parking ticket

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

I just got a parking ticket for blocking my own driveway while I'm inside the apartment. Technically, it's an illegal parking spot because you can't back out onto the street easily when cars park too close to the driveway. But it's my driveway!! Is it possible to fight that? Anyone have experience with this?

Comments

[ron_newman]

The basic problem here is -- how would the parking enforcement officer know that the car and driveway belonged to the same person?

[kpht.livejournal.com]

True, they're trying to use their best judgement, and if the situation was reversed and they didn't ticket someone blocking my driveway, I know I'd be mad.

But I think if you brought a utility bill, the registration to your car, and just explained to them that it was your driveway and it was only for a few minutes, and be very apologietic, they'd probly cut you a break.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

The ridiculous part is people park there ALL THE TIME, making it really difficult to get out of my driveway. I just put those 'you park like an asshole' signs on their cars.

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

I'm asking if I can fight the ticket. I understand completely that they have to write it in the first place. I never took issue with that in the post.

[xangel21.livejournal.com]

Hey,

I recently got a parking ticket for $200, for blocking a handicap ramp (it was a slight slope in the sidewalk, i had no idea that was considered a handicap ramp). So I appealed the ticket by writing them a letter, I got the address on the Somerville town website. I was polite and explained the situation to them, and they removed the fine. So you definitely have a chance, just tell them your side of the story. It took them a little while to get back to me, so don't worry if it feels like it takes forever. Good luck!

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've never fought a ticket before even though I recieved more than my share of undeserved ones (mostly from City of Boston) so I just wanted to hear some success stories for Somerville.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

That may be true, but I've never seen it happen before. In the past, I've been told they will only ticket in that case if someone complains, which is as it should be, because people block their own driveways *all the time*.

Should we call Pat for every car in a driveway, just in case it doesn't really belong there? :)

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

People never ever get ticketed for parking there and, believe me, they park there regularly, despite to No Parking sign. I doubt my landlord would call for a ticket because he knows my car and seems to be out of town anyway. Stupid Somerville. I bet they're just trying to make the year-end ticket quota.

[marmota.livejournal.com]

by running the plate and seeing the car was registered to that address? Yeah, I know, that would only happen if it was a squad car, not somoene on foot. But if the registration address and the location of violation are in the same area, I'd say you have a good chance of fighting it.

[kpht.livejournal.com]

they don't run the plates when giving a ticket, even patrol cars, at least not in Boston and not in a lot of suburbs. This is how many people get tickets on stolen cars. You think they would.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Wow. Does it actually say that the citation is for blocking the driveway? And it's not a shared driveway where someoen else might have calld in to complain?

I agree that it sounds wrong and I'd definitely contest it. (I block my driveway regularly and it's never been an issue.)

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

There's a no parking sign : ) I haven't looked at the ticket yet. I just happened to look outside and saw the tell-tale orange paper on my car. Bastards.

The landlord and other tenant seem to be out of town so I should have just parked in the damn driveway. I'll definitely contest it but I wanted to see if others had done so before I waste my time.

I fought the law and *I* won

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

The first step is definitely to make sure you know what you've been cited for.

I've successfully contested Somerville parking tickets before and it's not a big deal. You have nothing to lose by trying and as for wasting time, it'll take less time than posting about it to LJ and reading&replying to the comments. :)

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

Less time eh? This I doubt, having been the that evil parking office before. I've never walked out of there in less than an hour. At least I can post to LJ and read comments while actually doing work.

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

You don't dispute a parking ticket by going to the parking office. Really, read the citation.

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

Going to the parknig office during disputation hours does seem to be much much faster than contesting it in writing. The last unwarranted ticket I got, I contested by writing - the web site says you get an answer within something like 14 or 21 days. The parking office says it's actually within 90 days, during which time they keep sending you warnings adding on late fees, and at 100+ days they still hadn't resolved it, at which point going in in person during disputation hours did clear it up.

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Weird -- did they say why there'd been a problem with your dispute? The first time I disputed, I wrote a long letter citing chapter and verse of the parking law (I was pissed :). I never received any sort of follow-up, but verified I had no outstanding tickets the next time I went in for a new sticker. The second time, I did receive a letter with the decision. I've also helped some friends dispute their tickets and they received "you're clear" letters as well, so my first experience seemed to be the exception.

