Disgusted.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

a few weeks ago, I was issued a parking ticket in the brief window of opportunity between exiting my car and obtaining a guest permit from my destination. On showing the permit in hand to the ticket writer who was still there, I was told "it took me a minute to write it. dispute it.", and they walked off. So, I've disputed it.

Today, I received in the mail a demand for payment saying that my dispute had been denied, and I quote, "Hearing officers cannot dismiss validly issued ticket(s), which conform, to the parking rules and regulations.".

Apparently policy is now, or perhaps may always have been, for there to be no grace period whatsoever in obtaining guest permits.

So, fair warning. Apparently Somerville expects nonresidents to have to cell phone ahead to destinations and have someone meet us curbside with a permit.

I'm thoroughly disgusted by this, and out $50 for being LEGALLY PARKED.

Comments

[thespian.livejournal.com]

this happened to gingicat when she came to pick me up on day as well.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I would push the dispute further. Make a copy of the relevant guest permit and also perhaps bring a signed statement from the person you were visiting. I've had guests receive tickets under the same circumstances but they were always dismissed right away.

That is indeed really gross.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

and out $50 for being LEGALLY PARKED.

i agree this really sucks (i've had this happen in somerville too, actually, and now i wait in my car while they run up and get the permit) but...you weren't legally parked. by your own admission, you were parked somewhere that required a permit and you didn't have one.

it's like the people who park somewhere 'just for a minute!' and so they don't put money in the meter and then whine when they get a ticket.

[concrete.livejournal.com]

I had better luck disputing tickets in person.

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

That happened to me as well, I disputed by mail, they claim never have to received it after I was told not to worry about it by their office, the assistant head guy said he would investigate and never got back to me so I had to pay the late fee as well.

Always Appeal in Person

[tom-champion.livejournal.com]

As noted in earlier discussions on this topic, the procedure that works best is to:

1. Do nothing until you get your first late notice, which also contains an automatically generated hearing date.
2. Go to that hearing or follow the instructions to change the hearing date to one that fits your schedule.
3. Appeal in person. Bringing your resident friend and citing the permit number would both be good ideas.

It's not necessarily right or fair or logical, but it is what works.

BTW, a "grace period" only works if the PCO saw you pull up. If you park and run in to get a visitor permit and the PCO turns the corner after you've exited your car, then he/she can have no idea of when you arrived. (I don't know, of course, whether that's what happened in your case. The PCO may in fact have seen you exit the car and just assumed you weren't returning.)

[paradoox.livejournal.com]

OK, I haven't read all the comments, but I'll pontificate.

Yes, this is really gross, but I'd (unfortunately) suggest you pay the ticket and move along.

Somerville has been *rabid* about parking tickets for a long time and is only getting worse. They obviously view it as a revenue source. I'm not sure I've ever heard of *anyone* winning on appeal.

The only way this is going to stop is if the merchants association starts making loud noise about things and some businesses start moving out of Somerville to places with less draconian parking policies, like say Cambridge.

Which reminds me, I need to go pay my Boston parking ticket.