DRIVERS in a major US city may now be required to appear in court to dispute parking citations – after an online system was discontinued.
That means those who choose to contest a ticket – or fail to attend their scheduled hearing – will face an extra $26 court fee.
A change to a city’s parking system may now see drivers waste more of their time and money to dispute tickets[/caption]
Residents even risk getting their cars booted if they fail to pay a fine[/caption]
According to Denver7, motorists in Denver, Colorado, even risk their vehicle being booted if they fail to pay the fine – with fees after the hearing potentially resulting in the car being placed on the immobilization list.
Previously, residents could dispute parking tickets online, but due to budget cuts and layoffs, the City and County of Denver have discontinued the online portal.
Now, disputes must be handled in person, with the process requiring drivers to visit the City and County Building to schedule a final hearing.
Then, they must return for the hearing before a Denver County Court judicial officer.
Worse still, if the dispute is unsuccessful, the individual must pay the full fine – plus an additional $26 in court costs.
Failing to attend the hearing also results in the same fees, while non-payment will lead to the vehicle being placed on Denver’s boot list.
Denver resident Ryan Evans is one of many locals not happy with the change.
He said: “It just probably needlessly adds some complexity to the situation that isn’t needed right now.”
What’s more, those who rely on residential street parking say the changes are frustrating.
“It’s taking time out of our work, which is our livelihood, to go in person, and then on top of it, most likely pay the ticket and then also the court fee. It makes no sense,” said Taylor Delaney, another resident.
She also believes clearer signage could help, adding: “It’s already hard enough, I found, to see the signage anywhere, or know if there’s a permit that you need to have to park in a particular place, or if you park too close to something.”
This comes as drivers in San Diego, California, are being warned they risk fines of $85 if they try to exploit a little-known loophole in the city’s parking system.
Car owners who legally pay for parking through a meter or app are still getting fined when they exceed the maximum time limit for that spot – even if they try to pay for more time.
Local reports claim motorists have been getting sneaky by paying for extra time to try to avoid fines.
But authorities say feeding the meter to buy extra time may be a waste of money, because it can still result in receiving an $85 parking ticket.
In one instance, a driver was hit with a fine for exceeding their two-hour time limit in a space – despite using the app to pay for another two hours.
A city of San Diego spokesperson said: “Continuing to pay the meter beyond the max stay limit does not make it legally parked.”
Another driver, Oscar Ortiz, was hit with a similar issue when parking in Little Italy.
“I went up to get my stuff and they got me, I guess,” said Ortiz, who had been ticketed after a parking enforcement officer chalked his tires at 9:10am, with the ticket issued at 12:03 pm.
Ortiz, though, was not in a metered parking spot and said he was confused by the signage on the street.
Signage was recently criticized by a San Diego County Grand Jury in a report, suggesting the city should “improve and standardize signage related to metered public parking.”
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; or 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
