Old, old, old, old Tickets

I live in PA, and the tickets were probably issued in Philadelphia.

I have questions regarding parking tickets received in 1995 and 1996.

I sold my car for $75 immediately before moving out of the country in 1995, but I did not transfer the title. The buyer of the vehicle promised to transfer the title, but he apparently did not do so. Subsequently, this person seems to have illegally parked the car on a number of occasions. Because the title had not been transferred, the tickets were sent to my old USA address, at which my parents live, but my parents never forwarded the tickets to me. They only told me that tickets had come to the house, and then threw them in the trash. I I have been out of the country since 1995 straight through until the present; I still live overseas. During the past nine years I have taken vacations back to my hometown, and those vacations lasted a couple of weeks. I doubt that I was even in the country on the dates for which the tickets were issued, but I have not yet been able to verify this as I haven't yet seen a copy of any of the tickets. I have contacted the Philadelphia parking authority (this is where the buyer of the vehicle lived - I live in the suburbs), but they have only told me that the tickets amount to a little more than $700.


1) Is it possible for me to contest parking tickets that were issued in 1995 and 1996?

2) Isn't there a statut of limitations on parking tickets?

3) I've heard that "bench warrants" (whatever that is) can be issued for not paying parking tickets. Can I be arrested for not paying?

4) Do you think I can be absolved of all financial responsibility for the tickets if I can prove that I was out of the country when they were issued, and that I was not living at the address to which the fines were mailed so that I never new I even had them? If I had been notified, after the first ticket I would have called the buyer and made arrangements to transfer the title. Either that or report the car stolen . . .

My response:

After my review of the "PennDot" site, it appears that you're the one who's "on the hook" for the fines simply because you failed to fill out, and file, the notice of sale/transfer of your vehicle, which would have informed PennDot of the new owner. Since, for all intents and purposes, the State had you down as the owner all of this time, this amounts to a "learning lesson" for you.

None of your "defenses" are viable. The State laws require you to inform the State that a transfer has been made, and you failed in your duty.

IAAL

1) You could try, call the court and ask them.
2) No.
3) You sure can.
4) IAAL answered this one. Reporting it stolen will only land you more fines and possibly in jail for filing a false police report.

Thanks for the replies. I'm still waiting to hear more from the Philadelphia Parking Authority, beyond the fact that I owe the money (how I can pay electronically, if there's been a bench warrant issued, if I can contest the tickets).

So basically what you're saying is that the regsitered owner of the car is always responsible for the tickets, not the driver at the time the ticket was issued, right?

There is one other little piece of information that may or may not have a bearing on the issue (I'm clutching at straws here!) In 1995, when I "sold" the car, it was a REAL junker. And since no ticket notices had been mailed to my parents' house after about 1996, I guess that the car was junked. Maybe tickets are no longer valid on a car that was junked, or abondoned??

Oh yeah, I also renewed my PA license last September when I was in the States. Would that have been possible if a bench warrant had been issued?

I guess I'm lucky no crime was committed with the car. That would have been a hoot to find out I was wanted in connection with an armed robbery of a pizza place, or something like that. . .

I think the only way you could contest the tickets is if you hired an attorney in PA who was good at finding loopholes. Other than that, I'd pay this - fast - before the fines go up and it gets worse!

As for the renewal of the license - it may have been an oversight or there may not be any warrants out on your license yet for the tickets. That's another piece of luck for you.

Other than that, I agree with IAAL on all counts!

I think the only way you could contest the tickets is if you hired an attorney in PA who was good at finding loopholes. Other than that, I'd pay this - fast - before the fines go up and it gets worse!

As for the renewal of the license - it may have been an oversight or there may not be any warrants out on your license yet for the tickets. That's another piece of luck for you.

Other than that, I agree with IAAL on all counts!