What is the name of your state? Illinois
I went out to my car this morning (Friday, 10/13/2006) and found that the Chicago Dept. of Revenue had decided to decorate my car orange for Friday the 13th. It was a ticket on my windshield for failure to move for street cleaning on the day before (Thursday). It was definitely not a special event ticket.
I parked there Wednesday around 6:30pm and made a very clear point to look around for street cleaning signs while I was looking for snow route signs - Wed. night was the first frost and Thursday morning the first snowfall of 2006. I parked at the southern end of the block and have to walk to the northern end to get to my apt. So I KNOW there were no signs.
I took the El on Thursday because of the snow and because I had to go the loop. On Firday morning I found the ticket.
I called up my ward office and asked whether they were installing permanent signs as many wards already have - not for a year. This was obviously asked for a reason so she got my story and called up the person in charge of such things and, through the secretary, claimed there was no problem. Frankly I don't see this as much of a point since the average city of Chicago worker being called by their ward office isn't going to say they weren't doing their job (street cleaning is now coordinated by the wards I believe).
I've previously fought a ticket for "no or improper display of city sticker" and won. It was a bogus ticket - I had a city sticker and it was on my windshield. But it took me a trip to city hall and 2 in-person hearings to prove it. So I don't trust the Orwellian-named Dept. of Revenue farther than I can throw it.
Anyways, I basically feel like I'm screwed. Any thoughts? Mail-in seems like it would be quicker to just pay the ticket. The snow aspect of the situation seems like the only angle that might get someone to believe me.
I am a graduate student so the scheduling of an in-person hearing is not a major problem unless it's totally pointless.
Yours,
Tom
I went out to my car this morning (Friday, 10/13/2006) and found that the Chicago Dept. of Revenue had decided to decorate my car orange for Friday the 13th. It was a ticket on my windshield for failure to move for street cleaning on the day before (Thursday). It was definitely not a special event ticket.
I parked there Wednesday around 6:30pm and made a very clear point to look around for street cleaning signs while I was looking for snow route signs - Wed. night was the first frost and Thursday morning the first snowfall of 2006. I parked at the southern end of the block and have to walk to the northern end to get to my apt. So I KNOW there were no signs.
I took the El on Thursday because of the snow and because I had to go the loop. On Firday morning I found the ticket.
I called up my ward office and asked whether they were installing permanent signs as many wards already have - not for a year. This was obviously asked for a reason so she got my story and called up the person in charge of such things and, through the secretary, claimed there was no problem. Frankly I don't see this as much of a point since the average city of Chicago worker being called by their ward office isn't going to say they weren't doing their job (street cleaning is now coordinated by the wards I believe).
I've previously fought a ticket for "no or improper display of city sticker" and won. It was a bogus ticket - I had a city sticker and it was on my windshield. But it took me a trip to city hall and 2 in-person hearings to prove it. So I don't trust the Orwellian-named Dept. of Revenue farther than I can throw it.
Anyways, I basically feel like I'm screwed. Any thoughts? Mail-in seems like it would be quicker to just pay the ticket. The snow aspect of the situation seems like the only angle that might get someone to believe me.
I am a graduate student so the scheduling of an in-person hearing is not a major problem unless it's totally pointless.
Yours,
Tom