My dear friend Lawrence Berezin of New York Parking Ticket.com has graciously shared his user-friendly way to identify defects in a New York City parking ticket. The below image show the 10 items which must be properly completed in order for your NYC parking ticket to be valid. If any one (or more) of these items are omitted or incorrect, you should plead not guilty to the ticket and explain which of these items are defective.
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I received a ticket today for parking in a no standing zone from 7-9 AM. I have been parking here for over 6 months and traffic cops never gave me a citation. However, today, I received a ticket from NYPD officers. The ticket has most of the information correct, however, it has the color of my car as grey as it is clearly gold, and the date of the offense is written clearly as 47:27. I could understanding if it was 0727, but it had 47:27. Please let me know if there is any way to beat this due to the time of the offense being a non-existent time
Josh,
The wrong date of offense is a much better stronger than the wrong color. Plead not guilty and make them both and see what happens.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for parking to close to a fire hydrant. However the state is listed incorrectly on the ticket, on the ticket it says ‘MI’ and thats Michigan. However my plates are from Missouri which is ‘MO’.. If I fight the ticket, would I have a valid chance of finding it defective?
Ryan,
Yes, that is a good argument. Plead not guilty and include a copy of your registration and a photo of your plate as evidence.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
got two tickets this morning because i parked by a fire hydrant and did not move the car in time. however a got another ticket that said i blocked the driveway which i did not. since when is a driveway that close to a fire hydrant right?? i was going to plead not guilty to the second ticket until i ran into this site which state that the ticket has to be filled out completely for it to be valid. so the ticket for parking near the fire hydrant doesn’t have my plate number filled out so how do you think i should plead to both of these tickets?
Kayla,
I would plead not guilty to the driveway ticket because a NYC parking ticket without a license plate number is fatally defective.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matt,
I am a resident of MA, and got a parking ticket in Manhattan because I was 6 feet away from a fire hydrant.
Should I fight it? do I have a chance?
Thank you,
Sami,
The rule is 15 feet away from a hydrant. So 6 feet away is a violation of NYC law.
Matthew Weiss
Love your site, Matt.
I have a ticket for parking in a No Parking spot. I parked according to the white lines indicating on-street muni-meter parking, which show it as a valid spot. I did not see the “No Parking” sign in front of my spot–until I returned to the car and saw the ticket and subsequently looked around.
I have pictures that show that the parking lane markings contradict the signage. Because I was ticketed for violating the sign, I assume the city made a mistake with the parking lane marking. Doesn’t seem right that I should pay for the city’s mistake, considering I was abiding by one set of instructions.
And had I seen the No Parking sign, it shouldn’t be my responsibility to discern which marking system is correct and which is not.
Do you think I can successfully beat the violation with this argument?
Barring that–the Exp. Date field on my ticket says “N/S – Rain.” My pictures show that there was no rain that day.
What would you advise?
Jay,
Thanks for your kind remarks.
You raise a pretty good defense. I would definitely fight this ticket and raise these issues (and present your proofs).
Matthew Weiss
Hello, I’m wondering if you can help. I received a $115 double parking ticket and wanted to dispute it in hopes of getting it reduced. My issue is that it has been 10 days and when I go online and input it for dispute I get a message the ticket s still “not in the system… please wait until it is, usually about 1 week after issued”.
Should I be concerned? Is there any other way to dispute it? Thanks!
Robbie,
I would keeping check (regularly). It is never “hits” the system, you win. In my experience, it will “hit” shortly.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks for the reply. I thought you’d be interested to know, the ticket just hit the system today, 32 DAYS after being issued! I requested a hearing, going to see how they respond.
Robbie,
My pleasure. Your ticket hitting 32 days after the offense is quite common. Good luck fighting it.
Matthew Weiss
Believe it or not, I have travelled all the way from China to visit NY for 1 day and got a parking ticket…..
I hired a Hertz car from New Jersey and parked in a street that had a parking meter. I paid for the parking and placed the ticket on the windshield.
Imagine my surprise when I come back and find a $65 parking ticket for “No pkg street cleaning (d) (1). TuF 9am-10.30am.
1) Can I claim that there were no signs indicating that street cleaning is in effect on that street during these hours ? I have photos to prove this.
2) Can I claim that I was mis-guided by the signs in the parking meters which explicitly allowed me to park on payment ? I have photos to prove this.
3) The parking ticket does not contain Meter # and Date/Time 1st observed. Can I claim this as my defense ?
Advise much appreciated..will provide reciprocal advise when you travel to China (where you can park anywhere).
Subramanian,
Answers after each of your questions below.
