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.
1301 Comments. Leave new
Hello Matt. I’ve gotten three parking tickets in the last 7 days. I’ve been parking my MOPED scooter in these locations all summer long without a problem. I always park at the end of a block where no car would fit and I’m careful not to block crosswalks. Are there any defenses regarding selective enforcement? What should I look for on the tickets in terms of making sure they are properly prepared for a MOPED (not a motorcycle). Thanks much.
Sarah,
I am not aware of any defenses based on “selective enforcement”. The items listed in my post above are the same ones that you should check on your 3 tickets.
Matthew Weiss
-Hello, I received a ticket for No Parking street cleaning 4-08(d)(1). In the In Violation of field, the ticket says: “No Pkg street cleaning DAYS/HRS: MTh/ 10A – 12:30P”. The actual street sign reads No Parking Mondays & Thursdays 11AM – 12:30PM. Is this a reason for the ticket to be dismissed?
-Additionally, the Time of Offense is 11:06AM. I arrived to move my car at 11:00 & the ticket was already on my windshield with the time marked 6 minutes later (and 1 minute over the 5 minute grace period). I hesitate to raise this second point as I’m not sure how to prove it other than suggesting that the 11:06 time is a warrior strategy to avoid the grace period. Any suggestions on how to approach this?
-Many thanks for your assistance to so many of us.
Alex,
The wrong sign description is an interesting argument but ultimately I do not think that it will succeed. Given that you were parked after 11 am and this time period is restricted, I believe that this argument will not be adopted.
The 5-minute grace argument does not apply to “no parking tickets”. Rather, it only applies to expired or missing Muni Meter ticket cases.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I have 3 parking tickets this month. It’s a lot for a student who is in budget. I hope you can give me some advices. Is there anything to do if they’re wrong with car color or model year. My last ticket is a double parking ticket. People do it all the time in my area. It was about 2-3 am and I left my car on the street to pick up my friend my friend in the apartment. It was about 15-20 min. Please help me how to reduce my fine. Thank you!
Thomas,
The wrong color and model year are good arguments. You should plead not guilty to all the tickets and make this argument showing a copy of your registration card as proof of these errors. Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I left my house to find I had two tickets in one envelope, both for parking too close to a fire hydrant. One ticket was from 9:56 pm says I was 6 feet from the hydrant and the other was from 6:16 AM in the morning, which says I was 5 feet from the hydrant. I was actually about 8 feet from the hydrant, which I realize is still a little close, but I wonder if this will help me. I’m planning to fight them, any advice?
Thanks!
eebh223,
Nothing which you wrote suggests that you’ll able to beat either of these tickets. The law requires motorists to park 15 or more feet from fire hydrants.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matt, i got a ticket for partly blocking a driveway of an empty parking lot at night and my car was impounded expeditiously after getting the ticket which is baffling. I think the nypd and tow truck companies are in bed together most of the time. In any case, i paid round about 140 to get my car back from the impound. Now, i am looking at the ticket and the address on the ticket does not exist on ACRIS ( a new york city database for properties and parcels) and the USPS address finder. Since the ticket is defective and i’ll most likely prevail, can i ask the tow company to issue a refund since the ticket was defective? I heard somewhere a tow company can’t impound a car unless there is a ticket issued to it which in this case is defective with an unknown address. The tow company also typed the incorrect address from the ticket on the receipt.
Isiah,
In my opinion, I don’t think that you’ll get the tow charges refunded. Give a try and let us know what happens.
Matthew Weiss
HI,
I have to parking tickets for missing plates on a motorbike. One of them has an incomplete VIN number and the other has the complete VIN number. Some required elements are missing : plate number, exp date, plate type. What are my options?
Thank you!
John,
You should plead not guilty. The omitted plate number, expiration date and plate type are significant errors that should result in a dismissal (BTW, the incomplete VIN number is not a valid defense).
Matthew Weiss
I parked my motorcycle, I paid and placed receipt under the gas lid which is very visible and I got parking ticket Failure to Dsply Muni Receipt..When I came to my motorcycle there was no receipt.. I assume someone stole it or flew away. I plead not guilty and I am going to court. Any advise for me? I purchased ticket holder before but someone ripped it off. How can I be responsible if I cannot 100% secured muni receipt on my motorcycle??
