Parking Ticket issued by private parking company

[sk2307]

WA - I parked at a supermarket that I patronized for longer than the allowed 1 hour stay. I was issued with a "parking ticket". I didn't pay this and I received a nasty letter from a collection agency. Does the parking company have a legal right to issue parking tickets? must I pay what they are asking?

[Peetie]

The important question here is: Who issued the parking ticket?

My guess is:

If it was not issued by a state-recognized police officer, traffic officer or other type of authorized law enforcement officer, it is not a legal ticket.

A legally-issued citation is only resolvable in a court of law or in an administrative proceeding authorized by the state or DMV. The process is NOT issue the ticket, collect the fine. In between those two steps is the step that says you have the right to fight it.

In NYC, they installed cameras at red lights to catch people running the lights. The cameras took blurry pictures car (never getting a photo of the driver and in most cases, not even a license plate) and the tickets were processed and mailed out by a legal-sounding entity which no one had ever heard of before. It turns out that it was a private company with no legal authority to do anything and the only tickets that were paid were the ones given to people too uninformed or too intimidated by the big red letters on the ticket saying "PAY THIS AMOUNT."

If the ticket was not issued by a state-recognized law enforcement officer, do not pay it. Send them a letter telling them that if they take any further steps (such as reporting it to the credit history companies) you'll take legal action against them.

[racer72]

Peetie don't know squat about Washington law. And what the hell does camera tickets in New York have to do with the OP's problem? Nothing. You owe me for the minute of my life I spent reading the drivel you posted. I'll send you a bill and if you don't pay it, I will turn the debt over to a collection agency.


To the OP. Retailers are allowed by Washington law to issue civil fines for a variety of things such things as shoplifting, theft, damage to property and overtime parking. And considering the option, they could have towed your vehicle and those charges would have been a whole lot more than your parking ticket. The city of Seattle recently banned booting vehicles as a method of forcing folks to pay civil parking penalties but the penalties themselves are legal. Let it go and you will end up in court owing a couple hundred bucks after they add attorney fees and court costs.

[Peetie]

Hey racer,

Did you happen to see "My guess is:" in my post? Have any clue what that might mean?

Dolt.

[Peetie]

And since your tiny little brain couldn't see the connection of my NYC red light camera story, I'll explain it to you. The original poster's tickets came from an a private entity and not a law enforcement entity. The red light camera tickets came from a private entity and not a law enforcement entity.

Perhaps in Washington they allow private companies to do that but not in New York.

In CA a private party can issue them for handicap parking violations and the fine is steep. Youll never do it again.

[racer72]

Originally Posted by Peetie

And since your tiny little brain couldn't see the connection of my NYC red light camera story, I'll explain it to you. The original poster's tickets came from an a private entity and not a law enforcement entity. The red light camera tickets came from a private entity and not a law enforcement entity.

Perhaps in Washington they allow private companies to do that but not in New York.

Don't you just hate it when a troll wastes everyone's time. Kind of like a gnat buzzing in your ear. Oh, and I would bet NY allows it too. Go park too long in a private parking lot. Want to bet the owner will want you to cough up a few extra bucks too?