1) Can I claim that there were no signs indicating that street cleaning is in effect on that street during these hours ? I have photos to prove this. Yes.
2) Can I claim that I was mis-guided by the signs in the parking meters which explicitly allowed me to park on payment ? I have photos to prove this. No unless there was no sign about the street cleaning.
3) The parking ticket does not contain Meter # and Date/Time 1st observed. Can I claim this as my defense? You should mentioned these omissions but they are likely not enough alone to win.
Matthew Weiss
my ticket is for no standing, but it has the wrong car color and incorrect police precinct. can i beat it?
William,
You can certainly try but neither argument is strong.
Any parking ticket must include the following seven pieces of information:
* date (month, day and year) and time of offense
* location of the offense
* the plate designation (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the plate type (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the registration’s expiration date (month, day and year)
* the make or model of the vehicle
* the body type of the vehicle
Matthew Weiss
today i went to drop off my wife at a medical clinic but remaind in the car was drinking my coffee becuase i felt a little light head due to my diabetes well then a traffic agent came bye and told me to move my car i ask her why she told me its a no parking i said ok so i was about to move the car when she again really nasty said move
i said ok i am so she went to the corner just a couple of feet from me and i turn on the car and was starting to move it when she came back and on her machine started to punch in my plate but she at no time scan my reg in the front window because i was moving out the spot when i finally park my car i saw her and ask her did you just write me a ticket she said yes because you did not move when i told you to is this ticket legal with out her scanning my reg please let me knw
Junior,
If she did not get all the required information on your vehicle, then you may have a chance to beat this ticket. Check out my parking ticket page for the checklist of items.
Matthew Weiss
hey I was parked at a fire hydrant in nyc and received a ticket from an actual police officer written out but the ticket didn’t have a date of offense it only stated 10/ /12. Should I fight this ticket or am I wasting my time and theirs?
Chris,
Fight it. The lack of a complete date is a good defense.
Matthew Weiss
Thank you for your quick response Matthew I was wondering if their is a certain way I should word it or should I just write on the ticket that it isn’t completed which the date of offense.
Chris,
Please not guilty, and argue that the ticket is defective explaining how.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for speeding in a work zone for $360. The officer wrote the wrong expiration date for my license. Can I fight the ticket? Does that make it void?
Ryan,
This minor error does not render your speeding ticket void. You should nevertheless plead not guilty. If you do, you or your NY traffic lawyer can likely negotiate this down to a less serious charge.
Matthew Weiss
Ok. It was also given from TBTA. While driving over the Verrazano. Don’t know if the agency changes the situation.
Ryan,
A TBTA ticket is treated like a traffic ticket issued by a NYPD officer. It will be heard in the Traffic Violations Bureau.
I hope this helps.
Matthew Weiss
Hi, I recieved a parking ticket for parking too close to a fire hydrant. The ticket states that I was 6 feet from the hyrdrant, but I took out my measuring tape and measured that the front of my bumber was 11 feet from the hydrant. I also took pictures with the measuring tape showing the distance. Do I stand a chance fighting the ticket?
Thanks,
Brett
Brett,
Give it a shot. Don’t forget to submit your photos.
Matthew Weiss
Hi
I received a ticket for no parking certain hours, though there is no such address, is there somewhere i can go to a city website or something with a printout showing there is no such address?
Thanks
Abe S.
Abe Smith,
Google maps. You should beat this ticket if there truly is not such address.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
About a week and a half ago, I received a ticket for parking in a No Standing – Authorized Vehicles Only zone. The No Standing Zone comprises about half of the block (I didn’t see the sign because it was blocked by a truck when I parked); however, the entire block had parking meters that were covered, and a Muni-meter point to pay for parking. The covered meter I parked at said “Please Pay at Muni-meter” on it – which I did. Is this a good enough defense? I honestly didn’t see the No Standing sign, and with a meter there, it made sense that I would be able to park!
Also, is it better to fight the ticket in person or by mail?
Rachel,
Good afternoon.
This one is a tough parking ticket to beat.
I am sorry to report that parking signs trump meters. If you can persuade a judge that the NO Standing sign was not visible, maybe…But, you may wish to check the front of your parking ticket for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. If you find one or more, than you win upon application and presenting the proper proof properly.
Good luck,
Best,
Larry
The only thing I’ve noticed that is incorrect on the ticket is that it states I was parked South of 46th Rd, when in fact I was parked North of 46th Rd (and South of 46th Ave). Is this enough of a defect to plead not guilty because of a defective ticket?
Rachel,
This very well be enough if you can prove it. You’ll need photos showing where you were parked. The photos should depict the street signs.
