A FRUSTRATED driver has been slammed with a $30 parking ticket because of an absurd new rule.
The driver, Syed Hassan, said the parking meter on his block confused him even more.
A driver was hit with a $30 parking ticket because of a confusing meter rule[/caption]
The city issued tickets before updating its parking meters with new enforcement hours[/caption]
After his wife received a parking ticket, Hassan knew he needed to fight back.
His wife, a student at the University of Windsor, parked her car by Wyandotte Street before class.
When she got back, she found a $30 parking ticket placed on her windshield, as reported by Yahoo! News.
Several other classmates were issued the same parking citation.
Although the parking meter on the street said enforcement hours ended at 6 p.m., Hassan’s wife noted that the ticket was issued at 6:17 p.m.
Hassan’s wife and her fellow classmates all took night classes at the university and were used to parking on the campus in the evening.
“I was just kind of upset that they were doing that to students, that’s what really got me,” Hassan said.
“I have a very soft spot for students. And I remember being very broke,” he added.
He feels that his wife and other students were targeted because they took night classes.
“That’s unacceptable. Taking advantage of people,” he said.
According to the city of Windsor, metered parking will increase to $2.25 per hour and will be enforced Monday to Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., starting in June.
A spokesperson for the city announced that drivers who were parked without paying between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. were issued warnings.
However, starting Tuesday, the city gave out over 50 tickets during those hours.
The city notes that “all 1,440 parking meters across the city have been individually updated to reflect the new pricing and enforcement hours,” according to Yahoo! News.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
“While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, there may be a small number of meters that were inadvertently missed,” spokesperson Michael Janisse wrote in an email.
When Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) visited parking meters near the university and downtown areas, they didn’t see any with the updated enforcement hours.
A city official, Councillor Renaldo Agostino, told CBC that drivers who receive a parking citation or ticket from a meter that hasn’t been updated should call 311.
“The city’s willing to work with everybody on this one,” he said.
Agostino said the city is still working on getting every meter to reflect the new enforcement period.
“All that’ll be fixed,” he added. “You’ll see stickers over things; you’ll see information there. You may see some cover ups, but you’re going to see it.”
But even after Hassan called 311, he wasn’t given any specific or helpful instructions on how to contest the parking ticket.
“311’s like, ‘We have no clue. There is no such thing. Nobody has told us to refund all the tickets,’” Hassan said.
“It’s the simplest thing. They don’t have to go make a huge apology to anybody. They just have to go to all their meters and update them,” he added.
