sign obscured by scaffolding, dark street

[mercer]

What is the name of your state? NYC

i parked in a "no standing anytime" zone overnight. when i parked, it was evening, then street was completely full both sides (some stupid singer had a promo 30min concert randomly on tues night) for the usual "no parking 8am-6pm." this street has "no parking 8am-6pm" on both sides all the time. except... at the very end of this street, there is a red "no standing" sign, however, it is obscured by scaffolding. in addition, it was dark out and the red sign is even more difficult to see at night. evidence to the darkness of the street is that the ticket says my car is green when in fact it is blue.

anyway, there are two signs on this block, but i only saw the sign that said "no parking 8am-6pm." i actually did walk down the street sidewalk under the scaffold to see the this sign, which is not under scaffold. the "no standing sign" next to/under scaffold i did not see. i park on this street all the time overnight and i always check signs; i can't believe this happened!!

i am wondering how i should put together a photo defense? and do you recommend going in person or using the mail method first?

also i am wondering if i should point out that my registration sticker is clearly on my license plate, inspection stickers on the front window (all up to date), but that the officier checked "N/S"=not shown for "date registration expires." my vin number was not copied although it is present (ok, it's hard to read in the dark off the glass). any of this worth pointing out?

this is my first and only infraction/ticket of any sort. will this help if pointed out? or should i keep my mouth shut?

thanks so much for your advice. i dont expect that i will win, but this is really what happened, and maybe i'll be lucky. better to be lucky than to be good, right?

 

[You Are Guilty]

OK.

If you're reggy is on your plate, you have an out of state car. That means you probably will not be able to get out of the ticket based on incorrect reggy information. It's worth a shot, but don't hold your breath.

As for the signage, one sign per block is all that's required in the City. Assuming the No Standing sign didn't have an arrow (pointing away from where you parked), as long as the sign is physically there and legible (not defaced), you are guilty. You can try to show it was obscured in order to mitigate the fine ($65?) but that's going to depend on what side of the bed the ALJ woke up on when they review your case.

The VIN is not necessary on the ticket so it being missing won't help.

And the PVB is very picky about accepting pictures, so make sure you review their web site to see what they want before you waste your time.

 

[mercer]

NYC

thanks for your reply. sounds grim. you're right, i've got NJ plates.

i know it's one sign per block--that's why when i saw the "no parking 8am-6pm" with double headed arrows, i assumed that was that. the other sign was on a different pole that was next to a scaffolding pole/under it and difficult to see at night. ugh!

any other ideas on the photo defense? (i looked at the website you mentioned, i think, it seems to just say the photos have to show that it was the actual street)

how do i plea bargain a parking ticket? can it only be done in person or can i do it by mail?

thanks so much.

 

[You Are Guilty]

You can do it in person, by mail or on the internet (!). (I've had the most success in person, although I just tried one via internet last month and haven't heard anything yet.)

As far as other defenses, there really aren't any - the law is written that way on purpose. Parking tickets are a huge source of revenue for the City.

I'd contest it & just hope they knock the fine down a few bucks.