Matthew Weiss
I got a $45 ticket for parking at a time when it was prohibited due to street cleaning. I noticed 2 potential defects on the ticket:
– one letter was missing from my license plate (there was just a blank space instead of the letter),
– the place for meter # was left entirely blank, not even an N/A was there. I should note that were no meters on this particular street whatsoever.
Are one or both of these grounds to contest the ticket?
Ron,
The missing license plate letter in particular sounds like a good one. Plead not guilty and make sure you raise this and any other arguments.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
I received a $115 double parking ticket when picking my kids up at their PS elementary school in Brooklyn. I left the car at 3:03pm to go into the school to get the kids – just like about 50 other cars do at 3pm, and just like I have been doing for 3 years now. However the other day I got a ticket when I returned to the car. I complained and the officer said that my car was there for more than 15 mintues, which it was not, it was actually there for about 13 mintues. (Maybe he meant 15 minutes after 3pm, which is true because the ticket states 3:16pm.) Can I fight this, based on past practice, cars are allowed to double park when picking up their kids without getting a ticket.
All of the details on the ticket are, unfortunately, correct.
Thanks so much, Tobias.
Tobias,
The “I did it before without being ticketed” defense is not very viable (in my opinion).
Did you check the ticket for errors. My firm does not handle parking tickets but has a helpful web page to help motorists fight a parking ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew, I just received a parking ticket in NYC and I am not sure why. The ticket does not have any of the violations marked and doesn’t state what the ticket is for. Does this count as a defective ticket? Thank you for your time, Cassandra
Cassandra,
Check your ticket carefully. It is odd that it wouldn’t have a violation marked or violation description.
Matthew Weiss
It doesn’t have a violation marked or a violation description, I just read it over again it and had someone else read it for me as well, it does have “hours in effect” as 2AM- 6AM and ticket issued at 2:01AM but that’s it.
-Cassandra
Cassandra,
Then plead not guilty and make your arguments. Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
My wife got a sppeding ticket on s/b Flatbush Ave going over the Belt Pkwy doing 53 in a 30. I noticed that “OWNER IS OPER” is filled in (which means yes). Since this is a leased company vehicle can this be seen as a defective ticket?
This has long been a speed trap which I actually told my wife about 2 months ago. They have this 30 MPH speed limit sign by the hump going over the Belt Pkwy presumably due to limited sight distance. Before that it is 40 and maybe 300 feet beyond the 30 is a 45 zone. They stand just over the hump and laser cars for speed. That does seem ridiculous when everybody ignores it, when I slow down people zoom by.
My contention is that my wife was distracted and went over the speed limit; the officer was distracted and didn’t realize that he checked off “OWNER IS OPER”.
Thanks in advance for listening and I hope for a positive answer. Ken
Ken,
The “owner is oper” mistake does not render the ticket fatally defective. Unlike parking tickets, these types of minor errors are unhelpful.
On the other hand, if you can show that there was insufficient notice of the drop in speed limit that might be persuasive. You’ll need photos and/or video to show the judge which show that there was an insufficient “read” time of the speed sign.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
PS There may be other ways to achieve a favorable result. Read through some of my other posts about speeding tickets.
I got a ticket on vandam st. and did not see the No Standing Anytime sign. My car has NJ plates and the parking ticket does not state the Date Registration Expired nor does it have the N/S checked for that field. Would this ticket be defective?
Also, the date of the offense is wrong. It is stated as 1:20AM on 9/22/12 when it should be 9/23/12. The Time 1st Observed is noted as 1:15AM on 9/23/12.
If this ticket can be dismissed for being defective. Can you please provide me with guidance on how to write a proper letter, or maybe an example or template letter?
– Vivek
Good afternoon,
I received a parking on a school day (no parking until 4pm), but they did not write a VIN # on the ticket. Is it a mistake and can be beaten?
Thanks for your help!!!!
Mark,
Good afternoon.
I love your story…You can be having a family barbeque in the back seat, but you’re still required to pay for parking and display the muni meter receipt on the dash.
Your story has a happy ending because of a recent law passed by the NYC Council mandating parking ticket Judge Roy Beans to dismiss failure to display parking tickets upon submission of a copy of the mm receipt showing you paid for the time.
You can fight this parking ticket in person or by mail. I don’t recommend fighting parking tickets online.
Good luck.
Larry
Hi guys, I recently got a parking ticket for not displaying a parking receipt on the dash. However my vehicle was occupied at the time as my gf was sleeping in the front passenger seat. How the agent did not see her, I have no clue. But can you get a ticket with the vehicle occupied and legally parked, except there was no parking receipt displayed? Thanks in advance -mark
Louis,
Good afternoon.
