Paid Meter, Got Ticket Anyway - What Gives??

[erhoffer.livejournal.com]

What if you paid a fee to the city, and they gave you no receipt. Then they said they never received payment and charged you 50 times the amount in a penalty? That's what happened when I parked at a meter in Somerville and got a ticket anyway. Of course there is no way to prove that I paid since I didn't get a receipt for filling the machine with quarters. I sent a very descriptive letter explaining what happened and noting that the parking meter person must have made a mistake. Of course it is my word against his or hers and so my appeal was denied.

Do I need to photograph the meter every time that I use it, just in case?

- Erin

Comments

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

that sucks.

but even photographing the meter, who's to say if it's the meter you parked at, if you put quarters in it, or what day it was even taken.

good luck :/

[pushupstairs.livejournal.com]

are you sure it was "your" meter?

[yesiwill.livejournal.com]

Its too late this for now, but when you saw the ticket on your car, had your meter already run out? Because I would have taken a photo of the meter, with time left, with your car in front of it.
And if there was no time left, well, isn't that the reason you got the ticket?

parking update

[erhoffer.livejournal.com]

After 8 pm, it is not required for meters to be paid in that area. I put enough money in to last past 8 pm. I arrived at the car well past 8 pm and the meter had expired by then, but that was legal according to the posted signs.

And I definitely put the money in the right meter. In that area, the meters are right in front of the cars, they are in a parking lot, so there is no confusion about which side. I had to climb over a huge snowbank to get to the meter and was absolutely sure that I was in front of my own car.

thanks for your questions,
- Erin

Re: parking update

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

One remote possibility: I've heard of electronic parking meters spontaneously resetting to zero when the batteries start to run low. Could you check the meter in question after someone else pays to see if the timer runs correctly?

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

How about a 'no parking' violation on a street where you never parked? Appeal DENIED. T&P in this city is out of control. And I don't think they are making mistakes. It is a concerted effort to squeeze more money out of people any way they can. The appeal situation, which used to be pretty reasonable, has for all intents and purposes ended. They will tell you that if you disagree with the decision you can file an appeal at Superior Court!?!?!?
Here's the thing....everyone who gets screwed by a bad ticket chalks it up to a mistake, bad luck, whatever. I'd like to see someone try to collect data on all of these 'mistakes'. I think if people saw how often this is happening they'd be horrified, then they could unite in their fight against the Traffic and Parking department!!!

[dullescoelho.livejournal.com]

I've heard rumors of the parking people "losing" complaints sent in by mail, then claiming you defaulted on your option to argue the ticked because they never got it.

Send another letter certified?

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

Send your letter certified mail, and I would send it to the acting director. I will say that I had a good experience with the assistant director returning phone calls.

good luck

[coeceo.livejournal.com]

Somerville parking folks have a license to steal and do it.

Don't bother getting into it. Pay it and move on. You will not get your appeal, no one will listen to reason there, it irks me to the core to give up when I know I'm right, but they will just break you down.