Bogus Parking ticket, am I screwed?

[J D]

Well I just got a delinquent violation in the mail from a town upstate that I've never been. I live in the city and the furthest north I travel is westchester only 8 miles away, this place is 34 miles away. I've fought different tickets before and won 3 of 4 but that was usually because I had hard proof or multiple credible eyewitnesses.

This time, unlike the rest of the week and both weeks before and after, I have no record of my whereabouts, phone records, computer logs, bank statements, etc. nothing. I probably slept in that day and played video games or did laundry, but I know I didn't drive 34 miles to some small town with nothing in it I couldn't already get here in the city, nor had my car been driven without my knowledge, as I watch my mileage like a hawk.

So what can I do guys, any suggestions, maybe a form any law officers know of?

[Blk Mamba]

Make sure the ticket is exactly your car, could be the ticket writer made a mistake in the plate number. Otherwise figure out what you did that day.

[J D]

Make sure the ticket is exactly your car, could be the ticket writer made a mistake in the plate number. Otherwise figure out what you did that day.

It has the right abbreviation for the make, and expiration date for my registration but that's nothing that couldn't be found by looking up a miss-written licensee plate number. It doesn't even have my vehicle color.

I know this is just 40 bucks, but I'm not about to pay for some bureaucratic mistake when some meter maid has hand writing as illegible as a doctor's to fatten some piss-ant county's coffers.

[W4LTD]

It has the right abbreviation for the make, and expiration date for my registration but that's nothing that couldn't be found by looking up a miss-written licensee plate number. It doesn't even have my vehicle color.

I know this is just 40 bucks, but I'm not about to pay for some bureaucratic mistake when some meter maid has hand writing as illegible as a doctor's to fatten some piss-ant county's coffers.

If this is the fifth time this has happened to you, you may want to go to the DMV and get a new set of license plates...

[Bluerauder]

If this is the fifth time this has happened to you, you may want to go to the DMV and get a new set of license plates...
This ^^^^ seems to be a good move if your plates keep turning up on bogus parking tickets for places that you haven't visited.

[CBT]

No way in Hell I'd pay that ****. Drive over, find out who wrote it, explain how they better un-**** it.

[CBT]

This is a scam they pull in Philly and New York City, write up tickets on folks from towns miles and miles away(but still within the state), figuring they won't want to drive to the "big city" and fight it. One guy proved his farmtruck that kept getting tickets was incapable of making the trip, he won, and shed light on the scam.

[knine]

How about credit card activity, or if you call the phone company you can order a list of outgoing local calls (called a "Mechanicized call detail - or MCD) as well as the long distance bill will show where you were. Also look of receipts in the bottom of those little plastic bags we ball up and put under the kitchen sink.

[Blackened300a]

Unfortunately since you cant prove its not you, then you'll be wsasting your time heading over to court to fight it. What was the ticket for?

[J D]

No way in Hell I'd pay that ****. Drive over, find out who wrote it, explain how they better un-**** it.

My sentiments exactly. Though this place is way out in the middle of nowhere, if you look at Google maps, its nothing but mansions and farms.


This is a scam they pull in Philly and New York City, write up tickets on folks from towns miles and miles away(but still within the state), figuring they won't want to drive to the "big city" and fight it. One guy proved his farmtruck that kept getting tickets was incapable of making the trip, he won, and shed light on the scam.

Yeah I live in NYC and this kind of stuff pops up in the news all the time, and its big on the west coast too, L.A., and San Fran. That's why I'm on top of this.


If this is the fifth time this has happened to you, you may want to go to the DMV and get a new set of license plates...

This is the first time this has happened but I have read about other horror stories which is why I want to nip this in the bud.


How about credit card activity, or if you call the phone company you can order a list of outgoing local calls (called a "Mechanized call detail - or MCD) as well as the long distance bill will show where you were. Also look of receipts in the bottom of those little plastic bags we ball up and put under the kitchen sink.

Indeed, I checked both my debit and credit accounts, and I use my cell phone which is the only phone I answer during the week, and I never went anywhere that day. I have receipts for all kinds of things from the day before, day after, and both weeks before and after but nothing on that particular day.

Only thing I can thing of is perhaps dragging my my Playstation 3 up there, which perhaps prophetically has the username "BlackMarauder"


Unfortunately since you cant prove its not you, then you'll be wasting your time heading over to court to fight it. What was the ticket for?

It was a $20 "Overtime Parking" at three in the afternoon.

Also I called their court and had them pull the original ticket, and turns out that the original ticket was for some red dodge, but had my plate written down. She said to write "not my car" on the notice and mail it back and it would be worked out by the judge.

Of course I took down the time of this call and her name should Murphy's Law take effect, so I can have something to fall back on. I'll let you guys know if it works out.

[TiTo35]

Did you post up on .net? Maybe you can show that you were home form your IP address.

[UncleLar]

My sentiments exactly. Though this place is way out in the middle of nowhere, if you look at Google maps, its nothing but mansions and farms.



Yeah I live in NYC and this kind of stuff pops up in the news all the time, and its big on the west coast too, L.A., and San Fran. That's why I'm on top of this.



This is the first time this has happened but I have read about other horror stories which is why I want to nip this in the bud.



Indeed, I checked both my debit and credit accounts, and I use my cell phone which is the only phone I answer during the week, and I never went anywhere that day. I have receipts for all kinds of things from the day before, day after, and both weeks before and after but nothing on that particular day.

Only thing I can thing of is perhaps dragging my my Playstation 3 up there, which perhaps prophetically has the username "BlackMarauder"



It was a $20 "Overtime Parking" at three in the afternoon.

Also I called their court and had them pull the original ticket, and turns out that the original ticket was for some red dodge, but had my plate written down. She said to write "not my car" on the notice and mail it back and it would be worked out by the judge.

Of course I took down the time of this call and her name should Murphy's Law take effect, so I can have something to fall back on. I'll let you guys know if it works out.

Send it Certified Mail,if possible signed receipt requested.

[Bluerauder]

Am I Screwed?
To answer your basic question ..... YES.

[FreddieH]

When I wrote parking tickets in Philly I was required to put the color and make of the car on the ticket. It should also be on the citation you got in the mail. If not you should contact the court for that info. If it is not for a black Merc. that is proof there.