Thank you in advance..
Kenaan,
If you paid the Muni Meter via credit card, then show your credit card statement as proof of payment. Otherwise, I don’t see how you can beat this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Thank you for your reply. I don’t think I explained the problem correctly. I wasn’t referring to my address.
Can I email you directly with a scan of the form I’m referring to?
Thank you,
Susan
Susan,
My email is mweiss@888redlight.com.
Matthew Weiss
I got 3 parking tickets in Yonkers – no license plate, no registration sticker, and no inspection sticker. The thing is, I had a temporary dealer registration from NJ. The ticketing cop actually tore my temporary tag off my car and ticketed me for not displaying a license plate. In addition, since the temporary tag was issued in NJ (the car not registered in NY) I was not required to display a registration decal or an inspection sticker. So I pleaded not guilty by mail to all 3.
But this is my problem: in order to plead not guilty by mail, Yonkers requires you to write your name and plea info in a space marked “Plea Form” on the back of the ticket. Immediately below the plea form is a P.O. Box address.
What do you think that means?
A few days later, I got another ticket (Yonkers issues A LOT of tickets) and was pleading not guilty again. But while reading a very small paragraph opposite the plea form, I noticed something I hadn’t noticed before. It read “do not send to P.O. Box.” WTH? Why would they print the wrong address prominently, in LARGE BOLD TYPE, directly under the plea form, and then bury the correct address in a block of tiny text on the opposite page??? Why is that address even there? They can’t not know what most people filling out that form will do.
By the time I discovered this I had passed the deadline. Can I resend my not guilty plea and evidence, along with a statement of why I sent it to the wrong address? Will I still have to pay a penalty?
Susan,
Your address is your mailing address (PO Box or otherwise).
From what you write, I don’t think you’ll win. However, if you plead not guilty, perhaps you can work out a plea bargain where you only pay 1 or 2 of the tickets.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
Thank you for the quick reply. I just have a clarification/follow-up question on my prior ‘personally served’ question. The warrior did ask for my license and enter my name on the ticket but did not hand the ticket to me — she just put it under my wiper. So does “personally serve” refer to the asking for my license or the actual handing (serving) me the ticket?
I plan to contest the ticket and will definitely let you know the outcome.
Thanks again,
Dan
Dan,
Yes, “personally serve” refers to the asking for your license and actually handing (serving) the ticket, although a PVB judge may decide that placing it under your wiper was sufficient delivery.
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I just received a ticket for parking in a No Standing zone. The agent just wrote in the comments section that I refused to move which is a lie. She just scanned my registration and started writing the ticket without asking me to move. She did ask for my license; however, she shoved the ticket under my wiper and did not hand it to me. Does this constitute being personally served or can I use that as a defense? I did capture her shoving the ticket on my mobile phone video.
Thanks for you help!
Dan
Dan,
If a driver is sitting behind the wheel when a warrior issues the ticket, he or she is required to ask the driver for her name and enter it on the parking ticket. However, this rule is not often honored. Specifically, the driver must be seated behind the wheel (standing next to the car doesn’t count) and the driver/owner must be able to present uncontroverted, totally impossible to ignore proof, that he or she was seated behind the wheel when the warrior issued the ticket (Judges are loathe to dismiss for failure to serve). Your video sounds like it maybe be enough to win. Let us know what happens.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I parked at a street that allowed parking till 6am. I ran late and got back tot he car at 9am. The problem is, they towed my car, and when I got it back, there were 2 $115 tickets within 30minutes of each other. Is there anyway to fight the duplicate tickets?
Emily Wong,
Yes, you should argue that they are duplicative and hopefully one of them will be dismissed.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Got a ticket for parking at 9 am where you can’t park until 9:30 am. The whole block was parked with cars and I didn’t see tickets on anyone else’s window.
The ticket was given at 9:10 am.
Anyway to beat it?
John,
It doesn’t sound like you have much of a defense.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
I received a “Failure to Dsply Muni Rec” with my motorcycle.