Great catch.
Either way.
Please be sure to have overlapping photographs of all parking signs on the entire block and street signs and building numbers so the judge can easily confirm your testimony.
There are also some wonderful resources on my website that will help you properly prove your defense. http://www.newyorkparkingticket.com. Click on “Resources” in the navigation bar.
Nice observation.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
I received a ticket for no std com mtr zone. The place of occurrence was incorrectly listed (ie. wrong street). There is no sign displayed for the place of occurrence listed on ticket. How should I handle? By mail or in person?
I parked my vehicle in a legal parking spot before the “no standing” sign. I left and returned about 20 minutes later to see that my vehicle has been towed. When I retrieved the parking ticket, the ticket agent had lied and wrote that I was parked in front of an abandoned building (a few buildings next to the location that I parked at) which is a tow zone. I dont know why it was done because I wasn’t parked illegally. Is there any way I can beat this ticket so i won’t have to pay the towing fees as well as storage fees? Please help me. Thanks
Dear Cheyenne,
You were victimized by one of the 3-Card Monte’s of NYC parking ticket scams. A fraudulent location is inserted by a parking ticket warrior and the hook kidnaps your car. It is one of the particularly nasty and costly scams.
Carefully examine the front of your parking ticket for omitted, misdescribed, or illegible required elements. If so, you win upon application.
If not, try to formulate a story that persuades the judge you did not park at the location entered by the warrior. Don’t rant, recite conclusions, and accuse Mayor Bloomberg of corruption. Be persuasive not abusive.
Good luck.
Hi Amy,
Good morning.
Thanks for taking your valuable time to visit and share your parking experience. It benefits all of us.
Required elements are bite size bits of information a parking ticket warrior is required to enter to prove her case against you because his appearance in parking ticket court is not required. However, all potential “required elements” are not necessary for each and every one of the 99 parking violations. For example, “time first observed” is necessary for an overtime parking violation; but unfortunately not for a street cleaning violation.
A parking ticket warrior is prohibited from issuing a parking ticket until 5 minutes have elapsed from the beginning of the street cleaning rule (not the end). For example, if street cleaning (ASP) rules are in effect on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8-9:30 a.m. in your neighborhood, a warrior can’t issue a parking ticket until 8:06 a.m.
Double parking on the unrestricted side of the street on street cleaning days is a custom in most neighborhoods, but not the rule (it’s technically illegal). Parking ticket warriors and the police generally ignore the double parking until it is quota time…Then you receive a $115 ticket to the DOF fundraiser.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Hello,
I just got a parking ticket for double parking on a street cleaning day. I live in Brooklyn and do this almost every week so I was surprised. However, I was a little late (10 minutes past the “end”) and so I realize I need to pay better attention.
Of course, the officer gave me the ticket 3 minutes (per the ticket) before I got there. Bad luck.
I checked out the 10 things that have to be right. My ticket has 0 information for “Date 1st Observed”.
Is it worth trying to plead NG?
thanks
Amy
Cols,
Good morning.
Great questions!
1. “Body Type” is a required element. A required element is a bite size bit of information that a parking ticket warrior is required to enter on a parking ticket to establish a case against a driver. If a required element is omitted, misdescribed, or illegible, you’re entitled to a dismissal of your parking ticket upon application. If your mini cooper is registered in NY, most judges (unfortunately, not all judges) will dismiss your parking ticket if the number of doors are misdescribed. (Is the plate type correct? What appears on your vehicle registration?)
2. The custom amongst parking ticket judges is to dismiss a second parking ticket issued for the same violation, in the same space, within 1-3 hours of the first parking ticket for a substantive violation (such as no parking, no standing, etc.) and 24 hours for a “status violation” (such as expired registration, no current inspection sticker, etc). In either case, it behooves you to fight the second parking ticket BECAUSE, if the second parking ticket is dismissed, your tow charges will be refunded!
Good luck,
Best,
Larry
Lawrence,
As always, thanks so much for sharing your parking ticket expertise. There is a reason that I recommend all of my clients with NYC parking ticket issues to you.
To learn more about Lawrence and his company, visit NewYorkParkingTicket.
Matthew Weiss
This morning I got a ticket , I have a Orange reddish 2 door mini cooper , the ticket was for not commercial vehicle, on the body type it says I have a 4 door vehicle which I do not have, its this mistake a reasonable enough excuse to plead not guilty and have the ticket dismissed? They ticketed twice in the same spot , once at 8:09am and then again at 9:18am, but the information on the second ticket is correct , also my car got towed , but second issue would be , are they allowed to ticket you twice if you already got a ticket ?
