Accuracy of Parking tickets

[ilya]

This is stretching it a bit, but I figure I'd give it a shot. Got a $30 parking ticket a while ago and they slapped with another $25 no front plate ticket while they were at it.

I know when there are mistakes on a ticket given to you by a police officer, if shown to be innacurate can be dismissed in court.

Now this is really stretching it, and I already know the answer, but what about incorrect info on a parking ticket.
They marked it as a Honda instead of Acura and also did not put the VIN (guess they couldn't find it).

Wanted to throw it out there in case someone knows something I don't and can weasel me out of this one.

Damn I hate meter maids. Strangely enough, this was a case where I had an hour on the meter, was back in 40 minutes, yet somehow it was reset to 0 and I had a ticket. Try proving that in court.... my loss.

 

[ck]

Ilya,

You can argue that the meter was broken or inaccurate. It works up in Berkeley where I went to school. They will actually send someone to test it and come out with a printed report on its accuracy. In my area, no front plate is a $10 fix-it ticket. I always just find a cop that isn't doing anything to sign it off. They usually won't charge you. Any cop can do it. I just wait till I see one around a cafe or something and ask him nicely. They usually do it. I even had one cop tell me how he hates that law and he doesn't have a front plate on his modified truck! About the no VIN and Honda/Acura mixup thing, if they got your license number, you pretty much can't get out of it. If you didn't have plates, I would ignore it. Good luck.

 

[ilya]

Thanks. I didn't know I could argue that part of it. I probably screwed myself and am too late as I'm past the 21 days to contest.
It's a small fine and I'll just pay.
Was interested more for curiosity's sake.

This wasn't my first nor will it be my last. I seem to attract them. I got 2 in one day once.

 

[steveny]

This wasn't my first nor will it be my last. I seem to attract them. I got 2 in one day once.

[/B][/QUOTE]

This is why I always leave the first ticket under the wiper until I get home. BTW last week I had a meter expire way before it should have. They sent someone out to check it and it was in fact broken.

 

[FuryNSX]

A fix-it ticket on the front plate will still cost you $10 for "processing/paperwork" fees even after having it signed off. Well, at least it was still only that last year.

------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400

 

[ck]

Originally posted by FuryNSX:
A fix-it ticket on the front plate will still cost you $10 for "processing/paperwork" fees even after having it signed off. Well, at least it was still only that last year.

That's why I find a cop on the street, not the station. They don't collect money that way, if they are willing to do it.

And leaving it under the wiper doesn't work. Most places in CA, or at least the Bay Area, give multiple tickets.

 

[FuryNSX]

Originally posted by ck:
That's why I find a cop on the street, not the station. They don't collect money that way, if they are willing to do it.

While I did go to a station to have it signed, the ticket still needed to be submitted back to court for proof of correction, and that was where the fee had to be paid.

BTW, in ALL my experiences with asking a cop on the street to sign off tickets, they've always given me the attitude that I was bothering them. I decided long ago that I wouldn't interact with a peace officer unless it was an absolute emergency.

------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400



[This message has been edited by FuryNSX (edited 12 March 2002).]

 

[nsxtasy]

Going back to the original question...

Originally posted by ilya:
I know when there are mistakes on a ticket given to you by a police officer, if shown to be innacurate can be dismissed in court.

Not necessarily. If the inaccuracies do not affect the basis of the citation, they can "amend" the ticket to correct the inaccurate information.