I was unfairly fined $232 after abruptly signaling and changing lanes – turns out it was illegal and now I owe money

WHY more than 100 drivers were overcharged for what is normally seen as a minor traffic offense for years is being investigated.

Colombia, South Carolina law enforcement has overcharged numerous car owners $232.50 for a highway violation that typically results in a fine of less than $50.

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Drivers were fined $232.50 for what should have been a $25 ticket in the city for more than seven years, local NBC affiliate WISTV found.

A man received a fine in the city and it led him to realize a huge error in the city’s judicial system.

“I was coming down Rosewood [Drive]” said Tony Gradel,

“And a vehicle was coming into the turn lane and he braked quickly. So I signaled and went around him.”

The driver was stopped by a Columbia police officer on June 3.

Gradel received a ticket for “illegally changing lanes.”

“Even if a signal was made,” he added.

“And there was adequate spacing between cars.”

Only nine of the 129 residents with similar cases that have been closed since a state law set the traffic fine at $25 in 2017 have been charged the correct amount of the $25 fine.

In total, Columbia Municipal Court improperly issued more than $22,000 in fines, according to WISTV.

Gradel explained that his $232.50 ticket was unexpected.

“I thought it seemed a little excessive,” he said.

“So naturally, I looked into it.”

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 simply being 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 take the car.”
  • “I can not pay for it.”
  • “I’ve been doing this for years.”
  • “The parking officer 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

The driver consulted the penalties for the infraction listed in the fine he received.

Gradel quickly found section 56-5-2150 of the State Law.

It states that the offender “shall be fined twenty-five dollars.”

It also states that no court costs or offender assessment surcharges can be expected.

Additionally, points also cannot be assessed against the car owner or their driving record.

Gradel asked, “How was this lost?”

“How come the people in charge of defending the justice system don’t read our laws?” he added.

The system was changed on June 5, just two days after Gradel was fined.

It has been updated to fine highway law violators the correct amount of $25 and officials said they are in the process of reimbursing those who were over-fined.