5 Tips to Reduce NYC Parking Ticket Fines and Save You Money

Last Updated on July 2, 2021 by Lawrence Berezin

John Deutzman, an investigative reporter at Fox 5 News, published a post on his blog about the state of the NYC parking ticket. John’s post was incredibly relevant to our mission at New York Parking Ticket. It covers a highly flammable issue. Here’s the post and my comment. I hope the suggestions at the end help you fight your NYC parking tickets and win.

John’s Post:

Most people don’t fight parking tickets — they either know they deserve a ticket (most people do), or they don’t want to deal with the drama of fight a ticket — so they pay.

Some people get a ticket, they know they deserve it, and they try to weasel out of it with some cockamamie story. I have no patience for people like that, just shut up and pay the ticket.

The problem is that a certain percentage of tickets are wrong, and some are outright bogus.

Now, some people might say: “Oh, it’s just a parking ticket. What’s the big deal?” Well, the big deal is you’ve been charged with breaking the law. Many tickets exceed $100 these days, so your legal rights become very important.

Many judges have come to us claiming they are being rushed through these hearings, and the public is getting screwed. City officials say they are just trying to make things more efficient.

I’d love to hear your opinion.

John

Larry’s Comment:

Excellent reporting on parking ticket NYC challenges. Thanks for keeping these important issues in the public eye. It is obvious from reading your posts and the comments that parking tickets in NYC are an emotionally charged topic.

I disagree with some of your conclusions. I agree with your comment that most people don’t fight their NYC parking tickets. Our experience working in the New York City parking ticket industry for 15 years shows that most people do not deserve their NYC parking tickets. Here’s why:

1. Approximately 10M parking tickets, generating more than $600M in revenue, were issued during the past fiscal year

2. 10% – 15% of the NYC parking tickets we analyzed during the past 5 years had defects on their face, entitling the defendant to an automatic dismissal

3. An additional 40% of the parking tickets we analyzed were New York City parking tickets we beat. For example, Code 40, Fire Hydrant. The law prohibits parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, except when the operator remains behind the wheel and is ready to move his vehicle if requested to do so. Our customers complain about parking enforcement warriors issuing a summons without requesting they move their vehicle. This is a parking ticket in NYC you can fight and win.

If we superimposed our experience over the past 5 years analyzing parking tickets, on the number of parking tickets issued, and the revenue generated in the last fiscal year, 5M parking tickets were issued with defects or defenses, charging New York City parkers with $300M in fines and penalties they did not deserve.

I think every business person would love to have a police department, towing companies, and ALJs to collect their revenue. Do you think that parking ticket warriors are instructed to do the right thing, be fair, and enforce the law when they are released behind enemy lines? Or, do you think they are given a quota of parking tickets to write?

Parking ticket revenue in these troubled economic times is not a luxury. It’s revenue that is sorely needed. Police power versus business power? No wonder public perception is awful.

Here are some suggestions

1. Always check the face of your New York City parking ticket for defects, such as date/hour errors, location error, incorrect violation code and description, and absence of parking ticket enforcement warrior signature

2. Find out whether you have a defense to the violation—for example, fire hydrant violations mentioned above. Discharging a passenger is generally a defense to double parking or parking at a bus stop. If you have a legitimate defense, fight your New York City parking ticket. You’ll win.

3.  If there are no defects and no legitimate defense, take advantage of the parking fine reduction program

4.  If you are a commercial organization, join the Fleet Program

5.  Find out whether the Stipulated Fine Program, the Commercial Abatement Program, or retaining an expert to fight your parking tickets is the right course of action for your company

I appreciate the opportunity to join the conversation. John, great job!

5 million tickets are issued in error. Would you please share your experiences? Let’s fight this parking ticket NYC challenge together.

Please comment. Your opinions are important to us.