Contesting a city of LA parking ticket (Los Angeles: section 8, lawyer)

[edmcrocker]

So, I got two parking tickets. Not one, but two, in the same parking spot.

Here's the story:

Since I don't need my car during the week, I leave it on the street. I am very careful about reading the signs and the area I park in only has a restriction for street sweeping once a week. I did not interfere with the street sweeping. I always move my car for that. Today, I walked by my car and noticed two parking tickets. They were issued on consecutive days about 23 hours apart.

I violated section MC 80.69C - PARKED OVER TIME LIMIT

Now, I've just checked the city of LA parking website and it states that no vehicle can remain in the same place on a public roadway for more than 72 hours. That is such a BS rule! Three days is not that long!

The parking cop managed to list the wrong location on the ticket. Both times! He listed my location as 600 xxx St, when I was parked at 700 xxx St. The 7th st. sign is about 20 feet away from where my car is parked! 600 xxx St. is two big blocks away. I think his reasoning behind this was that at 600 xxx St., there is two hour parking. So he probably thinks the ticket will hold up better if I would have been parked there.

I plan on taking pictures of where I am parked with the 7th st. sign in the background. Do you think I have a chance for dismissal?

Now, reading the back of the ticket, I can contest the citation by either calling, showing up at a payment office, or snail mailing a request to an address. I'm wondering, to people on here who have contested tickets, which option is the best one to take for getting a dismissal?

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by edmcrocker

Do you think I have a chance for dismissal?

None

[edmcrocker]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

None

Regardless of what's said in this thread, I will still fight it until the end of time. I'm curious as to what the best method of contesting it might be.

[Ceece]

Originally Posted by edmcrocker

Regardless of what's said in this thread, I will still fight it until the end of time. I'm curious as to what the best method of contesting it might be.

Look this up online but I'm pretty sure there is a way you can write up your complaint and submit that to the court without having to go in person. There is no downside since if that fails you just follow normal procedure.

[HarryKerryJr]

You have no idea the utter hell of a universe you will enter to contest this ticket. You will have to take time from work, wait in line ALL DAY, then be told you are in the WRONG line, come back tomorrow and line up again BEFORE the court opens at 8AM, and that means only the FIRST step in waiting a second day, all day, just to process your petition for a contest, then YOU WILL NOT WIN.

My advice: Pay the tickets and save yourself money and keep your job. Then, you can set to work to do something that will have a much better chance of making a difference, and that is photographing and documenting these Parking Enforcement Officers (who are under the LA DOT not the LAPD) writing and placing bogus tickets. The LA DOT Parking Enforcement is an immoral mess with "Unwritten" and "Unsaid" quotas put upon these small time Enforcement Officers. Although LA DOT will only admit to using the number of citations to indicate if a Parking Enforcement Officer is doing their job (as opposed to just hanging at a doughnut shop) and if they are doing it efficiently. LA DOT believes that each Parking Enforcement Officer ought to be able to write a certain number of citations if they are really out and about on the streets doing "their job." Oh, that's NOT a quota, they will say (only in the LEGAL sense), but merely a measurement and indication of employees not slacking off during working hours. BTW, the LAPD Traffic Division cops are under the same stupid "measurement." In fact, all parking enforcement and police Traffic Division equivalents are, as well.

It is pointless, unintelligent, a waste of time, and ineffective to bother even thinking about contesting this ticket (you might get lucky, but only after lost wages and possible losing your job and the hell of an experience they put you through. Be smart and start video recording and documenting and other wise gather evidence of the LA DOT Parking Enforcement shenanigans, and then present your damning video to the media like Channel 4's Get Garcia or long-time cheating exposed reporter Joel Grover because the government aint gonna do nothing unless it embarrasses them on the evening news and everyone knows and they can't hide and the politicians have NO CHOICE but to act, and that has a much greater chance of getting results and even forcing some change, and is time and money and effort better spent, than just trying to make yourself feel as if by contesting it, you are some how validating your sense of justice, because that aint gonna change one bloody thing.

Good luck.

[Cubancoffee]

Parking tickets ARE a huge bother, but ignorance of the law or your opinion that it is a "BS rule" or your contention that the address is incorrect on the ticket are not likely to sway a judge. ("Your honor, I didn't overpark in the 600 block, I overparked in the 700 block. So you must find me innocent.")

You'd be on more solid ground if you hadn't actually committed the violation, as you seem to admit. Good luck.

[edmcrocker]

Let me make it clear that I only assume it was the 72 hour rule that I broke. Nothing on the ticket states this. It was only after looking on their website that I discovered this rule. What's stated on the ticket is that the tires were chalked at a certain time and then about an hour later, the ticket was issued. So, I'm not sure if the ticket was issued erroneously because at the 600 block there is a 2 hour parking rule, and IF I was parked there I would have been parked over the time limit. At the 700 block, the only sign posted is "No parking 10am-1pm Thursday"

[Samoi137]

Originally Posted by edmcrocker

Regardless of what's said in this thread, I will still fight it until the end of time. I'm curious as to what the best method of contesting it might be.

Wow,you must have a lot of time. Do you fight all pereceived injustices until the end of time? If you are adamant, and price is not an obstacle, you can hire a lawyer (some specialize in traffic offenses, I believe) to advise you (though possibly not appear in court with you). If it's really important to you and time is not an object, I'd appear in person, but be prepared to state why you should be judged innocent (unless you're asking for just one of the tickets to be dismissed, claiming they're seentially duplicate). Even if the 72 hour rule is not posted, it still exists, so be sure that as a resident you're not just supposed to know such things (as with zoning laws, heights of fences, how close to the curb you need to park, etc.).

Did you assume you could park on the street for an unlimited amunt of time? If you contest the ticket(s) based on the error on the ticket, I guess you could try saying it showed the cop didn't keep a close eye on your car (but then you'd have to lie and say you weren't there over 72 hours). Just saying the 72 hour rule is b.s. because it's not that long won't help but might make judge angry at you for wasting his/her time.

[edmcrocker]

Originally Posted by Samoi137

Wow,you must have a lot of time. Do you fight all pereceived injustices until the end of time?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Samoi137

Did you assume you could park on the street for an unlimited amunt of time? If you contest the ticket(s) based on the error on the ticket, I guess you could try saying it showed the cop didn't keep a close eye on your car (but then you'd have to lie and say you weren't there over 72 hours). Just saying the 72 hour rule is b.s. because it's not that long won't help but might make judge angry at you for wasting his/her time.

No, I assumed I needed to move my car once a week for street cleaning. Of course I wouldn't tell a judge I thought the 72 hour rule is BS. I would be happy getting one ticket dropped since they are duplicates.

[1200RT]

If you have already made up your mind, why did you make a thread?

FIRST of all, you were not cited for leaving you vehicle parked for longer than 72 hours.

Los Angeles MC sec. 80.73.2. - It shall be unlawful for any person who owns or who has possession, custody or control of any vehicle to park that vehicle or leave it standing upon any highway, street or alley for 72 or more consecutive hours.

Here is 80.69(c).

(c) Parking Time Limits. Whenever authorized signs are in place giving notice thereof, it shall be unlawful for any person to stop or stand or park any vehicle for a period of time in excess of the parking time limit indicated by such sign, except as provided in Section 88.01.1 of this chapter. (Amended by Ord. No. 170,019, Eff. 10/21/94.)

You were, in fact, cited for violating a posted time limit sign. Did that happen in reality? No clue, but good luck.