Do you know the Status of the Three Muni-Meter Bills?

Last Updated on October 22, 2017 by Lawrence Berezin

Three new muni-meter Bills will mean fewer NYC parking tickets

I am still receiving questions from some of the wonderful members of the NYC driving community about how to fight an NYC parking ticket for “failure to display” a muni-meter receipt. So, I thought it may be helpful to check the status of the three muni-meter laws recently considered by the NYC Council.

Canceling a parking ticket upon a showing of valid muni-meter receipt to a warrior

Status: This Bill was passed by the NYC Council, vetoed by Mayor Bloomberg, enacted into law overriding the Mayor’s veto; and is scheduled to go into effect 180 days from March 28, 2012. [Larry’s note: effective date is September 24, 2012]. Yea!

The law provides in pertinent part:

“Any agent who issues a notice of violation by electronic means for failure to pay the metered fare shall cancel such notice of violation when, not later than five minutes after the issuance of such notice, such agent is shown a valid muni-meter receipt with an official start time stamp and such start time is no later than five minutes after the time of the issuance of such notice.

The electronic copy of such canceled notice shall be marked “valid muni-meter receipt shown; ticket canceled” and shall include the number of such muni-meter receipt shown. The electronic system used by the agent to issue such notice shall be programmed to prohibit such notice from being canceled later than five minutes after the issuance of such notice.”

Parking violations issued for failure to display a muni-meter receipt

Status: This Bill was passed by the NYC Council, approved by Mayor Bloomberg, enacted into law on March 7, 2012; and is effective immediately. Double yea!!

The law provides in pertinent part:

“Notwithstanding any rule or regulation to the contrary, but subject to the provisions of the vehicle and traffic law, where a notice of violation was issued to an owner or operator of a vehicle for the failure to display a muni-meter receipt, it shall be an affirmative defense to such violation that such owner or operator purchased parking time for the time such notice of violation was issued or up to five minutes afterwards from a muni-meter dispensing timed receipts valid for use at the location such notice of violation was issued.

Evidence of the affirmative defense shall be the presentation, in person or by mail, of a valid muni-meter receipt [with an official start time stamp and such start time is no later than] at the time such notice of violation was issued or for up to five minutes [after the time of the issuance of such notice,] afterwards or other suitable evidence as determined by the hearing officer that such [a receipt] parking time was purchased[, shall be an affirmative defense to such a violation].”

An affirmative defense means the burden of proof is on you and me to present the proper proof, properly.

Allowing for transfer of muni-meter time

Status: This Bill was passed by the NYC Council, approved by Mayor Bloomberg, and enacted into law (Mayor’s desk for signature). Yea x 3!

The law provides in pertinent part…

This law codified the “alleged” practice of the PVB leadership to permit judges to dismiss all illegal parking tickets improperly issued for transferring muni-meter time from one parking space to another parking space, with certain provisos.

Commentary

I love these three new laws. One law providing relief for our driving community is good…Two such laws are better…While three laws are the best!

New helpful parking laws mean more parking tickets we can beat. 

What are you going to do with all the money you save?