apartment blunder

What is the name of your state?First of all i live in texas. I recently received a parking ticket for parking in the handicapped parking space in front of my apartment. There are two virtually side by side right in front of my particular building and they are never used all the other spaces around my building were taken and i planned to run in quickly and shower and head off to work alas someone gave me a ticket in the 30 minute span it took me to get back to my vehicle. It reads that i can pay the $250 fine or go to court. My questions are...is there any possible way i can contest this in court? Does the issuing officer have to appear? And lastly do i have to pay the $250 dollar fine even though this is in an apartment complex? Are there different fines for handicapped spaces or just a blanket 250 dollar fine. Thank you.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by longinvs1

What is the name of your state?First of all i live in texas. I recently received a parking ticket for parking in the handicapped parking space in front of my apartment. There are two virtually side by side right in front of my particular building and they are never used all the other spaces around my building were taken and i planned to run in quickly and shower and head off to work alas someone gave me a ticket in the 30 minute span it took me to get back to my vehicle. It reads that i can pay the $250 fine or go to court. My questions are...is there any possible way i can contest this in court? Does the issuing officer have to appear? And lastly do i have to pay the $250 dollar fine even though this is in an apartment complex? Are there different fines for handicapped spaces or just a blanket 250 dollar fine. Thank you.

**A: do you have a handicap parking permit? No, so you pay the fine. There is nothing to contest. Let that be a $250 lesson.

[BelizeBreeze]

Are there different fines for handicapped spaces or just a blanket 250 dollar fine.

Of course there are. Some run as high as $1,500 and if were me that had seen you, the car would have been towed. Add about $200 on to the fine.

You're lucky it's only $250.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by BelizeBreeze

Of course there are. Some run as high as $1,500 and if were me that had seen you, the car would have been towed. Add about $200 on to the fine.

You're lucky it's only $250.

**A: in that case I move to raise the writer's fine to $1500.

[BelizeBreeze]

Originally Posted by HomeGuru

**A: in that case I move to raise the writer's fine to $1500.

Seconded. Do I hear an "AMEN BURDDER?"

Ahemm well thank you both for your help. I guess you two are in law enforcement to feed those power hungry egos. Well i guess we all need to feel special and you all found your way. WAY TO GO! you give tickets! glorified tax collectors is all you are, quite the accomplishment

[BelizeBreeze]

Originally Posted by longinvs1

Ahemm well thank you both for your help. I guess you two are in law enforcement to feed those power hungry egos. Well i guess we all need to feel special and you all found your way. WAY TO GO! you give tickets! glorified tax collectors is all you are, quite the accomplishment

WRONGO. I'm a disabled vet who calls the police and has cars towed for people like you who are too damn lazy to park where they are supposed to. And I'll continue doing so. Because, like it or not, you don't deserve to park there unless you're willing to give up a limb or perhaps spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair.

Want to trade that for your 'short time' to run inside?

[CdwJava]

Originally Posted by longinvs1

Ahemm well thank you both for your help. I guess you two are in law enforcement to feed those power hungry egos. Well i guess we all need to feel special and you all found your way. WAY TO GO! you give tickets! glorified tax collectors is all you are, quite the accomplishment

The long and short of it is that the handicapped space was apparently clearly marked and you parked in it knowing full well that you should not have. The law does not likely read that it's okay to park there if you will be there 30 minutes or less. The spaces are there for a reason.

Yes, $250 can be a lot of money ... but it is still less than what others have to pay in other jurisdictions.

If this goes to court, the officer probably does have to appear at some point. However, I don't see any lawful defense to your actions unless the space was not clearly marked per the law. And the fine is probably a standard fine set for your jurisdiction.

Annoying as it might be to see these spaces empty so often, consider the plight of others - such as my mother-in-law and my late father - who needed such spaces. If they were occupied, then they would not be able to go to that place at all. Those of us who are capable of good mobility can certainly walk ... and most of us could use the exercise.

- Carl