:49 am, his handwritting is really bad here. He filled in ticket code 99 (J)(9) obstructed VIN. Yes there’s a couple old letters I left sitting on my dashboard which are covering the VIN, but this was not my intention. There’s some kind of writting in a section designated for registration and inspection stickers, this part is not legible at all. I can’t really read the officer’s name either.
Based on all of this, can I use any of it in my defense. So far I was mainly thinking of using the body type since my registration does say PK for pick-up. Anything other input would be helpful and appreciated.
Kyle,
It sounds like you have a good defense. Some of these mistakes are fatal to the sufficiency of the ticket.
Plead not guilty and give it a shot!
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
hi,
I got an expired inspection ticket and the ticket ommitted meter # so do i fight? thanks you!
Trisha,
Don’t bother. That is not a required element.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I live in nyc and drive a scooter to go to work… I received a parking ticket today for “NO STD com MTR zone” and for “missing plate”. However I just realized the policeman wrote the INCORRECT VIN number. Can I fight this online and win it? How should I put it down?
thanks
PS: I am sure I am not the only one to say this, but the situation in nyc for bike/scooters is becoming impossible: still NO parking spots and more and more often you get ticket by the VIN number
Renato,
An omitted or incorrect VIN is not a fatal defect. Sorry.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks for your answer Matthew.
Also, I got a very similar ticket where this time the VIN is correct, but the “Make” is wrong and the “year” is missing.. any chance to win this one?
thanks for your help
Renato,
The wrong make and omitted year are important errors. You’ll have a better shot fighting this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hi, my girlfriend received a NY parking ticket. It shows permit displayed as “No”, and is also checked off at code 70 a $65 fine stating Registration Sticker (j)(3) NYS only. She did in fact have here renewed up to date registration sticker in the vehicle at the time of ticket but the expired one was still displayed. Should we bother fighting this one? Is there any chance of it being thrown away, or will they latch on to the expired one being displayed even though she is current on her registration? Also if we were to fight the ticket and lost is there a fee they add on for doing so, or would the fine stay at $65? I guess I’m trying to see if there is any harm in attempting to fight it. But will take you at your word if you say it’s not worth fighting. Sorry for the run on and thank you in advance for timely and helpful response.
Tony
Tony,
There’s no harm to fighting it (although I haven’t read anything in your post that sounds very promising to your cause).
Matthew Weiss
Thank you for the quick response.
A friend of mine said there may be an extra fee incurred for fighting and losing that’s why I asked.
I guess at the very least since you said there is no harm in fighting it, we can hope for a sympathetic or lenient judge. Though I’d assume unlikely with the city always in need of money.
Thank you again for your help, you and your site have been of great service.
Tony
Tony,
You have 30 days from the date of the decision to pay a NYC paring ticket fine. If no payment is received within 30 days, penalties are assessed. Perhaps, your friend was referring to this late payment penalty.
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for parking “no parking 7am-4pm SCHOOL DAYS” at 3:47pm. The ticket says “ALL DAYS 7am-4pm”. Although in the comments section of the ticket it is written school days, I think that the “violation” is in error. Do you think it is a valid claim for dismissal, and is there a code section you can tell me that I should mention in my letter to them (that would say that if it’s not a correct citation then it is invalid)?
Thank you!
Kevin,
Perhaps, you can win on this technicality. Plead not guilty and fight this ticket.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I have challenged this ticket many times on this exact argument and have so far always won. I take a screenshot of the official parking displays from the website quoted below and send it in with this letter.
Good Luck,
_____________
To whom it may concern,
Please dismiss this ticket due to the fact that it is in error. As is shown in the accompanying printouts from the official DOT map (found at the following website: http://nycdot.info/dotmap/), this ticket is defective and is incorrect as to the proper parking regulations. It states that it is a “NO PARKING ALL DAYS” . That is incorrect it is actually a “school zone” and is a NO PARKING 7AM-4PM SCHOOL DAYS”.
As the ticket is defective and cites the wrong citation, I ask you to please dismiss the complaint.
Thank You in advance
…..
