RMV citation with wrong number

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

In late April, I got a ticket for biking across the street on the pedestrian walk signal rather than a green light. While I think this is absurd, I saw no reason to contest it (especially seeing as the fee to file an appeal is $25, and the ticket was only $20). I tried to pay it via the website, and was first informed that it hadn't been entered yet, then that the citation didn't exist.

Today I got a notification that I defaulted on the citation, I own an additional $45 late fee, a $10 release fee, and my license will be suspended on June 25 if I don't pay.

However, the number listed on this notification is NOT the same as the number on the citation. The citation starts R771, the number on the notification starts R711. The rest of the number, and the date, is the same. Any suggestions as to what is the appropriate action to take at this point. I have screenshots of me trying to pay the ticket, as well as scans of both the ticket and the notification.

ETA: It seems like my options are:
1) Take at least half a day off from work to go to the Boston RMV and hope to talk to someone about this and clear it up; I suspect that there is a reasonable chance that if I do this, I will be told that I will need to pay the $25 filing fee AND take an additional at least half a day off from work to deal with the appeal; I suspect I will be liable for at least the original cost of the ticket ($20, which I don't mind paying; every time I come to that intersection I have to decide if I'd rather turn left while traffic is going and risk getting hit, or turn left while traffic ISN'T going and risk a ticket; I made my decision and I'll abide by it), and possibly the entire cost anyway
2) Pay the $25 filing fee and definitely take at least half a day off from work to deal with the appeal, and probably have to pay at least the cost of the original ticket, and possibly all the fees as well
3) Pay the full amount

The last one is not only the least stressful, but has the lowest actual cost, because my time at work is worth more than $75 for a half day.

Comments

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

Personally, at that point I'd try to find out if there's a way to meet with some kind of RMV ombudsperson. In person. With your printed screen shots and such.

Show up at an office, explain your problem to the person who assigns numbers at the front desk. They'll have an idea of where that would need to be handled.

It would be crazy to get your license suspended for a cycling issue. But I have heard of this happening. You might look into some local cycling boards to see what others have done?

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

I don't *think* bicycle tickets are supposed to affect your driver's license. But I'm not sure how you'd deal with this besides paying for the appeal (which is yet another reason why it's unfair and ridiculous to have a fee to contest a ticket).

[boblothrope.livejournal.com]

By the way, did this happen at Somerville Ave/Mossland/Beacon?

Running the light during the all-walk phase is such an obvious way to get through there safely that most cyclists do it, which means police love to hang out there when they're told to go out and write some bike tickets. You should talk to your aldermen about trying to change this practice.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Take at least half a day off from work to go to the Boston RMV

For what it's worth, I recently took care of a registration issue at the RMV in Watertown; I got there when they opened, and despite a 30-person line, was out the door in less than ten minutes.