1st, how do I show a parking receipt on my scooter and second the on the tickets it miss the Meter #.
Also, I don’t think the Day/Time Rule in effect is correct (there is a way to check it on the internet?)
In any case, Do you think I can dispute it?
Thank you!
Stefano,
The display issue is irrelevant if you have a valid Muni Meter receipt. If so, just produce it with your not guilty plea. The omitted Meter # is not a valid defense. Finally, I am not sure know what you mean by “Day/Time” rule but, if you mean, that you did not have to have a Muni Meter on the date and time of your ticket, then the signage near your vehicle should prove this defense.
Matthew Weiss
I got a parking ticket but the officer didn’t sighn it is it a valid ticket
Tylor,
You win if the officer did not sign the ticket so plead not guilty and fight it. Keep in mind that ANY
mark in the signature box is accepted by the PVB as the warrior’s signature.
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I received a $45 Street cleaning ticket in Brooklyn NY on a brand new car with only temp plates. The Temp is registered in NJ.
this ticket lists only the temp plate # , No Expiration date, no Vin# , No Year on the Car.
Am I responsible to pay this summons being that half of the info is missing? Will this all transfer to my regular registration and license plate when i receive them?
Dave,
You should plead not guilty and produce proof other registration as well as argue that the ticket is defective given the omitted info.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Thanks for all the great advice above.
I received an Expired Inspection ticket in Manhattan. My inspection really was expired, so I brought the car the next day to a shop and had the car properly inspected. New sticker is now attached.
The only error on the ticket is the handwritten date the inspection expired. The officer wrote 06/31/15. June only has 30 days. Any chance I can fight this?
Thanks
John,
Thanks for your nice remarks.
You can certainly try. There is no downside so I would plead not guilty and make that argument.
Matthew Weiss
Good Morning Matthew,
I received $115 ticket for 0 Feet from the Hydrant. They got all the info correct on the ticket except for the make of the car they put a Ford but its a Chevy. Can I fight this if so what do I need to say & send in for evidence? Thanks !
Maria,
You simply argue that the ticket is defective based on the wrong make. You should include a copy of the vehicles registration card as proof of the error.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I just received a notice of parking violation with $10 late payment penalty today. This violation happened on early September. I was running back to where my car was parked and tried to refill the meter which has expired about 30 minus. After i arrived, I saw a police officer was writing my licence plate number on his ticket printing machine and was about to give me a ticket. I asked him nicely if it’s OK not giving me the ticket as im going to refill right away. He said he just started, and told me ” go ahead to refill”. After saying that, he just walked away without giving me any tickets. I thought it was my lucky day until i received the violation notice today. My question is he never given me the ticket, i assume that he already cancelled it and decided to let me go. That is why i thought this violation never exist. Is it worthy to fight?
Thank you for your help
Hi,
I got a notice of parking violation with $10 late payment penalty today. This violation happened on early September. I was running back to where my car was parked, tried to refill the meter which has already expired about 30 minus. I saw an officer was writing my licence plate number on his little ticket printing machine. I asked him nicely if it’s OK not giving me the ticket as im going to refill right away. He said he just stared, then told me ” go ahead to refill”. After saying that, he just walked away without giving me any tickets. I thought I was very lucky until i receive the violation notice today. The question is he didn’t give me the ticket, that is why i thought this violation never exist.
Is it worthy to fight?
Thank you for your help
Jason,
Man, what a shame!
Below is our lengthly response to the issues raised in your question. It has been provided by NYC parking guru Lawrence Berezin of newyorkparkingticket.com
If you are not present … then there can’t be personal service and, therefore, it is not required. Arguing that the parking ticket “fell off the car” is tilting at windmills. It doesn’t work…Believe us, we’ve tried.
If a driver is sitting behind the wheel when a warrior issues the ticket, he is required to ask the driver for her name and enter it on the parking ticket. However, this rule is not followed … the driver must be seated behind the wheel (standing next to the car doesn’t count). You must be able to present uncontroverted, totally impossible to ignore proof, you were seated behind the wheel when the warrior issued the ticket (Judges are loathe to dismiss for failure to serve)
Finally, the conversation with the warrior is “warrior speak” for I’m going to issue the ticket and someday you’ll get a surprise in the mail. You may wish to check the front of the parking ticket online for defective required elements. If you find one or more, you win.