Phillip,
Thanks so much for sharing. It was very kind of you to take the time. This should help Kevin with his case.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Phillip: Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I will be sending in all documentation. I have another question for you that maybe you can shed some light on. I got a ticket for No Standing in a Commercial Metered Zone which I’ve researched is very difficult to fight. I was dropping off my elderly aunt while someone was sitting in the back seat of the car. I was walking them to the door of the building which is like 15 feet away from the car. I was gone for literally 90 seconds and I see NYPD tow car hooking up my car and trying to tow it away. I screamed and said I’m right here so they released the car right there telling me to pay $100 but they also wrote a ticket for “No Standing in a Commercial Metered Zone”. I try to stay away from that area but my elderly aunt needed to go there. The tow person was nice enough to release my car right there to me because I told them someone is actually in the car. What can I do? It’s a lot of money and I don’t think I did anything wrong as the definition for “No Standing” allows passenger drop-0ffs. Please let me know what you think. Thanks.
Hi – I have a question. I live in Brooklyn and received 2 tickets for an expired inspection ticket; one ticket from last night and one this morning and we immediately went today after receiving the second ticket to get the inspection, which passed. The kicker is we just bought the vehicle 10 days ago in New Jersey and the expired ticket was there from the previous owner, just got plates yesterday and put them on yesterday and immediately got a ticket that day after we put the plates on. I did a little research and found that because we bought it in another state recently and the registration sticker that we just placed on the car says 4/18/15, which means it was registered 4/18/13 that we have 10 days from registration to get the inspection. We are moving to Chicago in a little over a week. Does this sort of ticket affect my record or insurance? How long do we have to refute the tickets, what should we send when refuting and what are the chances they will just drop these, considering we really do have a case here?
Megan,
The deadline to plead not guilty is written on the ticket. An inspection ticket will not affect your license or insurance (as long as you timely answer and resolve it).
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I recently registered my car in new york state, and foolishly changed the license plates, but neglected to remove the Texas registration sticker and install the New York one. I then immediately left town, and left the car in NYC, under the care of my buddy in Washington Heights. The car recieved 3 tickets for j(3) Reg. Sticker Missing (NYS) within 4 days while parked on the street. Looking at some of the previous posts, I noticed that one of the tickets had nothing in the “comments” section. Is it true that the ticketing agent is required to identify the reason for issuing a ticket for improper registration? Another ticket had only a portion of my VIN number. Are these ‘fightable’ errors on my tickets? Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge.
Bobby,
I’m sorry to report that neither of these “errors” renders your tickets fatally defective.
Matthew Weiss
got a ticket in the mail today for a double parking violation that happened in February. No ticket was ever issued to me or placed on the car. This is the second time i have received something like this in the mail or out of state plates. The first time i went downtown and fought it – I won. What are the rules concerning this, does the violation have to placed on the car? Secondly, I was in the car with my blinkers on for all of the 5 minutes that i popped my trunk open while a suitcase was tossed into the car.
Yaks,
Good afternoon.
Great questions.
My dear friend and colleague, Matthew Weiss, Esquire (you’re host) asked me to share my thoughts are this subject.
It is not legal for the Evil Empire to serve a parking ticket by mail http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com/Blog/bid/33746/Shocking-News-about-Serving-NYC-Parking-Tickets-by-Mail).
The challenge is to persuade a parking ticket judge that the TEA did not serve you personally by either handing you the parking ticket if you were seated behind the wheel of your car (standing alongside does not qualify), or placing the parking ticket on your car. It has been my unfortunate experience that judges do not pay attention to the claim that service of the parking ticket was not proper.
PS…It is illegal for a passenger vehicle to double park in NYC. However, there is a minority view that I support that believes you can double park while your passenger is actively entering or exiting your car. Waiting (even with blinkers on) is always illegal.
I received a parking ticket in the mail for $115.00. The ticket read failure to make a right turn from a bus lane in Manhattan 96th street and below. I did not know I was not allowed in the bus lane only to make a right turn. The car in front of me was making a left turn therefore, I used the bus lane to go around it. Please advise. Any information would be helpful. Thank you.
Belinda Salaman,
You haven’t written anything that sounds promising to your defense. If you have nothing further to argue, then I don’t think it is worth fighting. The bus lanes in NYC are all generally marked with signs and pavement markings. Go check your location and make sure it was clearly marked. If not, take some photos as this would be a good defense.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I really hope you can give me some insight. I got a ticket a month ago for parking in a fire zone.
I was picking up packages from macy’s and they had a customer pick up behind their building that apparently was a fire zone with faded yellow lines that I didnt see. The ticket says the cop saw me go in at 6;52 and he wrote me the ticket at 7;03 but i came out 7;10 because i wasnt done getting my packages bc no one was helping me for the longest time. I sent them a copy of my receipt and a picture of the faded lines. i sent it about two weeks ago, what should i expect?
