location on ticket too vague?

[sam8988378]

What is the name of your state? NY

I received a ticket for improper display of registration sticker (the windsheild was at too sharp an angle, I was scratching the glass, so I had to wait for my brother with tools to come home from work. But I couldn't show up at his house without a birthday gift for his wife). They tell you how to put it on, but not how to take it off. The current sticker was placed next to the expired one, but not glued, as that would have been a ticket for being in the wrong place.

The location of my car was stated as "opposite 1500 Main St". This would mean that I was parked on Main St, wouldn't it? It would have been reasonable to not only expect a ticket, but also a tow there, as parking there would have been obstructing traffic & parking in a "no parking" zone. But I was in a shopping plaza parking lot. Opposite 1500 Main is actually way on the far end of the shopping plaza, not at all close to where I parked. In between Main St and my car is not even all open space. Lined up on Main St with the shopping plaza behind them, are several stores with addresses: Independence Bank 1460 Main st, Boston Market 1465 Main St, Kentucky Fried Chicken 1453 Main St (which would have been correct had the location been given as "behind 1453 Main St"), and Milanos Liquors 1441 Main St. There are 4 miles between 1500 Main St, and New York Harbor. Could everyone there wind up having to pay a ticket listing their car location as "opposite 1500 Main St"? After all, while technically true, it's also vague and misleading.

Could I contest this ticket for having the incorrect location?

Thank you for your help

 

[FlyingRon]

Sounds like you are grasping at straws. Sounds like the citation location is perfectly reasonable for "the far side of the parking lot for the business at 1500 Main St."

 

[sam8988378]

Not the parking lot for the store where I was ticketed.

Sounds like you are grasping at straws. Sounds like the citation location is perfectly reasonable for "the far side of the parking lot for the business at 1500 Main St."

I wish I could include an arial photo of what I had described. The shopping plaza where I had been ticketed was not the parking lot for the business at 1500 Main St. 1500 Main is an entirely different business located across from the shopping plaza, with its own parking. The area across from 1500 Main is the far end of the plaza. I was not even near the that end. I have a receipt for that day -5 minutes before the ticket - for the TJ Maxx, located at the angle of the "L" row of stores, as far as you can be in the shopping plaza from 1500 Main. I was parked in the shopping plaza in a spot which could be accurately described as behind behind the Kentucky Fried Chicken 1453 Main St, or across from Petland Discounts 1495a Forest Avenue. Not even close to 1500 Main St. And yes I am hoping to avoid the ticket. I am currently on disability (another reason why I wouldn't have parked so far away from the store as to be opposite 1500 Main St.), and the ticket would be half of my weekly income.

 

[sam8988378]

dismissed on a technicality?

I had heard that in order for a ticket to be valid, the information must be accurate. The place of occurence must be written specifically enough to describe only one location. Opposite 1500 Main St. could be on the street itself.

 

[Zigner]

So, you were in the parking lot that is across the street from 1500 main street...

It really doesn't matter how many times you ask - you've alread been given accurate answers.

 

[sam8988378]

puzzled not combative

I'm sorry, I don't wish to be argumentative, but how can "specific enough to describe one location" encompass two entirely different physical locations?

 

[Zigner]

I'm sorry, I don't wish to be argumentative, but how can "specific enough to describe one location" encompass two entirely different physical locations?

Do you expect them to enter the exact parking stall number you were in? Get real man.

 

[sam8988378]

still puzzled

Of course not. But how can "one location" encompass both a car parked on Main St. itself (opposite 1500 Main St), and a car parked over 300 feet away (as the crow flies), not in any way "opposite" from 1500 Main St? One could not draw a straight line from 1500 Main St to my car. GPS coordinates from each location could be given a wide margin of error and still not be close.

 

[FlyingRon]

You're caught up in the details. The answer is that they don't need to pinpoint your car location to the nearest foot. Being in the same block is close enough.