If not, do you have a copy of the MM receipt you purchased? If so, check the time the parking ticket was issued and the time on the MM receipt. If they are within 5 minutes of each other, you can beat the parking ticket by raising the 5-minute grace period as a defense to this nasty ticket.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I got a parking ticket for my motorcycle for parking in a No Standing zone. I was parked about a meter past the sign for street cleaning hours (so fine to park) and an area that had been taped off for construction. i.e there was about a 2 meter space between the sign where it was okay to park and the construction tape. The construction vehicle had also partly obscured the no standing sign. I have also noticed that Date/Time first observed is not on the ticket nor is the VIN number of my motorcycle.
Would be very grateful for any help!
Thank you!!
Vince,
Nothing that you write is helpful. I doubt that you can beat this ticket. The Date/Time First Observed box is irrelevant to a No Standing offense. With that said, don’t let me discourage you from trying if you are so inclined.
Matthew Weiss
Hello, yesterday. I received a double parking ticket which is 115 dollars fine. At that day there was street cleaning from 11:30 to 1 pm. So at 11:30 I park my car on other side in double park to allow street cleaning, and went home. At 11:55, the officer gave me the ticket. I was wondering because I was parked like this for 5 years without the problem. I checked the ticket for defects and found that it states the wrong address officer (put 1548 E 16 St but real address was 1348 E 16 St). And in VIN number, the officer only put the last 6 digits. Is there way that i can beat that ticket?
Russell,
The wrong location is a strong argument for dismissal. You’ll need to take photos of the subject area. Make sure that the photo (or a series of photos) show the whole stretch of roadway involved, the street signs and street addresses in question.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Mr. Weiss,
I parked on Spruce Street in NYC. There was a sign post just next to where I parked but with no sign – just the steel post. About 60 feet downhill there was a no standing sign with the directional arrowed in the direction uphill where I was parked. Given there was no sign within a good 60 feet of my parking spot, is this a valid reason to plead not-guilty? I have photos to support this.
Also, there is no meter # listed on my ticket. Is this a good secondary argument?
Regards,
Steve
Stephen Ross,
The broken sign is valid defense in my opinion given that there was another applicable sign on the same street. Additionally, a meter number is not needed given that the offense was for parking in a No standing” zone
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I got a parking violation ticket yesterday no staying in a no parking anytime zone. The complainant’s comments were no driver found/no activity/no permit/no summons visible. I originally left the vehicle and asked my girlfriend’s brother to sit in the driver’s seat and to watch if any cops come. However, he decided to leave to get a cup of coffee. A few minutes later, my girlfriend (who was sitting in the passenger seat), noticed a cop scanning the registration bar code on my car. She got out of the car and apologized to the cop and asked if she could drive the car away. The cop said to her that she wasn’t suppose to park here and there is no driver here and the car isn’t on. She attempted to show him her license but the cop said I don’t know if you have a license and wouldn’t let her drive away and he printed the ticket. Is there any way around this ticket?
Jonathan,
Sadly, nothing which you have written suggests to me that you can beat this ticket. You apparently WERE parked in a no parking zone.
Matthew Weiss
Thank you so much for providing such a helpful resource!
My car was relocated by my local precinct due to street resurfacing, and they parked my car in a metered spot. While they did place a large pink placard on my windshield, I still received a ticket for failure to display my muni meter receipt.
I called the local precinct, and they can not (will not?) provide me with any verification, but suggested I plead not guilty and wished me luck.
Other than the placard, what can I provide as evidence?
And will it help me that the meter # is missing from the ticket?
Thanks so much!!
CricketNYC,
Thank you for your kind remarks.
No meter numbers are required but the pink placard should help you win.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
NYC sucks you spend 1 hr looking for parking and are forced to park in an no standing or fire hydrant spot.
Ticket was handwritten and officer wrote my OLD plate #..i have a new one..but it mentions it on my registration sticker..is that defective? NYC dept can’t link it.