Raerae,
Unless the fire zone lines were super faded (and otherwise not marked), I don’t think you’re going to win this case. Sorry.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I received a parking ticket in the city for having a muni-receipt face down. The comments on the ticket state “No Summons Visible / no permit / receipt faced down.” The violation however states “No Pkg street cleaning (d) (1) DAYS/HRS: EXCEPT Su/9A-7P.” My problem with this ticket is that an incorrect violation is stated. The street cleaning rule only applies on Tuesday and Friday morning from 9A-10:30A and I parked on that street on Monday morning from 9A-10A. Could/should I fight this ticket? Thank you.
Peter,
Yes! You should win this one. Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I received a ticket for “crosswalk” violation in unmarked crosswalk intersection (no stop signs, traffic lights at intersection). Is there any way to fight this ticket? Also, they wrote vehicle color as bk ( whereas it’s blue).
Thank you in advance, Bette
Bette,
The wrong car color does not render the ticket fatally defective. You can submit photographs to show that there was no marked crosswalk. This may help you win but I don’t have enough information to form an opinion.
Matthew Weiss
Hi I got a ticket for parking at a crosswalk today but my car was within the crosswalk lines. I’m not sure how to fight this please advise. Thank you.
Kevin,
To fight a parking ticket, you must plead not guilty. Follow the instructions for plead not guilty on the back of the ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Yes I know that but what will be my defense to get it dismissed. I was within the crosswalk and it was not obstructing any traffic or people. Please advise.
Kevin,
From what you have written, I don’t see a defense. You cannot legally park within a crosswalk (whether it’s marked or un-marked).
By the way, under NYC Highway and Traffic Rule 4-01, an “un-marked crosswalk” is defined as:
“That part of a roadway, other than a marked crosswalk, which is included within the extensions of the sidewalk lines between opposite sides of the roadway at an intersection, provided that (A) the roadway crosses through the intersection rather than ending at the intersection, and/or (B) all traffic on the opposing roadway is controlled by a traffic control device.”
Matthew Weiss
Hi, It’s my fault I didn’t explain clearly. Basically 10 minutes prior to my car stopping I noticed my gas level decreasing very quickly. My car turned off due to mechanical failure. Luckily there was a mechanic 1 block away from where I got stuck. I was double parked so their employees helped me move the car to a corner spot because their lot is small and could not take my car in at that point. The spot we moved it to was not obstructing traffic at all. Only 1 inch of the bumper was over the first line and that’s why I think they wrote the ticket but it was not obstructing/blocking traffic or pedestrians at all. The mechanic was going back and forth to check the car and he said the fuel pump malfunctioned causing my car to shut down. I spent $500 to fix it! But my cost of fixing has nothing to do with. I just want to know how I can fight this ticket because I was not blocking traffic or people. Thank you.
Kevin,
You have have success fighting this ticket by proving that the car mechanically broke down. You’ll need proofs, of course.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Ok that’s good to hear. What proof can I submit? I only have like a small handwritten receipt from them stating fuel pump failure. Will that be enough or do I need written statements notarized to fight this? Let me know please. Thanks.
Kevin,
Submit what you have (and/or can get). The stronger your defense, the better.
Matthew Weiss
Hello, i received a ticket today while i was going to make change and get a print out at the muni-meter as i came back to my car , there was a ticket placed on my windshield.the time difference between the ticket and the muni-meter print out is 4 minutes is their a way i can beat this ticket? is there an allotted grace period?
Joey,
Yes! You get a 5-minute grace period. Plead not guilty and make sure you send in the muni meter receipt with your not guilty explanation.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
THANK YOU!!!
Hi, I recently received a parking ticket with one of the letters of my license plate incorrect. Do I have to please not guilty or can I just ignore the ticket altogether?
Thanks!
Rebecca,
You should plead not guilty and submit your defense. The wrong license plate is a good defense. Attached a copy of your registration showing the error.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi, first time here. What a wonderful site! May God pay you back for saving the $$ of all of us – hardworking Loyal citizens!
I live in NYC. I recently picked up my newly leases Buick Enclave from a “New Jersey” Buick Dealership. The vehicle will be registered to my NYC address.
The dealer has issued me a “New Jersey 20 Day Temporary Plates for Out of the State Residents” until I receive my NYS Registration (there was an error in the registration submission so its gonna take longer to receive my registration so he had to issue me 2 more of the above mentioned 20 day Temp plates).
