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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Funny parking ticket

Nov. 4, 2008 7:17 p.m. TJ New Reader

So, I got a bill from the city of Chicago yesterday for a parking violation. Seems that one of my cars was parked in the way of a street cleaning operation on Lake Shore Dr. back in August.

Funny thing is that I live in Virginia and my car and myself were both in Virginia at the time. The ticlet has my plate number, state inspection expiration date, and car make all correct. To contest by mail, I have to somehow prove that my car was in Virginia on August 8, 2008.

Not sure if this some sort of Obama fundraiser or something, but how can they have all my info when my car was never there? How do I prove that I was here?

Did someone steal my car's identity?

Is Chicago spreading the wealth? What is going on?
Nov. 4, 2008 7:19 p.m. rebelgtp HalfDork

well August 8th was a friday do you happen to work on fridays?
Nov. 4, 2008 7:33 p.m. amaff HalfDork

wow...really? How the hell did that happen??? That's crazy.
Nov. 4, 2008 7:33 p.m. pete240z HalfDork

pay it and ask no questions. Chicago might send somebody to find you. It was the home of Al Capone. JK.

I suggest you send a letter and explain it.
Nov. 4, 2008 7:38 p.m. foxtrapper SuperDork

Sounds like they've been learning from Baltimore.
Nov. 4, 2008 8:53 p.m. TJ New Reader

Yeah, I was at work that day. I called and talked to a helpful woman at the Dept of revenue. She, not surprisingly, acted like she heard my story before - I'm sure everyone says it was a mistake right? Anyway, I get to send an affidavit and any evidence to support my claim to them and then a judge will look at it and make a decision. The bad part is that the decision is final so I am a little worried about what to send to prove that I was not in Chicago. I will get a letter from work. Hopefully I have a bank statement that shows I was in Virginia that day as well.

I thought it might just be easier to send in the 50 bucks than try to fight it, but the more I thought about it the more I decided that I'd rather spend hundreds of dollars in lawyer fees than give the city of Chicago a single dime.
Nov. 4, 2008 9:15 p.m. P71 HalfDork

I'd call a Chicago news station and raise a stink
Nov. 4, 2008 9:22 p.m. shuttlepilot New Reader

did you use a credit card that day? Maybe you can send a copy of your statement to prove you weren't out there.
Nov. 4, 2008 9:29 p.m. HappyAndy New Reader

Maybee they've been learning from Philly. I once got a parking ticket on my mustang for being parked at an expired meter, except that area only has metered parking to 6pm and I parked at 6:30pm, and the time marked on the ticket was 6:50pm. the location of the "violation" was clearly & corectly written on the ticket. I sent the ticket in to the parking authority with a letter explaining the obvious error and I got annother larger ticket back for not paying the ticket on time and for impropperly contesting the ticket! Just like that a $15 ticket turned into a $85 or something like that ticket! I paid the ticket and sent a nasty letter in with it explaining exactly how I felt about the parking authorities compitance and ethics.

A MONTH LATER I RECIEVED ANNOTHER TICKET IN THE MAIL FOR BEING PARKED AT AN EXPIRED METER, WITH AN ADDITIONAL FINE FOR LATE PAYMENT! So I went and checked the location indicated on the ticket, AND DON'T YA KNOW, NO METERS IN SIGHT FOR BLOCKS! I just paid it . Theres no place like Philly, except maybee Chicago.
Nov. 4, 2008 9:31 p.m. rebelgtp HalfDork

TJ wrote:

I thought it might just be easier to send in the 50 bucks than try to fight it, but the more I thought about it the more I decided that I'd rather spend hundreds of dollars in lawyer fees than give the city of Chicago a single dime.

That is what they are hoping for that they can send this BS out and people will just not want to fight it. How many of these "accidents" do you think happen every year? Fight it and I second the contacting a news station.
Nov. 5, 2008 4:16 a.m. curtis73 Reader

I had a warrant issued for my arrest in Allentown, PA. Evidently I got a parking ticket that went unpaid for 6 months and they issued a warrant for my arrest. I didn't know it until a year later when I applied for a postal service job and was denied for having an outstanding warrant.