Dima D,
Yes, the wrong plate number is a good defense. I would plead not guilty and use photos of the car and plate, as well as the current registration card as proof of the error.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi and thank you so much this is really a special website.
I was ticketed, booted, and towed for parking in a no parking Mon-Fri 8am – 6pm zone. The place of occurrence on the ticket states “front of 185 6th st.”
now the address of 185 6th street is north of the no parking sign on 6th street and its legal to park in front of it. Its 175 6th street that is in the no parking zone. Can I present this to the Judge? I can show this with the DOT map that has the no parking sign on it and the 185 address and photos of the street.
Also would I be able to get my money back from the towing?
Thank you again
Kevin
Kevin,
Thanks for your nice compliment.
It sounds like you have a viable defense. I would also bring photos showing both locations as well as the nearby street signs. If you cannot fit them all into one photo, then take a series of consecutive shots that can be put together to create the panoramic view.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
Thank you for having this blog and actually being active in it!
I got a ticket on 10/8/15 for expired registration (10/7/15) but I actually did renew before the deadline online and got the receipt and everything. I think when I closed the car door the “wind” pushed the receipt off the dashboard.
So the ticket says “no receipt on dash” Is there any way I can fight this? From the poster before me it seems that winning online is quite difficult. Any advice on defense?
Thanks again for all your help!
Mike,
My pleasure and thank you for the nice remarks. If you decide to fight it, then I recommend a in-person hearing where your chances for success are higher. At your hearing, you should argue that your registration was not, in fact, expired showing your proof. Further, you can add that you were NOT charged with failing to display registration but rather not having it (and of course you did have it).
Good luck!
Matthew Weis
Hi,
I have disputed many tickets online, with good reasoning, photos, etc. These should have been easy wins. For example, a “registration ticket mutilated” ticket where the photo clearly shows it was not mutilated in any way. I lose every time.
My question is, is it possible that NO ONE wins online? Have I possibly covered a dirty little secret? How would someone find the statistics for this?
Michael,
Some people do win online. However, your chances for success are greater during an in-person hearing.
Matthew Weiss
I recently got a street cleaning ticket in NYC street cleaning is from 9-10:30am. I moved my car at 8:50am got breakfast and returned at 10:20 after the sweeper passed. As I was getting out of my car, I noticed the traffic lady writing me a ticket. She said “I didn’t realize You were in the car so just go to court and say whatever I want to get the ticket dismissed because she can’t cancel it and she doesn’t go to court anyway. I can’t find any errors except NA in exp date and date/time 1st observed. Year has NS There is only a date and time of offense of 10:22am. Only 8 minutes before the cut off time geez. Isn’t there a grace period? The sweeper had already passed at 10am. This parking attendant has a horrible reputation and I noticed that she skipped some cars picking and choosing which to ticket. She was busy arguing with a man parked behind me when all occurred. Is there a defense I can use to get this dismissed. It’s so ridiculous and unjust.
Maria,
There is only a 5 minute grace period so the “8 minute” argument does not help. The NA for exp date may help you and is the best argument that I read in your note.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
Is my parking ticket defective?
Under Exp. Date, the agent wrote N/S Rain.
Under color, agent wrote OTH. My car is tan.
VIN # is blank.
Under Place of Occurrence, no address is listed.
Agent wrote:
” N/S E 88th St
20ft E/of 3rd Ave”
Thank you,
Steven
Steven,
The omitted expiration date seems to be your best argument.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I am a student at Columbia University in NYC and parked my motorcycle on the east side of Broadway where I did not see a “No Standing 6AM-6PM, except sundays” postage, because it was more than 20 feet away from me on the other side of a cross walk and I parked in front of another parked vehicle (no one inside). After reading about no standing signs, I understand that the arrow applies for where I parked because there is not other signage. I was issued a ticket with comments “no driver no permit no activity”
A few questions:
1) on my registration the color of my bike is Tan, but on the ticket it says, black. Is this something I can dispute even though the officer could not see my registration since I was not there when he issued my ticket?