Thank you so much for your valuable information. I just got a NYC parking ticket with a missing “time 1st observed, date 1st observed, and also a missing code/ fine. Will I be able to contest this ticket? Again, thank you.
Rowena,
Any parking ticket issued in New York State (but outside New York City) must include the following seven pieces of information:
* date (month, day and year) and time of offense
* location of the offense
* the plate designation (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the plate type (as shown by vehicle’s registration)
* the registration’s expiration date (month, day and year)
* the make or model of the vehicle
* the body type of the vehicle
If any of these items is omitted, you have a viable defense to the ticket. Any other omission does not render the ticket fatally defective.
Matthew Weiss
Two tickets in one night ! I got a parking ticket while I was getting my muni meter ticket at the machine ( it shows 3 min. before the ticket was issued ) in a no standing zone. I was the last in a long row of cars and the only car to be ticketed ( I checked later )I am from Florida and told the officer that the signs were confusing-no joy there. The ticket omitted the expiration date on my registration and mis-identified the type of car I have. Should I pay or fight?
Clocked 26 miles over the speed limit for #2 and I am concerned about the 6 points on my license. Does Florida get this information? Is there a way to remove or reduce points?
Suzanne,
You should fight the NY speeding ticket. It carries 6 NY points, roughly a $200 fine, a $300 Driver Assessment Fee and will transfer onto your Florida license. The Florida points will be the amount of points that would have otherwise been assessed as if the ticket was issued there.
In regard to the parking ticket, you can fight that one yourself. Make all of the arguments that you reference above.
Matthew Weiss
Evan,
Good morning.
Great question.
NYC is very aggressive in initiating collection activity against both in-state and out-of-state drivers that ignore parking tickets.
After 100 days, a default judgment will be entered on the record. NYC DOF will send this judgment to one of its collection agencies, that will make efforts to collect this debt.
I’m not sure how much importance a credit reporting agency is going to put an unpaid parking violation…But if it shows up, it will be a judgment.
I’m an old lawyer who hates loose ends. You never know when they’ll bite you.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Hi guys,–
My sister-in-law was visiting us in Manhattan recently and she got a street-cleaning parking ticket. She’s definitely guilty, and I recommended that she just pay the $50, but since she’s from Nebraska, she was wondering what might happen if she simply didn’t pay the ticket. She’s probably not going to be back in NYC anytime soon, and certainly not with a car. Could it potentially affect her credit score or cause her NE license to get suspended?
Thanks in advance,
Evan
Dear Mr. Weiss:
I got a ticket for an expired inspection sticker, the ticket was not personally handed to me but I can hardly read the ticket the carbon paper makes the plate number and all the other writing on the ticket look unreadable or illegible. The print is handwritten but very light. You can hardly read it. The vin number is missing, But plate is written but almost unreadable, Is the ticket dismissable?
Thanks,
Dave
Dave Shostack,
You can possibly win. Plead not guilty and set forth all of your arguments.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Jules,
I love your passion.
It is a shame that passion and reason is trumped by arcane rules and avarice.
Your burden of proof on appeal is to persuade the appeals panel the judge made a mistake of law or fact.
I am very sorry to say this time his honor was right.
M,
Good evening.
Great questions.
The fact the fire hydrant wasn’t working may be a get-out-of-jail-free card…If you can prove it.
The place of occurrence is a required element, and must be entered correctly on your parking ticket. If not, you win by presenting the proper proof properly. That’s the tough part.
I hate those “pirate treasure map” directions. But, I find more often then you might think, they are misdescribed. In a fire hydrant situation, you may wish to prove there is no fire hydrant within 15 feet, in either direction, of the location the parking ticket warrior claims you parked your vehicle.
Excellent research.
Good luck.
Best,
Larry
Hi,
Today I recieved 2 tickets for parking too close to a fire hydrant. First off the hydrant clearly is not functioning… But i guess that’s besides the point?
1st question… I got the 1st ticket at 12:11 AM and the 2nd ticket at 8:53 AM. Is there any rules that limit how many times they can ticket you within 24 hours?
2nd question…. The location under “place of occurance” is different on both tickets. Does this matter? Ticket 1 = S/S Richardson St 60 ft W/of Union Ave. Ticket 2 = N/S Jackson St 65 ft E/of Union St. I had to look at a map to even see where Jackson St is. If I understand the way they are descridbing the location, the corecct place should be North Side (N/S) of Richardson St 60-65 ft E/of Union.
Do I have a chance if I contest?
Thanks!
