How to dispute late payment for parking violation

[dleung65]

What is the name of your state?New York
I received a notice that I owe a penalty of $30 for a $35 parking ticket because I made a late payment, after 30 days. However, I sent the payment by check 6 days before the deadline. The letter says if I want to dispute it, send a copy of the cancelled check. I sent it November 11 and the bank says it was cashed Nov 26, way after I sent it. How will I dispute this? I know mail gets delivered usually in two to three days. Is it my fault that they take their time processing it? How can I prove that they received it in time? How can I prove anything? For all I know, they do this to everyone, just to penalize them almost 100% of the original value, which is ridiculous by the way.
Thanks.

 

[Zigner]

What is the name of your state?New York
I received a notice that I owe a penalty of $30 for a $35 parking ticket because I made a late payment, after 30 days. However, I sent the payment by check 6 days before the deadline. The letter says if I want to dispute it, send a copy of the cancelled check. I sent it November 11 and the bank says it was cashed Nov 26, way after I sent it. How will I dispute this? I know mail gets delivered usually in two to three days. Is it my fault that they take their time processing it? How can I prove that they received it in time? How can I prove anything? For all I know, they do this to everyone, just to penalize them almost 100% of the original value, which is ridiculous by the way.
Thanks.

If you have proof of mailing, then you can submit that. If you don't, then you're sunk.

 

[adjusterjack]

You could have sent it with tracking and delivery confirmation. But that would have cost you several dollars.

 

[dleung65]

You could have sent it with tracking and delivery confirmation. But that would have cost you several dollars.

I'm willing to bet that even if I did this, they would have made an excuse that I have to build in processing time. They really could just deny me and I wouldn't have a choice. They know that we will just give up.

 

[cbg]

I have a very specific reason for asking this question. When you mailed the payment, did you use a pre-paid, self-addressed envelope that they provided? Or did you write out the address on an envelope of your own, and stamp it?

 

[dleung65]

I believe that I used their orange envelope. But those are never prepaid. NYC giving us prepaid envelopes? LOLOLOL
But please explain for future reference.
Thanks.

 

[cbg]

We use a lot of pre-paid, self-addressed envelopes in my office; at least we used to. We now send them out as we're supposed to, but we advise the people receiving them to pay their own postage. Because of the way those envelopes are sorted at the post office (which is one building down and across the street from us) it can sometimes take as long as three weeks before we receive them, whereas if they stamp and address themselves we get them in a much shorter time. I don't know if it's the pre-payment or the self-addressing that is the problem, but I don't think you have a guarantee that it was received in 2-3 days.

 

[dleung65]

So I should use my own envelope and postage?
Thanks for the advice.

 

[cbg]

Well, ideally, you won't have other parking tickets to deal with, but if you do, you said you're using your own postage anyway.

 

[Zigner]

So I should use my own envelope and postage?
Thanks for the advice.

If you need to pay another parking ticket, I'd recommend doing it online.

 

[dleung65]

If you need to pay another parking ticket, I'd recommend doing it online.

You're right. I don't like paying the convenience fee, but sure beats being RIPPED-OFF for another $30!
Thanks.

 

[HighwayMan]

In the future, if you decide to plead guilty and pay the fine, try to do so within a day or two of receiving the NoV.

 

[dleung65]

In the future, if you decide to plead guilty and pay the fine, try to do so within a day or two of receiving the NoV.

Done taking chances with the corrupt system. Online payment from now on.

 

[HighwayMan]

Inefficiency hardly means it's corrupt.

 

[Zigner]

Yep - people seem to throw around the word "corrupt" as a catch-all when it's not warranted.