2) Could the time of offense be incorrect? I remember parking my bike just before 6pm since I had to make a meeting at 6:15pm. On my ticket it says 5:42pm although I believe it was later (and I know there is a 5 minute grace period). Is incorrect time a viable argument?
3) Finally, this was the holiday of Yom Kippur on Sept 23rd — I read online that alternate side parking is suspended, but I assume this doesn’t apply to this traffic violation?
Thank you!
Marie,
Answers in bold below.
1) on my registration the color of my bike is Tan, but on the ticket it says, black. Is this something I can dispute even though the officer could not see my registration since I was not there when he issued my ticket? Yes, the wrong color is a good argument.
2) Could the time of offense be incorrect? I remember parking my bike just before 6pm since I had to make a meeting at 6:15pm. On my ticket it says 5:42pm although I believe it was later (and I know there is a 5 minute grace period). Is incorrect time a viable argument? Yes, if you can prove it (which may be tough).
3) Finally, this was the holiday of Yom Kippur on Sept 23rd — I read online that alternate side parking is suspended, but I assume this doesn’t apply to this traffic violation? Yes.
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
Hoping you can provide some insight into the following (and sorry if it’s wordy.)
Received a parking ticket on a residential street in Brooklyn this morning: 4-08(d)(1) “No Parking Street Cleaning.” The (frustrating) thing is, before leaving our car there for the morning, my wife and I checked for a no parking sign and found none (meaning, as we were parked second from the cross street, we walked down half the block and saw no signs at all.)
In fact, had we not received the ticket we would never have known about the regulation for that street because, as we discovered after the fact, the only sign posted was about 175 feet away from our car on the opposite end of the block (hidden from our view by the trees.) Lucky us.
So, I checked the DOT’s Parking Regulation page for the Sign Locater and if I’m reading it correctly, it indicates that there are two signs on that side of the street, one 70 ft from the intersection and the other 210 feet from the same intersection (the curb line is 278 feet.) So, one sign is missing.
Is the missing sign enough to contest this ticket (even though there is one on the opposite end of the block 175 feet away?) And if yes, are photos of the entire block, showing just the one sign enough?
Many thanks in advance (and sorry if this sort of thing was already addressed in the earlier comments!)
-Anthony
Anthony,
The missing sign may be enough to win. Give it a shot!
Good luck.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I got a parking ticket for no parking hotel loading zone. When I parked the car I looked around to see if there was any sign but couldn’t see any and didn’t know about this no parking zone. I however made sure to leave enough space in front of hotel while parking and not blocking the hotel front. When I came back to car I saw the ticket and then looked around again for any sign. I found that there is one sign at about two car distance in the front and was twisted and not readable while facing the sign and street. Please advice if I can successfully fight such ticket. thanks for the guidance here.
Ash Patel,
If you take some photographs and they show that the sign was not readable, then you might be able to win. Make sure that the street signs are visible in the photographs or that you have a string of photographs that connect the unreadable sign and the street signs.
Matthew Weiss
Hi, I got a ticket that about Bike lane illegal parking 6 months ago. I didn’t realize until today when I tried to pay another parking ticket online. The ticket only has plate number and vehicle color on it and comment “Drive Off”. It was 6 months ago and I don’t even remember if I ever parked there. Fine $115 and $10 late fee. Is it anyway I can dispute this ticket? Thank you so much for help.
Paul
Paul,
Nothing that you’ve written indicates to me that you can successfully fight this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
Hello! I received a parking ticket. Officer wrote: No Parking ALL DAYS/7a -4P. The signs states: No Parking School Days 7A – 4P, can this get dismissed based on a technicality? Thank you!
Jorge,
This is a pretty good argument (especially if you were parked outside the school days period). I would give it a shot either way!
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew,
I recieved a $115 ticket for parking my car in NYC greenwich after 11pm. I paid the munimeter till the max limit (11pm) and assumed that parking was free after that time. My car is new and I have temp plates.
I own a 2015 Volkswagen GTI and on the ticket they list the body type as a “4DSD”, but my car is a 5 door hatchback.
There is also no meter # present on the ticket.
Is there anyway I can fight this ticket or reduce the price? I am unemployed as a recent college grad so it’s a hefty fee to pay.
Thank you so much for you help!