Well, you were right. I showed up and made my arguments: “1. There could be no obstruction of street cleaning when the City’s procedure for offenders of interfering with street cleaning is to tow their vehicle, and my vehicle was not towed. 2. The ‘No Pkg street cleaning’ rule is unique — where other rules to prevent interference with the fire department, police department, etc. are there because vehicles may need the space at any time, street cleaning only cleans once each designated period, and thus a reasonable reading of the ‘P’ sign with a broom through it means that the hours serve as a time window in which street cleaning can come through, and thus not obstructing the street cleaning is not a violation. 3. Having witnessed the street cleaning vehicle and tow truck pass by and receiving the ticket 13 minutes prior to the end of the 9A-1030A time window, and with a reasonable reading of the sign, I could not have violated the rule.”
He said my arguments were good and reasonable, “but the problem is that you’re wrong.”
Decision: “Respondent’s testimony that he parked his car after the street cleaner had cleaned the street is not a legal defense. Vehicles may not park in the street cleaning zones for the ENTIRE time that the regulation is in effect. Guilty.”
I’ve started on an appeals form but I don’t see any way of winning this. If I find the time and printer paper to move forward with the process I’ll let you know what happens. But in a nutshell, you were right.
Jules,
Thank you.
My old arthritic fingers are crossed, too…Nothing yet.
By the by…Was the month/year of your registration expiration date entered on the parking ticket? Or, was “N/S” or “N/A?” Does NH require a decal displaying the month/year of registration expiration on the license plates?
Looking forward to your reply.
Thanks for the follow-up, Lawrence. They do have all the info on my plates, including the correct expiration of my plates. The only information they don’t have is what cannot reasonably be taken without the driver present (year of car model, name of operator). I’m headed down to the Department of Finance later today to take my arguments before them, but given your advice I am going in with the expectation of having to pay them afterwards.
Jules,
Good morning.
My dear friend Matt asked me to share some of my thoughts about your thoughts.
I love it when a member of the driving community formulates excellent, reasonable arguments in defense of a NYC parking ticket. The big but is that these wonderful arguments are presented to a stone wall, the DOF.
There is legislation pending for more than 2 years before the NYC Council making your idea the law of parking ticket land and permitting drivers to return to parking spaces on the restricted side of the street after the street cleaning apparatus goes by. This bill is languishing in committee without sufficient votes to pass.
I am sorry to report your super argument will not win because you are required to obey all parking signs, no ifs, ends or buts.
Once upon a time there were millions of drivers from Pennsylvania who drove into NYC, were issued parking tickets, and thumbed their noses at Mayor B. Subsequently, NY and PA entered into a reciprocity agreement, and NY went after PA motorists with a vengeance to collect the left for dead fines/penalties/interest from old parking tickets. It was great for my parking ticket business, but a real headache for PA people. A parking ticket lives for 8.3 years.
Once a judgment is issued, all the evil tools employed by collection agencies are available to NYC (not just your car).
When you’re right-FIGHT. But, when you’re not right (as in your case) you may wish to pay your fine and move on.
Good luck.
Lawrence,
Thanks very much for applying your expertise & knowledge to my situation. Since I have NH plates, I had previously planned on chucking the ticket, so it’s helpful to know about potential future risks for defaulting. Fingers crossed for the referenced legislation to get signed into law.
JJ,
Points from a New York speeding ticket conviction will NOT transfer to you Ohio license. Therefore, a conviction generally will not affect your driving privileges in Ohio.
However, the conviction will be reported to the Ohio DMV and therefore your insurance company can learn about it. We therefore recommend that you speak with your insurance company before you plead guilty to this speeding ticket. If a conviction will affect your auto insurance, you may want to fight it anyway.
Matthew Weiss
Matthew,
I’ve read on forums that the No Parking Street Cleaning tickets are hard to beat, even when the ticket is issued after the street cleaner has passed. But maybe you’ll share my opinion that these tickets are clearly not meritorious — so if you have a moment I’d love to glean your legal advice.
I have out-of-state plates and don’t plan on bringing my car back to NYC. So I have the option of not paying the ticket at all and leaving it be. But I’ll take the time to fight and defeat the ticket if I have a shot at it.
Essentially, I parked my car back into the 9a-10:30a No Parking Street Cleaning zone after the street cleaner and tow truck passed. At 10:17a, I received a ticket claiming I was in violation of “No Parking Street Cleaning” Sect. 4-08 (d) (1).
If I take this to a judge and argue the following, do I have a shot at getting the ticket voided?
