Parking Ticket in West Hollywood (Bell: city hall, attorney, unemployed) - Los Angeles - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

dxarmbar06 · 03-07-2009, 07:59 AM

I was parked in a metered parking spot in West Hollywood and got a ticket for supposedly being 18'' away from the curb. I was parked within the white lines that marked off the parking spot and secondly I WASN'T parked 18 inches away from the curb, it was more like 12 maybe 14 at the most (used my foot for reference). There was still time on my meter and everything and I took a pic with my phone, is there anyway to fight this? Can someone point me to a site with the parking regulations of Weho? Thanks.

BennyPhoenix · 03-07-2009, 08:41 AM

You can fight it and will probably lose. 18" is the law in Weho and L.A.
I avoid WeHo whenever possible. They have the most aggressive and nitpicky parking enforcement I have ever seen. Boycott Weho!!!

Lovehound · 03-07-2009, 09:17 AM

I think the biggest problem fighting this type of ticket is that you will probably have to take off work and fight it in person, and it might take hours waiting in court before your case comes up. In other words, you might be money ahead to just pay the ticket and not lose wages while you are fighting it.

In theory I think you could have a chance of fighting and winning, particularly if your cellphone picture is time stamped and shows your shoe as a dimensional reference. If so, wear the same shoes in court and bring a ruler.

dxarmbar06 · 03-07-2009, 10:35 AM

I only took a picture of the car inside the white lines, I didn't think to take a picture of my shoes measuring at the time. If its 18'' away from the curb, ideally it would be outside the white lines then wouldn't it? Could I measure how far away the right tire is from the white line as compared to how far the white line is from the curb and prove it that way? It was a $40 ticket and I don't have that cash unemployed.

Cubancoffee · 03-07-2009, 11:20 AM

Parking enforcement in WeHo is fanatical. I got a ticket there once for not turning my wheels to the curb on an incline, which I would have done if there really was an incline rather than what it was: a speed hump in the road.

LaoTzuMindFu · 03-07-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxarmbar06

I was parked within the white lines that marked off the parking spot and secondly I WASN'T parked 18 inches away from the curb, it was more like 12 maybe 14 at the most (used my foot for reference).

Although that IS within the legal limit you have to admit that its still a pretty bad job at parking. For me personally, 12-14 inches is not acceptable. Puts too much of my car (SUV) in the road and creates not only a hazard for others (and bikers) who may go by, but also puts my car in danger of being side swiped by not-so-good drivers.

Just pay the ticket and move on with your life.

LABornandRaised · 03-07-2009, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cubancoffee

Parking enforcement in WeHo is fanatical. I got a ticket there once for not turning my wheels to the curb on an incline, which I would have done if there really was an incline rather than what it was: a speed hump in the road.

OMG! That's so true. I was pulling out of a parking lot in WeHo and saw the parking enforcement writing up a ticket and asked him why he was writing a ticket up for a car parked on the street with no parking meter. The officer said the exact same thing, that the car was parked on an incline and didn't have it's wheels turned. Hearing everyone's experiences is really an eye opener.

Lovehound · 03-07-2009, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dxarmbar06

I only took a picture of the car inside the white lines, I didn't think to take a picture of my shoes measuring at the time. If its 18'' away from the curb, ideally it would be outside the white lines then wouldn't it? Could I measure how far away the right tire is from the white line as compared to how far the white line is from the curb and prove it that way? It was a $40 ticket and I don't have that cash unemployed.

The parking regulation specifies the distance from the wheels to the curb. It has nothing to say about the white lines painted on the outside of the parking lane.

I presume those are just guidelines, to help parking enforcement note cars that are illegally parked.

Hey, I like the solution others have expressed. Just don't visit West Hollywood. It works for me!

ryan douglas · 02-07-2011, 09:40 PM

The only reason the Cities like West Hollywood are able to get away with issuing erroneous tickets is that the process to fight them is hard. Most people just pay them figuring "you can't fight City Hall". Many feel that it is not worth the effort, they get mad, but pay. Thus the cycle continues and the cities keep the profit coming (how else do they pay the high salaries. Does City of Bell ring here). The private contractor enforcement officers get a cut of all ticket revenue os they have incentive to issue erroneous tickets. It is a sick system. I certainly have no objection to being properly cited when I am illegally parked and I pay those citations without a murmur. I do object to improper citations. The only to stop the abuse by the Cities is to fight the citations. Request a hearing, call, make requests for documents, lots of documents, in preparation for your hearing. File a Small Claims action against the City, the officer, the third party contractor. The City Attorney will not show for the small claim hearing, so you will prevail. If the City Attorney does show, request a continuance (waste their time).

disgruntled la native · 02-08-2011, 12:07 AM

people, it's like 50-60 dollars. its nothing. deal.

speeding tickets and other infractions suck. they are more like $300, at least.

but others here have suffered thru reckless driving and DUI accusations and that gets in the thousands. maybe even over ten. so your parking ticket is nothing. pay it and s uck it up. it's unjust but you can't win.