PARENTS have expressed frustration after receiving parking fines for picking up their children from school.
One of the confused parents called the tickets unjustified as there was no evidence of the alleged violation.
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Rosy, a mother who has attended Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores, Michigan – 22 minutes northeast of Detroit – since 2016, said this was the first parking ticket she had received.
“Last Friday, I came to school to pick up my son. I drove on this side of the lane, which is the right lane, and then you stopped at the arrivals zone,” Rosy told the ABC affiliate. W X Y Z in 2023.
“And then I texted my daughter that I’m here. She leaves and then we leave.”
However, she received a $20 ticket in the mail that said, “vehicle stopped in right lane to pick up student.”
READ MORE about Parking Tickets
Rosy knew this couldn’t be true, saying: “I never let my child get into the vehicle while it’s in the right lane, it’s very unsafe to do so.”
The mother was never notified about the ticket before receiving it in the mail.
She said the worst part was that the ticket was not accompanied by photographic proof of the alleged action.
The vehicle noted that there were no signs at the school stating “no parking or standing” so parents should be aware.
After getting the ticket, Rosy shared her story on Facebook, where other parents commented on similar issues about “illegally issued tickets”.
St. Clair Shores Police Chief Jason Allen told the outlet that his officers enforce the law to ensure traffic flows smoothly and children are not left in unauthorized areas.
He also offered suggestions that were shared with Chad Craven, another parent, who received at least two tickets when picking up his son from a local elementary school.
When asked by the outlet about the boss suggesting that parents don’t need to wait for their kids in one place, Craven said, “Oh, let’s see the boss walk down Burton Street, walk half a mile to get his kid in freezing weather, let’s see. how does it work.”
The upset parent also commented on the Chief suggesting that parents could compete for tickets online.
“Let’s not even talk about whether they try to do something; it will end up costing me money,” she commented.
“That’s why the ticket system seems like a way to make money. They’re not going to fight, so we’ll accept it.”
The US Sun has reached out to St. Clair Shores Police for an update and Lakeview High School for comment.
How to Fight a Parking Ticket
You can avoid being fined by following all published laws and regulations, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets can be avoided by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes can be made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket comes as a surprise to you, there are some things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Read the ticket carefully. Look for errors such as incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would render the ticket invalid.
- Take pictures. The vehicle in the space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that were not cited for performing the same parking service. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with time and date is accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or on crooked posts, or that are not “obvious” are also great things to photograph.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If it is not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Immediately follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have appeal instructions. Waiting until the last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was going to move my car.”
- “I can’t pay this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said everything was fine.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you are facing obstacles and feel stuck, you may want to contact a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader Summary
PARKING NIGHTMARE
Parents aren’t the only ones frustrated by unfair parking tickets.
Graig Feierman of Staten Island, New York, used his security footage to prove he didn’t deserve an unjustified fine.
Feierman said he received a letter about a fee being applied to an unpaid parking ticket.
However, he was “surprised” by the news and stated that he had not received a parking ticket on his windshield, according to SILive.com.
Video from home security footage of Feierman showed that he was parked in the same direction as two other cars on his road, according to SILive.com.
The footage captured an officer approaching the car and writing a note, but allegedly showed the officer driving away without putting a ticket on the car.
“I saw the traffic police officer scan my car with his reader, never put a ticket on my car, and then walk to another car,” Feierman said.
“He gave me a ticket for something that was incorrect, but he never left a ticket in my car.
“If I didn’t have the cameras, I would have just had to pay the fine because I wouldn’t have any evidence that I wasn’t parked on the wrong side.”
The frustrated driver pleaded not guilty to the violation, presented his footage to the court and filed a complaint against the officer.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