– There could be no obstruction of street cleaning when my car would have been towed had it blocked street cleaning
– I could not have knowingly obstructed street cleaning 13 minutes prior to the end of the time restriction when I witnessed the street cleaner pass by and knew it would not clean the street again
– The alleged violation is for “No Pkg street cleaning,” not “no parking unilaterally,” and that without the street cleaning requisite for the no parking zone, there would be no no parking zone, and thus that I had not violated the street cleaning code?
Please let me know if you think I have even a modicum of chance at winning this. If not, I’ll just toss out the ticket as I have out-of-state plates. Many thanks for your help.
Jules,
I am going to ask my resident parking ticket expert, Lawrence Berezin, to answer this ticket. Standby.
Matthew Weiss
almost the same situation. 20 minutes before street cleaning would have expired. left the car for 2 seconds to grab something, come back and I’m being written a ticket while standing next to my car.
Mariya,
Two seconds (or not), you were illegally parked based on what you wrote. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but have to be honest.
Matthew Weiss
No Parking is only $ 60 or $ 65. No Standing & Stopping is $ 115.00.
CD Stands for “Check Digit” A code on the NY Registration sticker that only DMV understands.
Dana,
Good morning.
Great questions.
First, the only “real life” difference between stopping, standing, and parking are the activities a member of the driving community can perform in each zone. For example, you can stop temporarily to drop-off or pick-up a passenger in a no standing zone, but you cannot drop-off or pick-up property. In a no parking zone, you can drop-off or pick up a passenger and property. If you stop in a no stopping zone, simply hand your wallet full of money to the parking ticket warrior.
Second, an off street parking space designated for use by a handicapped person with a permit, is a NO PARKING zone. Therefore, you can stop temporarily to drop-off or pick-up a person and property in a handicap parking space because it is considered a NO PARKING zone. The big but is….You can never wait for a passenger to finish his/her business in a store (no matter how fast the person is).
Waiting in a no parking or no standing zone is not permitted by the rules, even if you are behind the wheel with the motor running, and seat belt engaged. In other words, you can’t stake out a parking space, wait for your daughter to finish her piano lessons, and read the op ed section of the NY Times. Barnes and Noble is a better choice.
Here are some definitions that may be helpful. In the wacky world of NYC parking tickets:
Stopping means-“…any halting, even momentarily of a vehicle, whether occupied or not.”
Standing means-“…the stopping of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers.
Parking means-“…the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in loading or unloading property or passengers.”
Temporarily means two minutes or less.
I suggest you check the front of your parking ticket for mistakes. If a “required element” is omitted, misdescribed, or illegible you win upon application. A required element is a bite size bit of data that must be entered by a parking ticket warrior to establish a prima facie case against you. For example, the Make, Expiration Date, Body Type, Plate Type, Place of Occurrence, Plate Number, State of Registry, Time of Violation, etc are required elements.
However, the VIN #, color, or year of your buggy are not required elements.
Good luck, Dana D
Hi,
I was in a parking lot at the local pharmacy and while waiting for someone to come out of the store. I pulled into a handicap spot but did not shut off my engine or take off my seatbelt. An officer pulled up behind my car and blocked me in. He got out and told me I was in a handicap spot, I told him I was waiting for someone to come out, that’s why my car is still running. I apologized and said I would move immediately. He got nasty and wrote me a ticket. Since my car was still running, would I be considered as someone who was “parked” in a handicap spot? Can I fight this ticket?
Dana D,
You can definitely fight it. Perhaps, a judge will be sympathetic given the circumstances. Technically, you were not parked. However, you need to read the specific regulation under which you were charged to see whether “standing” or “stopping” is permitted within a handicap spot.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I got a ticket for parking “no parking 7am-4pm SCHOOL DAYS”. The ticket says “ALL DAYS 7am-4pm”. Although in the comments section of the ticket it is written school days, I think that the “violation” is in error. Do you think it is a valid claim for dismissal, and is there a code section that I should mention in my letter to them (that would say that if it’s not a correct citation then it is invalid)?
Thanks for your time.
Philip,
You should plead not guilty and fight this one. It sounds like you have a pretty good defense.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
Early this evening I recieved a ticket for being to close to a fire hydrant, which i wasnt aware of a just a couple a minutes from parking near the hydrant the meter maid handed me a ticket for the violation and i believe i noticed a few errors on the ticket. FYI i drive a ford explorer which is a FORD make and my registration says SUBN and honestly I don’t even know what that means anyways i reviewed the ticket and noticed a few possible errors on the ticket on the make section it states Make the officer listed it as a “MACK” which i believe a MACK stands for a MACK TRUCK which are usually large commercial truck. I also noticed the body type states 4DSD which should have been SUBN. anyways if these are legit error can I fight it or am I stuck with the violation???
