DRIVERS were outraged after a city parking meter wrongly handed out parking fines, sparking a huge lawsuit.
While parking meters were supposed to be a step in the right direction, many residents reported being unfairly fined.
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“It’s terrible,” Lynette, of Royal Oak, Michigan, told the local NBC affiliate. WDIV-TV.
The high-tech parking meter requires residents to park backwards so they can read the license plate.
“The rear, angled parking doesn’t make any sense,” she said.
Lynette has lived in Royal Oak for over 40 years, however, metered parking has caused her to travel elsewhere for her daily activities.
Read more about parking meters
Other business owners spoke out about the effects of the meters, with one salon owner claiming it had caused her clientele to look elsewhere.
“People don’t like to come back [to parking,] and parking hours have been a big issue,” said Johnny, co-owner of Six Salon.
“I can’t say there’s a business that [can say that] This has been a good thing for them.”
To remedy the situation, the city of Royal Oak took legal action against the company that manufactured and installed the meters.
The city claimed that the system presents many flaws and problems for residents.
Last year, consultants conducted a study revealing the city was earning $25,000 a month for ticket violations.
However, some drivers claimed that if they were even a minute late, they would receive a fine a few weeks later.
Although Royal Oak is still under contract with the company, if the judge rules in the city’s favor, the parking meters could disappear forever.
PARKING REPRESSION
Royal Oak isn’t the only city handing out more parking tickets to its residents.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, it was revealed that there has been a major crackdown on drivers parking on sidewalks or in ADA ramps.
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
Rich Lazer, executive director of the Parking Authority, said the problem has endangered vulnerable populations.
“I think it got out of hand and now I hope this educates people to follow the rules and not park on the sidewalk or block ADA-accessible ramps,” Lazer told the NPR affiliate. WHY.
Blocking sidewalks has always been illegal in the city, with fines costing drivers up to $76.
The initiative was announced in May through a PSA that talked about how dangerous blocking sidewalks could be.
“We do a lot of enforcement in the city center and commercial areas, but we didn’t do as much in the neighborhood and we got a lot of complaints about it,” he said. WHY in May.
“And seeing how it affects people’s lives — seniors, people with disabilities, parents trying to get their kids to school — that led to additional oversight.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