I already received 5 NYC Parking Violations (Yea.. Welcome to NYC..) on my new car with the new jersey temp plates – 3 for Alternate Side Cleaning, 1 for No Standing-Bus Stop and 1 for No Standing -Authorized (doctors) Vehicles only.
First question, which I’m almost sure on the answer but I will ask anyway… Do I have to pay NYC Parking violations on a New Jersey Temporary Plates?
If I do, I found the following discrepancies on the tickets:
Alternate Side Parking Ticket #1: everything correct (Errrr..) except for:
1. Plates Expiration Date which he wrote N/A (Not Available) when in fact there is a clear expiration date on the Temp Plates
2. Year: N/S (Not Shown) when in fact it clearly states the year on the temp plates
Alternate Side Parking Ticket #2:
1. Expiration Date: N/A (when in fact there is one)
2. Plate Type: PAS (when in fact it’s TMP for Temporary)
3. Year: N/S (Not Shown) when in fact it clearly states the year on the temp plates
4. Left the VIN# Section Empty (which might be needed at a temp plate)
Alternate Side Parking Ticket #3 (same errors as on #2):
1. Expiration Date: N/A (when in fact there is one)
2. Plate Type: PAS (when in fact it’s TMP for Temporary)
3. Year: N/S (Not Shown) when in fact it clearly states the year on the temp plates
4. Left the VIN# Section Empty (which might be needed at a temp plate)
No Standing-Authorized (Doctors) Vehicles only Violation:
1. Expiration Date: N/A (when in fact there is one)
2. Plate Type: PAS (when in fact it’s TMP for Temporary)
3. Color: GRY (When in fact its BLK)
4. Year: N/S (Not Shown) when in fact it clearly states the year on the temp plates
5. VIN #: He did write the VIN# but one number is missing (he put a space instead of a number – instead of finishing DJ12741 he finished like this: DJ12 41)
No Standing-Bus Stop Violation:
1. Expiration Date: N/A (when in fact there is one)
2. Year: N/S (Not Shown) when in fact it clearly states the year on the temp plates
3. Left the VIN# Section Empty (which might be needed at a temp plate)
Do I have grounds for dismiss and if so do I just enter my online defense that there are all these errors?
Thanks again!
Asher,
Yes, you do have to answer a NYC parking ticket issued on a NJ temporary registration. In regard to your the 18 points, re-read my article and compare it to your points. The items listed in my post set forth the items that render a NYC parking ticket fatal. If any are omitted or wrong, then you can beat that particular ticket.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Thanks for your response.
Just 2 questions which I couldn’t find the answer in our article or in the posts.
On a NJ Temp (out of the state) Plate, does the traffic agent have to write the VIN # as well?
When he writes at plate type PAS instead of TMP, is this something I work with?
Thanks a lot!
Asher,
The VIN is not a required element for a NYC parking ticket. The wrong vehicle type is important. You might win on this point. Make sure you submit your proof showing this error.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Great blog……Just moved to NYC…in my mailbox yesterday was six bus lane violation tickets…all the same spot on 86th and 1st Ave…(one block from my apt)…I didnt realize I was doing anything wrong. I expect another 10-15 of the same ticket as I am told it takes three or four weeks to get the tickets in the mail…AT 115 dollars a pop we are talking a lot of money…especially for someone who isn’t currently working.
I commited these violations while looking for parking. Almost in every occasion i was parked short term between 85th and 86th on 1st avenue in a meter spot….As I pulled out I was a few car lengths from the corner…I went straight (with the intention of turning right at the next street 88th where parking is a bit easier to find) and thus into a bus lane though it wasnt clear to me that I had to turn right…..once across the street there is a small sign saying buses only…and the street isn’t marked as clearly as I have seen other buses only streets marked in the city….(Until I got the tickets I didn’t even realize I was doing anything wrong as I said). To me justice is more than the law. It is the law plus circumstances. That is why we have judges and not computers making decisions. I am hoping for a partial reduction…..in a three week period I made the same mistake by accident….(The first violation I never even received in the mail…it was a week before any of the others…if I would have gotten that one I would have known to not drive in that lane again….)
I ask you your informed opinion….do I have any defense? any thoughts on what I could do? Would begging help? A clearer buses only lane marked on the street would help make it clear to drivers to not go there……Thanks for reading….
