parking in a wendy's parking lot

[barneswm1]

What is the name of your state? Georgia

I recieved a parking ticket from a city of cochran police officer while i was in a wendy's parking lot. The officer said that I was not a customer of wendy's and that the parking lot sign is posted for wendy's customers only. I ate lunch there then walked across the street to drop some paperwork off. I was gone for about 20 minutes. When I walked back to my car I had the citation on my window. I had recieved other tickets for parking on yellow curbs. The problem with those is that its a small town and the yellow has faded to nothing. My question is if I have my reciept from wendy's that I had purchased food then according to their posted rules of parking I was not in the wrong. I also thought that police officers could not write tickets in private parking lots. If I am wrong please let me know. Should I go to court for this, or just pay the ticket?

[xylene]

WHAT exactly did you get a ticket for. The violation and any codes?

What does the yellow curb have to do with this?

[tranquility]

What is the date/time on the ticket and what is the date/time on the receipt? If the receipt is shortly before the ticket, I'd go for it.

[barneswm1]

the ticket says
unlawful parking: Wendys
Specify: Posted Customer parking only

the yellow curb thing is that the town is VERY small and the tickets are all from the same officer. I think that he thought i was trying to beat the system by parking in wendys. Instead of parking on the curb. So he came in to wendys and wrote me the parking ticket.
I thought that cops could not write tickets on private property like that.

The reciept from wendys is from 1250 and the parking ticket is from 120. I got back to my car at about 125. I had just missed the officer, or i would have talked to him.

[TinkerBelleLuvr]

While you were in Wendy's, you were a customer of theirs. Once you left and went elsewhere, you were NOT a customer any longer.

[barneswm1]

I understand that, but the sign simply states that parking is for wendy's customers only, I bought food from them making me a customer, there is no posted amount of time on the sign. So according to what their parking regulation is, I was not in the wrong. Wendy's didnt make the complaint. Im not trying to argue if i am a customer or not... how that is classified and such. I am trying to figure out if the cop can come in to the wendys parking lot and write me a ticket for parking there. And if it is worth it to go to the court date or just pay the ticket. But thank you for your input anyway.

[patstew]

[quote=barneswm1;1718231]Wendy's didnt make the complaint. Im not trying to argue if i am a customer or not... how that is classified and such. I am trying to figure out if the cop can come in to the wendys parking lot and write me a ticket for parking there./QUOTE]

Not understanding this: if Wendy's didn't make the complaint, who did? Are you saying this police officer in a one-cop town somehow has it in for you, and if so, why?

As for ticketing on private property, refer to your town's parking ordinances. In mine, we're allowed some leeway if there's a citizen complaint.