Also, I was told that one cannot dispute in person until after going through the normal paper-mail route.

I can't wait for the Jetsons cars that fold up to a little briefcase.

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[firstfrost.livejournal.com]

No, there was no explanation. Just "I'm in a holiday mood, I'll clear it for you." Given that it was the result I wanted, continuing to fuss over what had gone wrong didn't seem helpful. :)

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[dreamgirly19.livejournal.com]

the guy there is REALLY lenient. I have had him throw away many tickets for me.

Re: I fought the law and *I* won

[dreamgirly19.livejournal.com]

you can dispute in person after receiving the notice of your appeal date in the mail which can take up to 21 days.

Regular public street, right?

[mjperson.livejournal.com]

Is there something odd about your driveway or the street in front of it. On my street, (up above Teele sq.), they ticket all the time for parking even too close to a driveway. Blocking a driveway is a thing you *do not do* in my area, regardless of whose driveway it is...

The fact that a bunch of people here seem to think they don't bother to ticket blocking driveways unless someone complains boggles the mind.

Re: Regular public street, right?

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

The number of days I or a member of my household has blocked our driveway without ever receiving a ticket may just be anecdotal, but I was actually told by a parking officer that they wouldn't ticket a car in front of a driveway without a complaint.

I am certainly not shocked at the idea that ticketing does not occur consistently, but I'm also not just pulling statements out of my ass.

Re: Regular public street, right?

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

The street in front of my house has enough space for two cars to park but the second car is usually too close to the driveway, making it difficult to back out, especially since the street is narrow and the left side is a tall cement wall. So there's a No Parking Tow Zone sign stopping peopel from parking there. Since my landlord isn't around and his car is the only one in the driveway, I left my car there for a few hours.

It's an odd situation but hopefully I can fight it. Pain in the arse. Thankfully my landlord leaves for Florida soon and I get the driveway!!

Re: Regular public street, right?

[ron_newman]

I didn't even know there was a rule about "too close to a driveway". When I had a car and parked on the street here, I always parked right up to the edge of a driveway, in order to maximize street-parking space for other people.

Re: Regular public street, right?

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

There are a certain number of inches within which you may not park, at driveways, because it tends (in these narrow streets) to block people getting into the driveway. Look, for example, on jasper st and virginia st, and the DPW guys spray painted those areas . . .

Fun Facts

[xxv.livejournal.com]

Just a point of interest regarding Somerville's parking office: in 2005, they collected ~$6million in fees, violations, and registrations.

Not that I don't love Somerville, but this fun fact has gotten me to give my money to Zipcar instead :-)

Re: Fun Facts

[watchamacallit.livejournal.com]

What does a ZipCar have to do with parking tickets? You park in the wrong place and you still get a ticket.

I have no problem with the city collecting fees for tickets. It's a way for the city to make money that can be used for improving roads, etc. But if I can fight the fee, I sure as hell will. Tickets are much more useful when placed on cars of people who drive here from out of town and do not already pay taxes, registration and permit fees for this city.

Re: Fun Facts

[xxv.livejournal.com]

I don't own a car, so I need to borrow one. As it's not mine, its primary place of garaging isn't Somerville, so I can't get a resident sticker. Which means braving it with guest passes. They really like ticketing cars that use guest passes (where I live).

I've recently learned about passes you can get (for $10-20) and hang on your rear-view, though they sound to be rather tedious to procure on a haphazard basis.

Re: Fun Facts

[ron_newman]

I'd be curious to learn more about those $10-20 passes, as I'd never heard of them before now.

Re: Fun Facts

[xxv.livejournal.com]

I believe it's $10 for 7 days; $20 for 20 days (or something around that).

I didn't get the details when I called and couldn't find any mention of them on the Somerville website, but I imagine that they are issued by the office and are only valid for a given time period.

If that's the case, they don't sound very useful to me, unless you live next door to the parking office and plan longer-than-two-day borrowed cars/visitors in advance.