MI resident w/ unpaid NYC parking tickets

[FrankieBones]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

Hello all,

I am a resident of the state of Michigan and a student at Columbia University here in NYC. This summer, I have been driving a car that is registered to my dad back in Michigan. Myself and my roommate have received several parking tickets throughout the course of the summer (probably 5 or 6 in total.)

Perhaps wishfully, I allowed my roommate to convince me that there would be no consequences for unpaid out-of-state parking tickets, so I decided to pay one of the tickets and let the rest slide...

Well, I received a phone call from my parents the other day saying that they received two unpaid parking ticket notices in the mail. Apparently, they incurred a $10 late fee, but the tickets can still be paid.

I have read on this forum that States who are members of the Drivers License Compact will prevent renewing one's license when unpaid tickets are involved. I read elsewhere on this forum that the DLC only applies to MOVING violations.

On a side note, I received the parking tickets under a plate number that has now expired and been replaced with a new one. When I search the NYC website for parking tickets under the OLD plate number, I do not receive any results. Does this mean that the tickets have already automatically carried over to the current plate #?

So, my question is this:

What are the potential consequences for these unpaid tickets that are in my father's name? Should I simply man up and pay the tickets? Or is my roommate right after all - can I just let them go?

Thanks in advance for your assitance.

- Bones

[FrankieBones]

That in two weeks the car is going back to Mi and will never be driven in New York state again...

[quincy]

The tickets follow you back to Michigan and the fines increase. In Michigan, if you fail to answer 6 or more parking violations, you (or your Dad, if the car is registered to him) will not be able to renew a driver's license until the fines, costs, fees, etc. are taken care of. Changing the plate and plate number will not get you out of the tickets, either. Plate changes are recorded with the Secretary of State, which also keeps a record of your old plate.

I actually had a car towed away when I was in school, due to my failure to pay parking tickets (I actually accumulated a sizeable number...maybe 50 or 60 - my parents were not amused!). In spite of the fact that parking tickets seem sort of silly (at least to me), the consequences of ignoring them can be great. You should just pay, preferably before your Dad tries to renew his license.

[Zigner]

I don't know if this is a good sign or a bad sign. On one hand, you think you maybe should pay the tickets. On the other hand, you are actually thinking maybe you shouldn't pay the tickets...

[PrinceCharming]

Why pay full price when you can get a discount?

You dont even have to be in NY to get the discount. You don't have to pay postage to get the discount. Go to

[url]http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/contact/contact_app_hearbyweb.shtml[/url]

and submit a defense. You can even ask if the ticket can be reduced. Your parents will get a letter in the mail with a reduced offer if paid by a certain date. You can even beat the ticket is you do enough research. I beat 7 out of 7 parking tickets in the last 9 months (all of them were defended by web but research says it is best to fight in person).