Controversial fines program launched with drivers fined $101,000 in days – sets ‘terrible precedent’

US cities have cracked down on the situation by hiring third parties to issue parking tickets – revenues have risen along with drivers’ frustration.

Some residents say it was a dangerous way to raise revenue, as businesses viewed locals as dollar signs.

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Orange County in Southern California contains 34 cities with a population of nearly 347,000 people — all of them struggling to find safe parking.

Two cities in the county, Fullerton and Orange, announced “difficult budgets” and struggled to generate revenue for public projects.

Consequently, both cities considered hiring third-party companies to take over issuing parking tickets and generate more revenue..

SP Plus Corporation was hired by both cities after parking enforcement became a difficulty.

The company has contracts with several other cities in the USA.

Ernesto Rennella, the company’s vice president, said the company’s success comes from customer service and strict inspection policies, which result in more revenue for the city.

“The revenue generation that we have seen in all of these different cities has exceeded our client’s expectations,” Renella said during a city council meeting in Stanton in July, as cited by Voice of the OC.

“We have also increased their revenue when it comes to generating citations and our presence has also helped reduce issues that happen during certain times of the night.”

In Fullerton, some residents in the southern part of the city have run afoul of the company’s enforcement tactics.

The area is home to working-class residents who struggle to park due to overcrowding and feel targeted by enforcement.

Munish is one of many affected residents who feels it is unwise to hire a third party to handle a sensitive situation like the one he and his neighbors are facing.

“It would be a terrible precedent to look at citations as a way of basically tax residents to bring money,” he told the channel.

“A for-profit entity will want to give away as many tickets as possible to make money.”

SP Plus was hired by the City of Fullerton in 2019 to oversee street sweeping, downtown and overnight parking.

This would be a terrible precedent to look at citations as a way to basically tax residents to bring in money. A for-profit entity will want to give away as many tickets as possible to make money.

Munish, Fullerton resident

Before they were triggered, the city was earning $33,000 per month in 2023.

From November 2023 to March 2024, the city reported a monthly revenue figure of $101,000, representing a 206 percent revenue increase.

The city of Stanton approved a one-year contract with the company worth $213,087 as part of a pilot program.

The company will inspect parking between 6pm and 6am

“In recent years, the Department of Public Safety Services has faced challenges in providing continuous and effective parking control services at night and in the early morning hours,” a city staff report said. to read.

“Other cities in and outside Orange County have faced similar challenges in their parking enforcement efforts.”

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

Hannah Shin-Heydorn, the city manager, predicts a big jump in revenue with increased enforcement.

“We are estimating additional revenues of $160,000 to $200,000 for citations issued between 6pm and 6am over 12 months,” she said.

Orange expects to earn about $10 million over five years as part of a contract with the company.

Dan Slater, the mayor of Orange, is excited to see much-needed revenue coming in to fund public projects.

“There is no doubt that the best part of all is that we will have advance revenue,” he said.

US Sun contacted SP Plus for comment.