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Parking ticket while reading parking signs

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PinkLotus

Junior Member
I was at Chinatown in Los Angeles, an area that I am not that familiar with. I saw some parking meters and of course first instinct would be that it was a park-able area. I stopped there and notice in my rear view mirror that a parking enforcement car was approaching. I looked up at the signs, there were FOUR parking signs so I tried to skim through them as fast as possible then bingo, I could not park there after 4pm and it was about 4:15pm. By that time the parking enforcement car was behind me but I didn't think anything of it since I never got out of the car and I was "paused" there for only 30 seconds or so. I drove off and I saw that he had followed me for a bit, I just assumed we were going the same direction but now that I received a parking ticket in the mail, I can assume that he followed me to get my license plate number since he probably didn't have enough time to get it down.

I understand the sign did say "no stopping" but it wasn't a red zone, it was a parking meter zone so I'd assume I should have had some grace period to read the signs. It wasn't even just one sign either, there were four signs.

Do you think I have a good chance to get this dismissed if I contest the ticket and take pictures of the area (meter+4 parking signs)?
 


randomguy

Member
You should fight it. I fought it before and won. Basically they have no vin # as such no proof that it was your vehicle. Understand that when you first challenge the ticket you will be denied and you will have to go to the hearing.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
The license plate and description of the vehicle would be sufficient. And if they have the plate, they have the VIN.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
PinkLotus, all you can do is take it to the hearing officer or panel by contesting it as indicated on as indicated the citation. If they cut you some slack with your 30 second pause, great. if not, have your checkbook ready (if you had not been required to pay up front prior to the challenge).
 

randomguy

Member
The license plate and description of the vehicle would be sufficient. And if they have the plate, they have the VIN.
Maybe in your town but I have fought this many times in LA and won. You can write down any vehicle plate # and description. It do not provide proof that either vehicle was parked illegally or even stopped illegally.
 

The Occultist

Senior Member
Knowing the VIN also does not prove that the vehicle was parked illegally (all having the VIN means is that you found the VIN), so your logic doesn't really work. The "proof" will be the observation of the unbiased officer.
 

randomguy

Member
Knowing the VIN also does not prove that the vehicle was parked illegally (all having the VIN means is that you found the VIN), so your logic doesn't really work. The "proof" will be the observation of the unbiased officer.
Having a vin at least means that you had physical access to the vehicle.
 

racer72

Senior Member
Having a vin at least means that you had physical access to the vehicle.
That couldn't have worked when I got a parking ticket in LA about 18 years ago. My car was a 1966 model and the VIN is on a plate riveted to the firewall. The only way to see it is to open the hood. Back then a parking ticket was only $12. Probably a lot more now.
 

PinkLotus

Junior Member
Thank you for all your replies! I was so upset about this yesterday, I have never received a ticket, been pulled over, etc. since I have always been careful and cautious. This is my first time and it is very upsetting because I personally didn't think I was doing anything wrong since I was just reading the parking signs.

I think the poster asked if he could park to have the opportunity to read the sign.

But the signs are generally readable from the street, outside the parking lane. If the OP has vision that does not allow him to read the sign but is still OK to drive with then the OP could make this argument.
Thats the thing though, it wasn't one clear cut sign. There were four parking signs and there were cars behind me so thats why I pulled over to the curb. Plus it wasn't a red zone or else that would be an automatic understanding but instead it was a meter zone. Honestly this is my first encounter with a meter parking zone that has an allocated time for "no stopping".

Technically I guess I am wrong for stopping in a no stopping zone but how else would I have known it was a no stopping zone if I didn't take the time to read the signs to find the one that does say no stopping (from 4pm-6pm). :( I know the parking guy saw that I was there for just a bit unless he assumed I had been parking there and was getting ready to leave or something. I originally wanted to park there to get coffee from lollicup which I ended up not even being able to get because I couldn't park/stop there!



Back then a parking ticket was only $12. Probably a lot more now.
Yes! The parking fine for this is $88!
 
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Dillon

Senior Member
You should fight it. I fought it before and won. Basically they have no vin # as such no proof that it was your vehicle. Understand that when you first challenge the ticket you will be denied and you will have to go to the hearing.
if me when denied i would object and ask if it was an arbitrary denial or based on facts ? what are the conclusions of law and the factual basis for this denial of dismissal?

I would Recuse Judge for Cause
 
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Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
if me when denied i would object and ask if it was an arbitrary denial or based on facts ? what are the conclusions of law and the factual basis for this denial of dismissal?

I would Recuse Judge for Cause
:rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
Maybe in your town but I have fought this many times in LA and won. You can write down any vehicle plate # and description. It do not provide proof that either vehicle was parked illegally or even stopped illegally.
Well, Los Angeles can do it how they want. Not having the VIN does not prove it did not happen. If that were the case, all anyone would ever need to do would be to cover their dashboard VIN.

Since license numbers can provide a VIN that will come back to match a particular year, make and model, that is generally sufficient. But, L.A. can hold themselves to any standard they wish.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
Having a vin at least means that you had physical access to the vehicle.
Nope. I can find out your VIN by running your license plate. And if the dash VIN is covered or unreadable, I won't have the VIN even if I am staring at your car with you in the driver's seat (unless I run the plate, of course).

A parking citation generally requires the last four digits of the VIN, but nothing says that they have to be read from off the VIN plate on the dash.
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
if me when denied i would object and ask if it was an arbitrary denial or based on facts ? what are the conclusions of law and the factual basis for this denial of dismissal?

I would Recuse Judge for Cause
Parking cites are heard by a hearing officer or a panel, NOT a judge or traffic commissioner.

I am the hearing officer for my agency and I dismiss cites periodically, but generally only when they are completed incorrectly, improperly cited (wrong section or no actual violation), or otherwise inaccurate to the point that they are ambiguous or unenforceable. If someone does not like my technical analysis, they can appeal it to the Chief of Police or the City Manager. If they do not like that appeal, THEN they can try to take it to a judge to hear it. But, if they lose, they have to pay the parking cite AND the court costs (which are minimal).

In the ten years I have been a hearing officer I have never had one appealed to court.
 

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