Friday, September 5, 2008

Tricks of disputing NYC tickets

This page is compiled from users' knowledge and helps you to understand your rights and the choices you have as a NYC driver, it supplies you with the rules inside of the agency. You can see how they are going to treat your case based on those inside rules. You can make your right decision whether you want to save some money or you want to save your time.

Send this link to whoever has a parking ticket to help them making a right decision.


Let me give you some background information before I give you the choices you have.

According to the report of “Parking Ticket Financial Data And Operational Statistics” from The City of New York Department of Finance, the actual revenues reported for the past three fiscal years are as follows. (NYC fiscal years run from July 1 to June 30 next year)

  Fiscal Year   Revenue
      2007       $554,400,818
      2006       $552,182,980
      2005       $578,591,923


You can see from the report. New York City can collect one million dollars on parking tickets a day, I love NY.

According to the report of “Comprehensive Annual Financial Report of the Comptroller for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2007” from The City of New York, the amount of Write-offs, Adjustments and Dispositions is less than 18% of the total amount. I am not qualified to interpret those terms in the Financial Report. One thing I am pretty sure that don’t waste your time trying to fight for your ticket unless there is an obvious environmental evidence.

There are certian ways to save your money ($15 to $25) depending on what ticket you have.

Here is "The Parking Ticket Hearing Process" (This is posted on the wall of six business borough centers).

The Parking Ticket Hearing Process
From NYC Department of Finance Sep. 2008

To serve you more efficiently and to reduce the time it takes to provide you with a hearing, the department of finance is using a new process.

We will check to see if your ticket was written correctly. If not, you will not have to see a judge. A parking summons clerk will dismiss the ticket and you can go home.

If the ticket is written correctly, the parking summons clerk will offer you a reduced fine for the following violations:
· No standing violations
· No parking violations
· Meter violations
· Double parking violations
· Status violations (Registration, Inspection, and Plate violations)

We will not offer you a reduced fine if:
· Your ticket was issued more than 100 days ago and is in judgment.
· You already had a hearing on the ticket.
· We already reduced the fine for the ticket.
· You have a ticket for any of the violations listed below:
§ No stopping
§ No parking, except handicapped plates/permits
§ Fire Hydrant
§ Traffic lane
§ Bike lane
§ Sidewalk
§ Crosswalk
§ Safety zone
§ Pedestrian ramp

You decide whether you want to accept the reduced fine.
Reasons why you might not want to accept a reduced fine.
You have proof that:
· You were involved in a medical emergency.
· The signs were missing, wrongly stated or conflicting.
· Your registration or inspection was current, valid and properly displayed.
· Your vehicle was stolen, sold or transferred.
· You were authorized to park at the location.
· Your vehicle was disabled and expeditiously removed.

None of these reasons guarantee a dismissal. However, if you are able to prove any of the defenses above, your ticket may be dismissed so accepting a reduced fine may not be in your best interest. You can choose to go before an Administrative Law Judge to present your evidence. Only the judge has the authority to decide whether your evidence is credible and the ticket should be dismissed.

Remember, you do not have to accept the offer of a reduced fine. THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

You decide to pay the reduced fine.
If you agree to pay the reduced fine:
· You will not see a judge.
· You will not be allowed to appeal the decision.
· You must pay the reduced amount immediately.

You decide not to pay the reduced fine.
If you do not want to pay the reduced fine:
· You will meet with a judge to present your evidence.
· The judge will either uphold the ticket (You will have to pay the full fine) or dismiss it (You don’t have to pay anything).
· The judge cannot offer a reduced fine.
It is important to remember the judge cannot offer a reduced fine. Your only chance to get the reduced fine is with the summons clerk.


Suggestion. Check the charges on your ticket to see which rule in the hearing process it applies.
Go for it if there is one. Otherwise, send you check in to save some dollars on your gas, milages or send in the request for a hearing in person within 30 days.
Let's worry about the ticket after 30 days.

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