Last Updated on January 22, 2017 by Lawrence Berezin
How to beat muni-meter parking tickets
Last year we spent a bunch of time talking about muni-meter parking tickets because NYC was changing from mechanical meters to muni-meters. There was a gaggle of new laws that made life easier for the NYC driving public, including but not limited to:
- A 5-minute grace period between the time muni-meter parking tickets were issued and start time on muni-meter receipts. In other words, you can walk to the muni-meter, buy time, walk back to your chariot, and place the muni-meter receipt on the dashboard, as long as the start time on the muni-meter receipt was within 5 minutes of the time the ticket was issued
- Allowing drivers time to move their chariots within 5 minutes after the time on the muni-meter receipt expired. If the time on your muni-meter receipt expired at 1 PM, a warrior was prohibited from issuing a parking ticket until 1:06 PM
- Requiring a judge to dismiss failure to display a muni-meter receipt tickets upon submission of a muni-meter receipt showing the start time (the time you paid for the time) within 5-minutes of the time the ticket was issued. The NYC Council no longer left this decision to a judge on a case by case basis. It was the law of Parking Ticket Land.
Learning is relentless repetition. Now’s the time to check out the current state of muni-meter parking tickets
Violation Codes for meter offenses
This is a great place to start
[Larry’s comment: VC31 is not a muni-meter violation. It is a violation for parking your passenger vehicle is an area limited to commercial vehicles).
Parking at a broken or missing meter (VC 32)
Finding a broken muni-meter is not a good thing. It’s a royal pain in the ______ (pick a body part). Why? Because the procedure for parking legally at a broken meter is time-consuming and frustrating.
My advice is to search for a working muni-meter because “free” parking can get very expensive.
Feeding Meter (VC 33)
Don’t we always feed the meter? Well, yes, but the term “feeding the meter” is legal jargon for parking longer than the maximum time allowed for a parking space. For example, if the time limit is one-hour for the parking space, and the one-hour time limit expires, you cannot buy extra time.
It’s like when your dinner party ended at 11:30P and one couple stayed until 2A. Parking in excess of the time allowed (VC 37)
Expired Meter (VC 37)
- Time expires
- 5-minutes pass
- Chariot remains in parking space
- Warrior issues a ticket for VC 37
Here is what the parking ticket looks like
A parking ticket warrior is required to enter the following elements for a VC37 muni-meter parking violation:
- Meter number
- Operational – ‘Y’
- Limit – 5Mn (meaning 5-minute grace period)
If any of these 3 elements are omitted, misdescribed, or illegible, you win subject to application.
However, there are some parking ticket judges who find that if the ‘Limit’ is misdescribed (3Mn instead of 5Mn) it is harmless error if the parking ticket is issued at least 5-minute past the time the muni-meter expired. (I don’t agree).
Failure to display a muni-meter receipt (VC 38)
I love the law on this one. If you get a parking ticket because the devil placed your receipt face-down on the dashboard, or a strong gust of wind blew it off the dash, and you paid for the time, a judge is required to dismiss this parking ticket, if:
- You fight
- You submit a muni-meter receipt showing that you paid for the time (or were within 5-minutes). In other words, if the time of the offense was 10A and your muni-meter receipt covers starts 10A-10:05A, you win…Yea!
Commentary
Please take the time to learn the basics of parking at NYC muni-meters and save.
Hello Lawrence!
What would the wording of the defense be for a ticket that was issued for not displaying the receipt, if the time on the muni meter receipt is one minute later than the time of offense. I know there is 5 minute grace period, but is there a law number I could quote, or is it not necessary?
Thank you very much,
Igor
Dear Igor,
Good morning.
There is no need to cite the law. Simply explain that you purchased the MM receipt within 5 minutes of the time the parking violation was issued.
Send in a copy of your MM receipt.
Good luck, Champ.
Best,
Larry
Thank you very much!
All the best to you too!