Sean,
If you had a muni meter receipt covering the period of restriction, then you should win.
The 4DSD vs 5-door hatchback argument likely won’t be successful.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Matthew, I have received a wrong way parking ticket while I parked my car in front of my house (two way road, and on my house’s side is south to north). On Monday, I sent my child to school in the morning, and when I got back, the road in front my house was half blocked, and a worker says no enter from south to north. After I explained I live there, he let me go. And the same thing happened on Tuesday, so I drove from north to south on Wednesday and parked in front of my house. And the road work is still going on through Friday. Can I plead for no guilty?
Thanks, Jane
Jane,
From what you write, I doubt that you will beat this ticket.
Matthew Weiss
I have a similar issue as Jessie who commented 9/24/15 at 9:33 am. I was looking online at the nyc.gov parking site to see the balance I owed on prior parking violations, when I came across a violation I was unaware of. The violation stated that I did not display a parking ticket in my window. However, I was unaware of this violation because I never got one on my window. BUT, after reveiwing the ticket, my car was described as a silver volvo. my car is a white volkswagen. the tag and state, NJ, was correct but not the car. I believe that the parking warrior got my car mixed up with another. I was sure that I would win this because not only was the color wrong (which I understand is not a required field) the make was wrong. However, I was still found guilty. I am going to appeal this because I did pay to park, but I don’t have my parking ticket. If I would have got the violation I would have the ticket, but you would think that NYC would understand the mix up since my car is clearly not a silver volvo, it is a white volkswagen!!
Gwen,
The wrong color and of your car is a strong argument. You should plead not guilty and raise this argument presenting a copy of your registration card as proof of these errors.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
I paid the parking and left the receipt at the top of the dashboard on the driver side. There was no ticket on the windshield when I moved the car. Two months later, a letter arrived in the mail, saying that I didn’t display the receipt properly and the fine is $65 plus $10 penalty because I didn’t pay the fine in time. I lost the receipt long time ago since there was nothing wrong when I moved the car. How can I fight this ghost ticket?
Thanks, Jessie
Jessie,
Without the receipt, I doubt that you can win this case.
Matthew Weiss
Hi, I received two tickets this morning. I parked in a no parking zone around 7:55-8:05 a.m in front of my job. I got out, brought a couple boxes into the hallway of the building i work in, clocked in and went right back out. Somehow within the few seconds i had my back turned, a traffic cop managed to write me an inspection ticket, and a no parking ticket (hrs 8am-6pm) at 8:09 and then disappeared before i could even see him to dispute the tickets. I just got the car 8 days ago, my two questions are:
1- Can i beat the inspection ticket since the dmv says you have a 10 day grace period when you first register the car?
2- Since the no parking ticket was given while I was unloading things, can I simply explain that and beat that charge too, If so how should I go about it?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Richard James,
Answers follow each of your questions.
1- Can i beat the inspection ticket since the dmv says you have a 10 day grace period when you first register the car? Yes, you have a 10-day grace.
2- Since the no parking ticket was given while I was unloading things, can I simply explain that and beat that charge too. Yes as you are allowed to unload things in a “no parking” area.
If so how should I go about it? We recommend an in-person hearing to maximize your chances to winning.
Good luck!
Good Afternoon,
I had received a ticket for double parking. I had turn on my hazards and double parked because the car began to warn me about “Brake Wear”. Being that I’m not the owner of the car I wanted to call and make sure that I would be able to return the car back to owner with the brakes being damaged. Literally a minute late an traffic agent came and scanned the car. I explained what happened and he said it was too late he already scanned it. However when I received the ticket I noticed that the officer had entered the building number incorrectly. I was parked in across the street from 169 east prospect not in front of 169 east prospect. Secondly, when it’s an emergency aren’t you permitted to double park? Being that the car was warning me about the brakes I needed reassurance that the brakes wouldn’t give out on me.
Thanks for your advice in advance
Manila,
If you can prove a true mechanic problem, then you very well may win this case.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I got a parking ticket in nyc and all the info is correct except the plate number, they used the letter I rather than the number 1 on the plate description. when you look up for violations on the site, nothing comes up when I put my actual plate number, but it does come up with the letter I as it was written incorrectly. There is no VIN number recorded, just my date of registration expiration, make of car, and state of the plate. What should I do?