Mike,
We have some useful information available on our website in the NY parking ticket section.
It should help you fight this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Ok. They ticketed and towed me for my bumper being partially over the line which protects the entrance of a commercial driveway. The commercial driveway signs were placed improperly (they were 50 feet apart despite that city ordinance have a max length of 30 feet for any driveway) and one sign has already been moved but the other one (the one my bumper extended partially beyond) was not moved. The latter sign sits 7 feet beyond the driveway splay and is 40 feet from the other sign (they face each other). Do I have a chance in contesting this ticket? I need to get the tow, storage and ticket fees back or I’ll get behind on my car note!
Angela,
By all means, give it a shot but, I haven’t read anything that would lead me to believe that you can win. Check for any of the errors discussed above and consider taking a reduced fine (if offered).
Either way, the best of luck in fighting this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
This morning coming back from a doctor’s visit I double-parked my car in front of my house.Leaving my wife in the car,I moved my second car from the non cleaning side of the street to the cleaning side of the street since in 10 minutes the cleaning would expire and I was waiting with my engine on.Two “traffic officers” if you can call them that,go to the first double parked car and start writing me up a ticket.Now I am watching this from the second car and not because of the ticket,or for the money but for the sake of my wife’s health -the doctor said no stress or anxiety-I step out of my car walk six feet to the other car and I ask what’s going on.One of the female “officers” tells me I am double parked and I am getting a ticket.As everybody ,I am trying to explain the situation to them,no yelling,no swearing since I did double park.My wife calls me and says to me that it’s ok since we are double parked.I responded that I would rather get a ticket for the second car on the cleaning side since it was $45 instead of the $120 (double parking).Before I even finish my sentence both of the “officers”walked the six feet and are giving me now a second ticket for $45 on my other car!!!Now I am still trying to keep my patience and I ask the other female “officer”(of course right?it can’t be the same one at the same time…)why is she giving me a ticket since there was a car in front of mine and a car behind mine.I also asked if she was selectively choosing who gets a ticket and who does not.Her response was that both cars had a driver in them!!!!I really asked her if she was serious since iI came out of the second car because the other “officer” was giving me a ticket on my first car,and all this when people passing down the street were swearing at them,people that I do not know.She gave me the ticket,and they both continued strolling down the street…So let me get this straight…if I would have parked both of my cars at the cleaning side of the street and my wife was in one and me in the other,we would have never gotten a ticket…but instead I got 2 tickets for $165…What do I plead to that?I even asked the lady if i did something to offend her or if she knew me from the past and I did something to her to deserve such a retaliation…Of course no response…I am sorry for my long story and thank you in advance for your response.
Din,
Plead not guilty and fight these tickets.
What does the ‘CD’ field on the ticket mean?
Petemc1969,
I’ve never seen such a field. Can you scan it and email it to me?
Matthew Weiss
mweiss@888redlight.com
I also would like to know if the “CD” field means # of cylinders. It is on the same line as the plate, all the way on the right. Mine is filled in as “8”. (My car is 4 cylinders, so if that is supposed to be cylinders, it’s wrong.)
My ticket also has the body type wrong – the tkt says “SDN ” but my registration correctly say “SUBN”. Is this enough to get the ticket thrown out? And what do I need to provide as evidence?
Thanks
Teevoz,
These errors may help you beat a NYC parking ticket. Plead not guilty and make your case.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Thanks Matthew – is that “CD” field supposed to indicate # of cylinders?
I read that CD refers to the community district the ticket is given in, although I don’t know if that is correct – but apparently not cylinders, and apparently not a required field.
I sent in my request for online hearing – will let you know what happens.
Thanks again
Happy news – I plead not guilty online on Sunday, included a scan of my registration which clearly said the body type is “SUBN” and the ticket which clearly said “SDN”, and pointed out that if the officer couldn’t see that the car is a suburban wagon, he also was mistaken about how close to the hydrant I was – and today, two days later, I got notification that the ticket was dismissed!
Thank you so much for this informative site and your encouragement!
Hi,
I received a $115.00 ticket for parking in a no parking zone. I had my DOT placard displayed in my windshield, and I as only parked there for an hour and a half. I’m a NYC teacher and I often park in the same place, for over a year, because my student lives in this building, and there was no parking. Is there anything I can do to fight it besides send in a copy of my Permit?
Thanks for reading this far and if there’s anything you can think of to help, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks and have a great day!
Marian
Marian,
Plead not guilty. You should be offered a reduced fine of $95 in about 30 days. This will save you a little money.