Salanis
Salanis SuperDork
3/9/10 2:59 p.m.

I got a $150 parking ticket on my trailer yesterday. It was parked on the street in front of my house because I'm in the middle of moving and playing musical vehicles to sort things out.

Ticket was $50 for facing the wrong way down the street, and $100 for not being attached to a vehicle. It was properly chocked to keep from rolling.

Is there any hope for fighting this? Or do I just have to eat the revenue generating B.S.?

John Brown
John Brown SuperDork
3/9/10 3:00 p.m.

You bit that one... I would however talk to a local with more experience.

cwh
cwh SuperDork
3/9/10 3:07 p.m.

There is a way to contest it isn't there? I think you might have a good chance of some consideration. 100.00 for not being connected???

DrBoost
DrBoost Dork
3/9/10 4:10 p.m.

I'd write a nice letter to the powers that be. I got a parking ticket for parking on front of my house during the winter months (a no-no). I wrote a letter explaining that my battery was frozen and it couldn't be moved 'till the battery thawed. They waived it.

DrBoost
DrBoost Dork
3/9/10 4:12 p.m.

You could also promise that if they waive it you'll promise to stop selling meth out of your house?

GregTivo
GregTivo HalfDork
3/9/10 4:17 p.m.

Somebody was annoyed. Good luck appeasing the uncaring bureaucracy that is traffic ticket collection. You might talk to a traffic superindentant and plead lack of ability to pay and get the ticket knocked down to a nominal fee ($30?). Thye might, then again most people just use those tickets to wipe themselves rather than pay.

Salanis
Salanis SuperDork
3/9/10 5:15 p.m.

I don't even know how they saw it. I'm on a side road off of another side road in a relatively low traffic suburban area.

The only option to fight it that I saw is that I can write something to get an "Administrative Review". Somehow, I don't think I want my case reviewed by administrators.

I like the idea of talking to an attendant. I do have the ability to pay, but I can see if I can get it cut down.

I guess there is that other option of ignoring it. Not sure I'm comfortable with that though.

donalson
donalson SuperDork
3/9/10 5:25 p.m.

funny thing... 1st time I lived in MI I got a ticket for facing the wrong way on the street... honestly I had no idea that that was a law even... in FL where I'm from they don't care on residential streets... heck usually you park on the grass...

funny law to me... but whatever.

sorry no real good imput for ya

rebelgtp
rebelgtp Dork
3/9/10 6:21 p.m.

Man they would have a field day around here. Its hard to drive down a street without seeing a trailer parked on the side not hooked up to anything.

Nashco
Nashco SuperDork
3/9/10 6:42 p.m.

You broke two laws and got two tickets. What's to fight? Just because it's the law doesn't make it "right" but the law is the law. I don't agree that the speed limit should be the same for an 80,000 truck and a modern sportbike, but if I get a ticket for breaking the speed limit law on my sportbike, I pay the piper. If you're feeling ambitious, you could call the local courthouse and track down the person to talk to and ask forgiveness, but IMO you're best off learning a lesson and paying the ticket. This is assuming you can afford the ticket, as you will surely spend lots of time trying to get out of it and probably still won't get out of it. Time = money.

Bryce

Johnboyjjb
Johnboyjjb New Reader
3/9/10 7:05 p.m.

It also would depend on how long it was parked that way. 15 minutes? A day? A month? More? I would be more willing to fight a ticket for putting it there while some vehicles were jostled around for a day or for something like fixing a hole in the driveway which took two days then I've been moving for the last two months sorry.

oldsaw
oldsaw Dork
3/9/10 7:14 p.m.
Salanis wrote: I don't even know how they saw it. I'm on a side road off of another side road in a relatively low traffic suburban area.

It's likely a neighbor ratted on you. If you're moving out, post notifications of a block party every weekend, a party with beer and dancers.

If you're moving in, well, that presents a different problem.

Travis_K
Travis_K Dork
3/9/10 7:54 p.m.

I agree, someone called and complained. I dont think you can fight it, just hopefully it happened where you are moving from rather than were you are moving to.

Salanis
Salanis SuperDork
3/9/10 8:09 p.m.

It's happening where I'm moving out of. It was only there for two days. Hardly the biggest eyesore on the block. The neighbor across the street even came out and tried to talk the parking person out of it, but they didn't care.

foxtrapper
foxtrapper SuperDork
3/9/10 8:19 p.m.

Mmm, I think it's worth checking to see if those two violations are actually real. Just because you got a ticket doesn't mean there was a real law behind it.

If in fact there is no law prohibiting trailers being disconnected, and no law prohibiting facing the wrong way, you could quite likely win in court. Is it worth the cost to win.... that's what the cop and the courts are counting on, that you'll just pay.

Toyman01
Toyman01 Dork
3/9/10 8:32 p.m.

Move to Mt. Pleasant, SC. My 20" enclosed has been parked across the street from my house facing the wrong way for two years and I'm in the middle of the city. I don't think I have ever heard of anyone getting a parking ticket.

If they are jerks enough to write you the ticket, you'll probably end up paying it. Hope you are moving some place less jerk laden.

minimac
minimac Dork
3/9/10 8:35 p.m.

Is the trailer registered and licensed? If so, it should have the same right to park on the street as any licensed vehicle. Facing the wrong way might be different, though.

Salanis
Salanis SuperDork
3/9/10 8:49 p.m.
foxtrapper wrote: Mmm, I think it's worth checking to see if those two violations are actually real. Just because you got a ticket doesn't mean there was a real law behind it. If in fact there is no law prohibiting trailers being disconnected, and no law prohibiting facing the wrong way, you could quite likely win in court. Is it worth the cost to win.... that's what the cop and the courts are counting on, that you'll just pay.

That was the first thing I checked. They are both laws. The parked backwards is a Cali law, the disconnected trailer is a county code. I'm going to hunt and see if maybe there's a state law that supersedes it though.

Appleseed
Appleseed Dork
3/9/10 11:37 p.m.

If you do end up have to pay, pay the bastards in change. In a big, dirty knee sock.

Jerry From LA
Jerry From LA HalfDork
3/10/10 12:54 a.m.

You're probably SOL on the wrong way beef but explaining you're in the middle of moving will probably get the other charge thrown out, especially since you have pics showing how well you chocked the wheels, right? Even so, people move and they have to park the trailers somewhere. Just be respectful and you'll save a little money.

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