Incorrect license plate number on ticket, but...

What is the name of your state? New York

Someone I know kept their car parked at a meter too long in NYC. However, the meter maid printed the wrong license plate number on the ticket. I know that can be grounds for dismissal if the person charged contests it (although is it necessarily automatic?).
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/dispute2.html

But the catch is that the reason the wrong license plate number was issued on the ticket is because the meter maid read it off the registration sticker on the window, not from the actual plate (which I think they're required to do). And that registration on the window is that of the previous owner of the vehicle - the current driver of the car forgot to replace that sticker with his current registration that's in his glove box. So they have the wrong license plate number issued on the ticket because the current owner of the vehicle hadn't changed the sticker, which had the license plate of the former owner of the vehicle on it (not the new license plate number they have now).

So I guess my questions are - should the person contest it? If so, how likely is it he'll win? Is it likely that they will discover the mistake and deny dismissal (they do, after all, have his VIN which they can trace to the current owner, so I guess this question concerns the efficiency of the NYC bureaucracy), and finally, is there a possibility that they can slap on an extra fine for expired registration if he chooses to contest the ticket and they discover what happened (or even worse, some charge of false ID/misrepresentation)?

You might be able to contest it if what you say is correct about the wrong tag numbers.

I do not know if you would win or not.

What I do know is that they have a way of catching you from the numbers off the old sticker.

So, a word to the wise: take care of this ticket one way or the other.

Narc said:

So I guess my questions are - should the person contest it?

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Can't answer that - it's up to them.

If so, how likely is it he'll win?

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If by "win," you mean "ticket will be dismissed," then pretty damn good.

Is it likely that they will discover the mistake and deny dismissal (they do, after all, have his VIN which they can trace to the current owner, so I guess this question concerns the efficiency of the NYC bureaucracy),

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They can, but the odds of them actually doing so are slim - the ticket is deficient on it's face with the wrong license, no matter where the info came from or why. They cannot "amend" a parking ticket like the police can for a moving violation, parking (and sanitation) tickets themselves are prima facie evidence of the crime and thus, unlike officer testimony, have to prove guilt 100% on their face So even if they do, you'll have excellent grounds for an appeal (even though you have to pay the ticket ("bond") to appeal).

finally, is there a possibility that they can slap on an extra fine for expired registration if he chooses to contest the ticket and they discover what happened (or even worse, some charge of false ID/misrepresentation)?

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Of course it's possible. It's also possible Mayor Bloomberg will swing by your house tonight to give you a reach around. However, I suspect the likelihood of either event actually occurring is roughly the same. Then again, nothing prevents a parking agent from ticketing him again in the future, so fixing the problem would go a long way in that regard. Good luck.