Evan
Evan,
Thanks for your kind remarks. Unfortunately, I haven’t read anything in your post that helps very much. Given the amount of tickets issued at the same location, you should still plead not guilty and appear in-person. Hopefully, your judge with be sympathetic and dismiss a few of the tickets as duplicative.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I received a parking ticket for parking 9 feet from a hydrant. I was directly in front of a sign post for parking. Since then I have seen more than 10 cars parked at the sign post in the exact location without any tickets. Do I have a case for discriminati.
ib,
No, the law is that you cannot park within 15 feet of fire hydrant. The fact that some other motorists have gotten away with it does not help you.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matt,
I was picking up my kids and wife in one end of a block, where half of the block is No Standing (Bus stop) zone, and the other half has legal parking.
The office came over and said I saw her but still decided to stop the car. Me stating otherwise didnt help. Even some from public came over and asked the officer why am being ticketed when am still in the car. In vain. If am still in the car, how will this be a violation? She wanted to give as many tickets as possible and started ticketing other cars.
I somehow feel there was a racial profiling or discrimination in that area as many other cars got tickets for different reasons. IS there a way to fight this?
Blogpie,
If you are in the no standing zone, then you can pick up (and drop off) passengers but you must do so “expeditiously”. If you were waiting around, then you were properly ticketed.
Matthew Weiss
Dear Mr Weiss,
Recently, my son got ‘ double parking ‘ ticket in queens, New York while he was in car and waiting for me to pick up. I was buying grocery just across the store. Police officer did not talk or ask for ID from my son ( age 24 ) who was on driving seat. Officer, not even suggested him to move car, and silently gave ticket in my son’s hand. Officer did not write my son’s name on parking ticket even he was present. However, I read below sentence on parking violation ticket ( which is signed by the officer ) “….if the operator was present, I wrote the operator’s name above or marked ID refused oval……” Officer signed this statement wrongfully as even my son was there he did not write my son’s name on ticket. Also, officer did not fill out (1) Time 1st Observed, and (2) Date 1st Observed places on ticket. He did write Time and Date of offence in red boxes.
Based on this kindly suggest if my case has valid point to Plea for Not-Guilty ? How important is to write name of operator ( when present ), and how important is to fill out Time and date 1st observed spaces ?
Thanks very much.
D. Kumar,
In my opinion, these errors do not sound like enough to beat this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
After reading this I’m reconsidering my back-to-back $65 invalid inspection sticker fines. I’ll pay the 1st fee (because I’m guilty) but contest the 2nd, because it’s the:
1)2nd ticket in less than 24 hrs (19 hrs) for the same “status violation”
2)with unmatching locations for the same parking spot suggesting 2 different spots
The legal parking space becomes an issue because:
The 2nd ticket is likely the direct result of the 1st, seen & read. Every word (even the comment) is copied except the “place of occurrence” (the 2nd ‘pirate directions’ is accurate, the 1st is so general it includes any of 6 spots), as if the car had been moved (driven & reparked) inbetween tickets, which I’ll bet conveniently disqualifies any 24 hr grace period?
If I have a case, is it enough to write 1) & 2) in the ticket’s ‘other defense’ & include a copy of the 1st ticket with the times & locations hi-lighted? That’s all I have.
Ann,
Sounds like this should be enough but, of course, any valuable additional info may help.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matt,
On Tuesday I got a ticket for having my municipal meter receipt face down. Is there any way that I can fight this?
Nick Kang,
Yes, plead not guilty and explain what happened. You’ll need to include a copy of the muni meter receipt showing that you actually paid.
Matthew Weiss
Matt–
Additional info:
This 2nd ticket’s looking more deceptive than defective:
recap: Spotted the 1st ticket, copied it only replaced the general street address with specific 100′ N of directions (reads like 2 different P/O), placed the 2nd on top of the 1st & hid em both under a single pay envelope (I didn’t even realize there were 2)
Figure I’ll keep the deliberately deceptive notion (& the single envelope) to myself (unless you think them pertinent), otherwise all I could include (I’m 300m. away) is a G map of THE parking space (I have witnesses but I’d rather PAY the fine than get them involved?)
FYI: this is some public-service/educational site! Much appreciated!
Ann,
Thanks for your kind remarks.
It sounds like you’re on to something. Good luck making these arguments.
Matthew Weiss
don’t mean to exploit but universal Qs:
1)30 days = deadline ends 4 wks, 2 days later?
2)how can we track/confirm the receipt of by-mail tickets paid/refuted?
Ann,
30 days = 30 days.
You can Google NYC’s online parking ticket site to see if the status of your tickets (at least, those entered that are in the system).
Matthew Weiss