Hi Lawrence
I got a ticket for failure to display muni rec opposite 290 6th Ave. There is no signage for a meter there and the ticket has no meter number. I took pictures when I parked as I thought it was too good to be true to get such a good spot. The sign states no parking 7am -7:30 am Except Sunday and 2 Hour parking 7:30am -10 pm except Sunday. I was there on a Saturday. Another couple arrived and showed me a laminated paper of their win in court for the same ticket/same spot and a letter they put in their dashboard to instruct the ticketer to not ticket them. I live out of state so it makes it more complicated for me and is a bit confusing on what to do. I did get a picture of their paperwork.
Hi Desiree,
Good afternoon.
Sounds very weird.
I really can’t shed any light on your parking pain without doing some research.
If you’d like my help, here’s a link to our services page.
I suggest you start with a Personal Consultation ($9.99).
https://newyorkparkingticket.com/passenger-vehicles/
Good luck.
Larry
Hey Larry,
you wrote that a judge must dismiss a ticket if
•You fight
•You submit a muni-meter receipt showing that you paid for the time (or were within 5-minutes). In other words, if the time of the offense was 10A and your muni-meter receipt covers starts 10A-10:05A, you win…Yea!
I was given a ticket for a motorcycle not displaying receipt. I don’t have a receipt and paid in cash. there is nowhere to put these receipts on a motorcycle and a lot of the time ppl steal them or they blow/fall off.
do I have to meet both bullet points above? or is just fighting enough?
any thoughts or advice?
Hey Al,
Good morning.
When you purchase time on a muni-meter the machine issues a “receipt.”
The rule requires that the receipt be displayed on the motorcycle.
If you have the muni-meter receipt, you can fight the ticket and win by submitting a defense statement that you paid for the time and submit a copy of the muni-meter receipt as proof of payment.
By the way, I understand the inherent difficulties of pay and display for motorcycles. What do other motorcycle owners do?
Best,
Larry
I purchased a muni meter receipt at 3:29 and warrior wrote ticket at 3:26. However I had a left a previously expired receipt (expired at 3:04) visible on my dash and the warrior referenced that previously expired receipt as the time first observed in the comments on the ticket. Violation was for expired muni meter (37). Does the five minute grace still apply in this situation.
Dear Geoff,
I am sad to report (after dedicating 6 years, 7-days-per-week, with two months off for my heart attack) that I will no longer be answering questions on Larry’s Blog. You’ll find a treasure trove of information in the 746 Blog Posts and growing, F.A.Q.’s, and comments.
If you need help, you may wish to check out of service offerings. Here’s a link.
https://newyorkparkingticket.com/passenger-vehicles
yeah – that was my question, too. Ah, well. I’m going to tak the path of least resistance and pay the empire their pound of flesh.
Enjoy your retirement, Larry – you’ve earned it!
Thanks, Neil. I’m slowing down but still kicking.
Happy to answer your question. Please let me know what you were referring to.
Regards,
Larry
How do i find out location/address of parking meter from the machine number on dashboard ticket?
I paid for parking and have the receipt. I failed to display it on the dash until about 15 mins later. Went back and saw I had a ticket.
I live out of state, can I mail in the ticket and receipt to contest?
Hi, Sam,
Here’s the good news.
If you were charged with VC38, failure to display a MM receipt, you have a winning defense because you actually purchased the time, but forgot to display the receipt.
You can fight the stupid ticket online, which I recommend.
Click the link above and you’ll end up on the Dispute Page. Click the blue “Dispute a Ticket online button” and you’ll end up here Fill in the tiny box that you’re the owner of the vehicle, and click on the link.
Your defense is that you paid for the time.
Your proof is your paid MM receipt.
I like to create exhibits and include:
-The parking ticket EXHIBIT 1 with a caption pointing out the time of the offense
-The MM receipt showing you paid for the time
I also submit a defense certification saying, essentially:
I am not guilty of this violation because I paid for the time.
The violation was issued at ___am/pm and my muni-meter receipt displays a start time of _____am/pm
Due to these circumstances, please dismiss this ticket.
Respectfully,
Sam Mc Mickle