I've never been to Allentown, PA. How they got my plate number is beyond me.
Nov. 5, 2008 5:49 a.m. MrJoshua SuperDork

curtis73 wrote:

I had a warrant issued for my arrest in Allentown, PA. Evidently I got a parking ticket that went unpaid for 6 months and they issued a warrant for my arrest. I didn't know it until a year later when I applied for a postal service job and was denied for having an outstanding warrant.

I've never been to Allentown, PA. How they got my plate number is beyond me.

Its Billy Joels Allentown economic subsidy program.
Nov. 5, 2008 7:40 a.m. Xceler8x HalfDork

F'em. I'd fight it tooth and nail. Document everything. Get every operator and customer service rep's name and phone if possible. Record calls if you need to. I'd also consult a lawyer if you have one to find out what you have that could be used in court.

I'd also search the web for anything on this. If they're doing it to you they're doing it to a ton of other folks. My bet is they've out-sourced they're ticketing and the company doing it is gaming the system. They got your details from their records in another state or from another company doing the same thing in your state.

Fight it.
Nov. 5, 2008 7:48 a.m. Duke Dork

What happens is they write down the plate number incorrectly. Then the tag gets run back at the station, and it comes up with a description of your car from your MVA, including the registration/inspection status.

I once had a 10-minute discussion with a very helpful deputy lady from Georgia, telling me that they had recovered my stolen 1967 Pontiac LeMans with no visible damage. The exciting part was that I was looking out the window at the car in Maryland. I was all ready to hop on a plane to Georgia to claim my prize...
Nov. 5, 2008 9:06 a.m. Xceler8x HalfDork

Duke wrote:

I once had a 10-minute discussion with a very helpful deputy lady from Georgia, telling me that they had recovered my stolen 1967 Pontiac LeMans with no visible damage. The exciting part was that I was looking out the window at the car in Maryland. I was all ready to hop on a plane to Georgia to claim my prize...

I can hear your response now...

"You mean I have TWO?!"
Nov. 5, 2008 9:21 a.m. nickel_dime HalfDork

Damn TJ, I know you can hustle that Mini around an autocross course but to get to Chicago and back in time to make it to work takes some good driving.
Nov. 5, 2008 9:33 a.m. Duke Dork

Xceler8x wrote:

I can hear your response now...

"You mean I have TWO?!"

I was already hoping it wasn't a convertible so it wouldn't have as much frame rust!
Nov. 5, 2008 7:33 p.m. Hal HalfDork

When I was still living in SW PA I kept getting parking ticket from small towns in central PA that I had never heard of much less visited.

I would send them a letter stating I had never been to their town. Enclosed was a notarized letter from my boss stating that I had been at work at the time of the ticket and a copy of my time card. That seemed to take care of the problem but the tickets kept coming from other towns.

Finally on the advise of a local cop I knew, I went to the DMV and got another tag with a different number. He figured that there was someone with a similar tag number that was getting the tickets.
Nov. 5, 2008 10:24 p.m. TJ New Reader

I got a letter on letterhead from work today that says I was here in Virginia and not in Chicago the day in question. I also have bank transactions that say I was here.

Now, I just hope they take my word that my car was also here.
Nov. 6, 2008 8:49 a.m. slantvaliant Reader

This smells phishy.

I think I'd do an independent search to find the right agency and contact information, not trusting anything I received out of the blue.

Even then, I'd be leery of sending them any banking information.
Nov. 6, 2008 8:59 a.m. captainzib Reader

Xceler8x wrote:

F'em. I'd fight it tooth and nail. Document everything. Get every operator and customer service rep's name and phone if possible. Record calls if you need to. I'd also consult a lawyer if you have one to find out what you have that could be used in court.

I'd also search the web for anything on this. If they're doing it to you they're doing it to a ton of other folks. My bet is they've out-sourced they're ticketing and the company doing it is gaming the system. They got your details from their records in another state or from another company doing the same thing in your state.

Fight it.

You should contact the Dolly Man. He could be the new vigilante superhero of people accused of false parking ticket bullE36 M3.

http://www.parkingenforcementforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3
Nov. 6, 2008 9:14 a.m. aussiesmg HalfDork

Find a local radio station who is prepared to fight city hall, get the scam out there and I'll bet more people come forward, not just the guilty ones who want to avoid paying but genuine victims also.

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