3 NYC Parking Ticket Reminders you don’t want to Forget

Parking ticket reminders are good things to stick on your dashboard

Is the third thing you can’t remember to remember, NYC parking rules? There are a few parking ticket reminders that should always be stuck in your brain. For example, how long is a bus stop? How far from a fire hydrant must we park? Can you unload your groceries in a no standing zone?

Here are some important NYC parking ticket rules to remember.

Tow Away Zone

In 1959, the NY State Legislature in its infinite wisdom declared forever and ever, or until the Legislature changes its collective mind, all New York City is a tow away zone.  It bears repeating, all of NYC is a tow away zone, no notice required.

This means if a warrior places an orange pox on your motor vehicle, you are eligible for a tow. Your admission to the ticket and tow club is only one parking ticket. It can be an overtime meter parking ticket. A no standing NYC parking ticket. Whatever. If it’s orange, you are tow bait. Beware and be warned.

Hopefully, the NYC driving public will have some good news in the next few weeks. There is a wonderful piece of legislation awaiting Governor Paterson’s signature which will hurt the Darth Vaders of tow. Here’s a blog post on the Good Bill

No Standing and No Parking Zones

Here are some tips to remember:

• You can’t leave a buddy in your car while you run across the street for just an NY minute (even if she is sitting behind the wheel). You may as well turn yourself into the nearest warrior and fall on your wallet. You are guilty of violating a no standing or no parking rule
• You can’t stop, drop, and wait for your passenger to finish his/her errand. Guilty as charged…Next case
• Here’s one we hear a lot…I can prove I wasn’t parked in a no standing zone when I was issued a NYC parking ticket. Did you take a photograph of your vehicle in the parking space when you were issued the ticket? Well…not exactly. But, I’ll just tell the judge exactly where I parked. Off with your head! Please I beg you, take a photograph of your car in the spot where you allegedly committed your parking crime, before you move your car

Alternate Side Parking

How about this one, “It is legal to double park in my neighborhood on street cleaning days because the warriors and police never hand out parking tickets.” All I can say is the sleeping street cleaning crocodile will eventually wake up and bite you in the pocketbook. Trust me on this.

Double parking is NEVER, EVER legal in any neighborhood on street cleaning days in NYC. If you double park and do not receive a parking ticket, believe me, the crocodile is just sleeping.

Have you been bitten by a  street cleaning crocodile when it wakes up and is hungry? Have you suffered through an NYC cocktail, i.e., ticket and tow? Have you dodged a parking ticket for stopping, dropping and waiting? Share your parking experiences with us. Live and learn!

Commentary

If you do get a stupid parking ticket, here’s how Larry (that’s me) fights it.

Do you find yourself making parking mistakes that cost you a bunch of money? Here are 10 common mistakes in Parking Ticket Land, and how to fix ’em.

Here’s the section of NY VTL that empowers NYC to tow vehicles without notice

VTL
Article 32
1204. Officers authorized to remove illegally stopped vehicles.  (a)
  Whenever  any police officer, or in a city having a population in excess
  of one million any person designated by the commissioner of  traffic  of
  such  city  or  on highways under the jurisdiction of the New York state
  thruway authority, the office of parks and  recreation,  a  county  park
  commission,  a  parkway  authority,  a  bridge authority or a bridge and
  tunnel authority any person designated by  such  office,  commission  or
  authority,  finds  a vehicle standing upon a highway in violation of any
  of the foregoing provisions of  this  article  such  officer  is  hereby
  authorized  to  move such vehicle, or require the driver or other person
  in charge of the vehicle to move the same to a position off the paved or
  main-traveled part of such highway.
    (b) 1. Whenever any police officer, or in a city having  a  population
  in  excess  of  one million any person designated by the commissioner of
  traffic of such city or on highways under the jurisdiction  of  the  New
  York  state  thruway  authority,  the  office of parks and recreation, a
  county park commission, a parkway authority, a  bridge  authority  or  a
  bridge  and  tunnel  authority  any  person  designated  by such office,
  commission or authority finds a vehicle unattended where it  constitutes
  an  obstruction  to  traffic,  or  any place where stopping, standing or
  parking is prohibited, such officer is hereby authorized to provide  for
  the  removal  of  such  vehicle,  semitrailer  or  trailer  to a garage,
  automobile pound or other place of safety.
    2. In any city with a population of one million or more, whenever  any
  police officer, or any person designated by the commissioner of traffic,
  finds  a  semitrailer  or  trailer  without  a tractor or towing vehicle
  attached, parked or unattended on  any  city  street,  such  officer  or
  person designated by the commissioner of traffic is hereby authorized to
  provide  for  the  removal  of  such semitrailer or trailer to a garage,
  automobile pound or other place of safety.
    (c) The owner or other person lawfully entitled to the  possession  of
  such  vehicle  may  be  charged  with  a reasonable cost for removal and
  storage, payable before the vehicle is released.
    (d) No police officer or other public,  state  or  municipal  employee
  shall  release  a  motor  vehicle  impounded  because  of any traffic or
  parking violation to any person who does  not  have  a  currently  valid
  driver's   license   and  an  insurance  identification  card  or  other
  acceptable  evidence  indicating  current  insurance  coverage  on  such
  vehicle.  The  provisions  of this subdivision with respect to insurance
  coverage shall not apply to a motor vehicle  which  will  not  be  moved
  under  its  own  power  but  will  be transported by a tow truck or upon
  another vehicle, provided  that  the  registration  for  such  impounded
  vehicle  has  been  surrendered  to  the  commissioner and proof of such
  surrender is presented to the police officer or other public,  state  or
  municipal employee.

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Lawrence Berezin

Lawyer with 40-years experience who is committed to helping you beat your NYC parking tickets

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Latest posts by Lawrence Berezin (see all)

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New: Required Elements Chart

Defective Required Elements are Parking Ticket Gold

It was time to put a fresh coat of paint on our old Required Elements Diagram. If you uncover an omitted, misdescribed or illegible required element, you win upon application and proper proof.

Dismiss my ticket!