To Pay or Not to Pay? The 411 on Parking Tickets.
POV: You’ve just got done with lunch downtown. You walk to your car and find ... a dreaded
parking ticket. Should you pay it? Should you fight it? Does it affect your driving record?
I’m Lawyer Alexandria Serra, this is Lawyer Talk Thursday (catch it every week on Instagram
@alexandriaserra), and I’m busting the top three myths about parking tickets.
The Myths:
1. You can’t fight a parking ticket.
FALSE, you can fight them, but you need to be strategic. If it’s expensive, fight it. If it’s $25, pay it. Fighting a parking ticket is a hassle and here’s why:
- You’ll have to call the court and set up a hearing within 14 days of the ticket. If you don’t, you’ve lost your chance to fight it.
- You plead your case to a hearing officer, he will rule against you 99% of the time.
- You’ll have to file an appeal, which costs a small fee, and be set for court again.
2. You can escape your parking tickets.
FALSE. If you have 3 delinquent parking tickets or more, your car risks getting booted or towed, and all that expense is on you. You’ll have to pay all tickets, along with impound fees, and any warrants issued against the owner to get it released.
You might be saying “But Alex, I wasn’t driving.” Not an excuse in the eyes of the law.
3. Parking tickets affect my driving record.
FALSE. Parking tickets themselves won’t increase your insurance or affect your driving record, in most cases. Parking tickets are attached to the vehicle not to the driver. You can get holds for unpaid parking tickets and then become unable to register your vehicle.
Watch the full video for more deets!
Got any questions? Feel free to email me at: info@serralawpllc.com