Comments on: I Received a Parking Ticket That's Not Mine

By: TFB

TFB — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:05:01 +0000

Thank you all for the comments and suggestions. It sounds like I have a good chance of getting this dismissed. The color is off, but not way off. The ticket says black; my car is blue. I asked in my letter for a copy of the ticket written by the parking enforcement officer. Maybe they just transcribed it wrong into the computer.

By: john

john — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 07:55:22 +0000

In California parking citations also have a box for the last 4 numbers of the VIN. The issuing officer is suppossed to look at the VIN on the dash and put in the last 4 numbers. This was put into law due to so many incorrect lic. plates being put on the cites.

When your "case" is reviewed the reviewer simply compares the lic. # to the last 4 VIN #'s. If they do not match the case is dismissed.

As a reviewer I run into cases like yours often. If I get a letter that remotely makes sense I dismiss. If the color is way off you should be ok. If you live far away that also helps. Good luck.

By: usrules

usrules — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 01:40:56 +0000

It should be easy to have it dismissed if the color is wrong. Your registration should have the color noted on it so send a copy. I had a ticket dismissed on technical grounds for such an inaccuracy in NY.

By: Amber Jones

Amber Jones — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 17:50:07 +0000

Wow what a bummer. I hope that you are able to get this taken care of in your favor. It really sucks to be stuck in this sort of situation.

By: Dawn

Dawn — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:18:22 +0000

I had this happen to me in the state of New York — I contested it (like you did, with a letter, although I didn't bother with the certified mail), and there were no problems. They immediately dropped the fine/violation.

By: Ted

Ted — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:13:08 +0000

Since the color is wrong, send a photo of your car with the plate visible. That should be evidence enough to get the ticket thrown out.

By: Wm Tanksley

Wm Tanksley — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:03:44 +0000

Tough one. I'd guess you've got a very good case, since they got your car's color wrong; that shouldn't be possible with a parking violation.

I've seen news about a "prank" people play on their enemies by printing someone else's license number onto a reflective sheet and taping that over their license plate, then speeding past one of those automatic speeding cameras. But this can't be how it happened, since this was a parking violation.