Thanks in advance!
Olivier St Pierre,
Great argument to beat this case (albeit a technicality)!
Congrats and plead not guilty.
Matthew Weiss
Received a ticket for expired muni meter.
Date/time of offense:
09/14/15 2:48pm
Date/time 1st observed:
09/14/15 12:59
I bought a time stamp at 11:59 for 1 hrs (until 12:59).
I then bought another stamp at 2:51PM
Can I defend myself with moving the car and getting my wallet to pay the meter?
Daniel,
Although you get a 5-minute grace period, because your second muni meter receipt was not purchased until just under 2 hours later, it sounds like you are guilty.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
Apologies if this is a parking ticket question- I know you don’t deal with them. But the category said “traffic” so I thought it might fall under that category instead. I recently got a ticket for double parking- it was street cleaning day and the cleaning time was from 9:30am to 11am. There are always cars double parked during that time and I’ve never had a problem before but I got a ticket at 11:01am. However, when I try to find my ticket on the payment website, it says it’s not in the database and it’s been about 5 days, which should be plenty of time for it to be put in. When I checked the ticket against your ‘checklist’ of what parts should be filled out, the “meter” section was left empty. Does this qualify me for exemption?
Thank you!!
Sarah
Sarah,
No, because a double parking violation has nothing to do with a parking meter.
Further, 5 days is relatively not a long time. You’ll need to keep checking for your case to “hit” the system.
Matthew Weiss
So, I got a double parking ticket on a day I was in my office in NY while the car was parked in Queens… The car was parked at 2:48PM and I got out of work at 5pm… How can I fight this? Makes no sense! Nobody has my car keys, the car was not moved at all that day…
Double Parking,
Weird. You will need to show proof that the car was not at the alleged place of occurrence. Also, check the ticket to make sure all the elements are inserted and correct.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I received a parking violation for parking during the street cleaning time (garbage truck blocked the sign, did not see it was in effect). However on the ticket itself, I’ve noticed that the TIME 1ST observed is written down, however the DATE 1ST observed is COMPLETELY blank. It would seem the ticket giver completely forgot to write down the date of the ticket. I’ve quadruple-checked the ticket, and no where does it say the date it was written, just the time and violation with my vehicle’s information. Do you think in this case my ticket would be dismissed?
Thanks for your advice!
Jon B,
The omission of the date is a fatal defect. Plead not guilty and raise this defense.
Matthew Weiss
Hello,
I received a traffic violation for not properly displaying my registration. The officer states that it was not displayed “on the windshield”, therefore was in violation of traffic rule 4-08(j)(3). Nowhere in that rule does it state that the registration needs to be displayed on the windshield. My registration was current. It was displayed and in clear view. Can I fight this based on the fact that the law does not explicitly say “display on windshield?”
Thanks
Alex,
Yes, you can certainly raise this defense.
Good luck!
Matthew Weiss
Hi,
I want to begin by thanking you for your time and counsel.
I was issued a ticket this weekend for parking to closely to a fire hydrant in New York City. However I noticed on my ticket that the Make (a required piece of information) was marked NS. I am not sure if the warrior meant N/S which from my understanding does not suffice the make requirement or if the warrior meant Nissan either way my vehicle is not a Nissan its a completely different make. I am pretty sure I can get this ticket dismissed on these grounds. Please let me know what you think.
Many Thanks!
NYC Dweller,
Thanks for your kind remarks.
I agree. The wrong make is a solid argument to make. Go for it!
Matthew Weiss
Hi Mathew, I got caught red-handed as I was sitting in the drivers seat of my work van waiting for my boss to call before heading in for the day. I was in a “No Standing” zone, which I missed, but explained to the officer that I would move but she wrote up the ticket anyway. It seems like a lost cause for me. On ticket under Complainants comments, she typed in “no plaque, no activity, no permit” what does that mean? Thanks
Stephen,
That means you did not have a plaque or other authorization to stand in the given location.
Matthew Weiss