My Snow Emergency ticket

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Well, I finally heard back from the Somerville Parking office about my challenge to the ticket I got on December 19 for parking on the wrong side of the street at 7:45 PM during this snow emergency in which ticketing was supposed to start at 9pm.

"The Office of the Parking Clerk has reviewed your request for dismissal for the ticket listed below. We believe that the violation was issued in accordance with the City of Somerville Traffic and Parking Department rules and regulations.

The office recognizes your complaint and has administratively dismissed the violation. However any other similarly issued violations will not be dismissed."

While I am pleased that they have finally decided, five months later, that I don't have to pay the $100, I am a little disconcerted to have it ruled that the ticket was correct and they're only dismissing the ticket to be nice.

Comments

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, almost every ticket that's dismissed is done so in this fashion. I have no idea why. Some liability issue, maybe?

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's interesting to know, thanks.

[lizzielizzie.livejournal.com]

It does make some sense - it is their way of saying: "We'll dismiss this one, but that doesn't mean we'll dismiss any other ones like this that you get."

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Ah ... that makes a lot more sense.

[lonelyholiday.livejournal.com]

I still don't think it makes sense - or at least, they need to change the wording.

I agree that it's probably a liability issue, or a way to keep people from contesting every ticket they get, deserved or not. But the message comes across as trying to scare off even legitimate complaints. I don't like the (perceived) message of "we'll fix our mistake once, and then we're allowed to continue to screw it up as many times as we want, and you have no recourse."

This would be perfectly reasonable if they issued a valid ticket and were dismissing it, as the OP says, only to be nice. But they weren't. It was issued incorrectly, and if they continue to issue incorrect tickets, they should continue to dismiss them. "Just this once" shouldn't apply.

[jennyelfenmass.livejournal.com]

Yup, my friend got the same response when they ticketed her car for being parked more than 48 hours even though she had proof that she had driven her car to work those days.

[gruene.livejournal.com]

My guess the concern is less with liability, but more with precedent. They don't want someone bringing a letter that one of her friends got dismissing a ticket and trying to use it to argue that her own ticket should likewise be dismissed.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

But again, that ought to be irrelevant if the ticket was actually issued incorrectly. EVERY incorrect ticket should be dismissed -- not with a note that "we're only doing this to be nice" but more with a "oops we messed up." And then if a friend did come in with the letter, the response would be, "uh no, your friend's ticket was wrong, but yours is correct so you still have to pay it."

or maybe that's just too Pollyannaish for Somerville....

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

From what I've read here and in other forums, if you get a second wrongfully-issued ticket, they most likely will refuse to dismiss it because they already gave you your freebie.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

This is flat out BS and abusive.

Tell your alderperson.

From my own experience

[silveraeroguy.livejournal.com]

When I used to drive to work in Davis I'd get at least a couple tickets a month on average for parking meter violations. Most were legit. Since I used a count down watch set to 1:50, when it went off I alighted to the meter (I know feeding the meter is "against" the rules too but never got a ticket for that). The first time I got a ticket and was so sure the meter was off I had them test it. Sure enough they did find it was fast. There were at least 4 other occasions after that I was sure the meter wasn't timing correctly and called them in as well.

They're game became clear after my last attempt when they never actually removed the meter for testing and then claimed it was timing correctly.

Whoops!

[silveraeroguy.livejournal.com]

"Their"

My bad