Is there a way around the 21 day limit to contest citations?

[tommyrockum]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Los Angeles, CA

So I get a ticket for parking over the time limit in a 2 hour parking zone. But i wasn't parked in a 2 hour parking zone. I call the number on the ticket to contest it, they say they'll mail me a decision. Two months pass. I get another parking ticket and pay it, discovering during the process that the ticket I contested is still on my record and has DOUBLED.

So I call the helpful folks at the Parking Violations Bureau. They tell me what I expect to hear: my contest was ruled invalid and they mailed out a notice and too bad you didn't get it, 21 days have passed so you still have to pay.

But the woman on the phone reveals two interesting things:

1.) The "investigation" into my contest of the ticket revealed that there are no meters on the block, so that's why the ticket is valid.... I have no idea when the concept of "meters" entered into this issue, I certainly never claimed that there were meters on the block...

2.) The notice was sent to the wrong address. They sent it to street number 6205, I used to live at 3205.

She takes down my number to have a supervisor call me back. Supervisor calls and gives me the same by-the-book answers: 21 days passed, we don't care that you didn't get a notice in the mail, give us your money.


So the city gives me an improperly issued parking ticket, then unfairly represents my claims during the contest process, then mails a notice to the wrong address, and somehow I am still in the wrong and have to not only pay the original fine but the added penalties as well??????

Please tell me there's a way to fight through this bureaucracy... Proving that the ticket was unfair is the easy part, but getting around the 21 day rule seems to be the biggest obstacle. There must be some recourse to fight the "21 day" commandment if I can demonstrate that their notice was sent to the wrong address, no?What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)?