Got a Ticket for parking near a Hydrant but Yellow line is barely visable?!

[Raqui]

I live in New York city the bronx to be exact.

I got two ticket with in a 9 hour period for 115.00 each for parking to close to a Hydrant.

When i parked it was very late and dark even with the street lights on and the yellow line is not visible. Even in the day time it is worn and you can only see some traces of the yellow that was there.

I would like to know can I fight these two tickets? The yellow line could not be seen at night and is barely there in the day. Can I recieve two tickets for the same thing? One was late last night, one was very early this morning.

Even on the ticket there is conflicting distance limits. One says I was 5 feet the other says 4 feet. That should prove that the yellow line is hard for the police to see.

I feel i should at the very least get a reduction if not both tickets dimissed. If I could clearly see the yellow line i would have known i was in a restricted area.

Raqui

[moburkes]

Was the hydrant visible? Yes, you can receive 2 tickets for the same thing. Otherwise, people would only ever get one spedding ticket in their whole life!

[Raqui]

I meant for non moving violations. If you have ticket on the car someone told me they cannot give you another one until a 24 hour period has passed. in this case it was not even 9 hours. less than the ammount of time someone might sleep and get ready for work.

[You Are Guilty]

Originally Posted by Raqui

I meant for non moving violations. If you have ticket on the car someone told me they cannot give you another one until a 24 hour period has passed. in this case it was not even 9 hours. less than the ammount of time someone might sleep and get ready for work.

You were given bad advice. The NYPD/PVB absolutely can and does give multiple tickets for the same offense. Sometimes you can get some sympathy and have one dismissed/reduced if they are within ~60 minutes (or less) of each other, but even that is a crap shoot. There is no requirement whatsoever that two tickets 9 hours apart be treated like anything but two tickets.

As far as the yellow line, since the law doesn't even require it to be there, your inability to see it doesn't matter - you are required to park 15 feet away no matter what color the curb is. The 4 vs. 5 feet will also be of no import, it's not like one said 6" and the other said 14.5'.

Go down to the PVB office and plead poverty - hydrant tickets aren't eligble for a settlement so your only hope is they feel pity for you.

[Raqui]

That is what I was afraid of. Maybe they will have pity on me and let one go. It is funny because I park there all the time and this is the first time in 7 months that I got two tickets. I guess I was just lucky. I was quite far from the hydrant. i am going to have to carry a yard stick from now on.

I am also curious is that a fifteen foot legth with the fire hydrant in the middle of the fifteen feet or fifteen feet from either side.

If it is fifteen feet from either side i know alot of people who should be getting tickets like I did.

[You Are Guilty]

Originally Posted by Raqui

That is what I was afraid of. Maybe they will have pity on me and let one go. It is funny because I park there all the time and this is the first time in 7 months that I got two tickets. I guess I was just lucky. I was quite far from the hydrant. i am going to have to carry a yard stick from now on.

I am also curious is that a fifteen foot legth with the fire hydrant in the middle of the fifteen feet or fifteen feet from either side.

If it is fifteen feet from either side i know alot of people who should be getting tickets like I did.

Its technically 15' on either side. Being NYC, you can usually "get away" with being 10-12' away, but you are taking your chances come the end of the month. The "everyone else is doing it" defense, while often true, never actually worked.


PS: Don't expect much sympathy from the PVB - a few years ago, I actually had photos documenting my car was 15' away (giant tape measure) and they refused to dismiss my ticket because they said I moved my car between when the ticket was written and my taking the picture.

[Raqui]

Ok Thank you. I guess I can only see. I mean worst comes to worst they tell me to pay it right. I would be in the same situation as now. LOL

The information was great i appreciate it.