parking

How To – Dispute A Parking Ticket

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Finding a parking ticket slapped under your windshield wiper is a sure fire way to ruin even a perfect day, but don’t fret New Yorkers! Just because you got a parking ticket doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t fight it and avoid having to pay a hefty fine. One of the easiest way to beat a ticket is to do so on a technicality.  If you would rather to just pay it you can also visit our payment portal.  Although traffic officers writing out the summons must enter all data correctly, errors can definitely turn up on your ticket.

Request An In-Person Hearing

If you believe that  your parking ticket has incorrect information on it or is simply flat out wrong, you can choose to dispute it and request a hearing  online, by mail, or in person at any Finance Business Center for a walk-in hearing. These hearings are on a first-come, first-served basis between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday with no appointment necessary. Hearings can be requested up to one year after the judgment date but it’s better to dispute the ticket within 30 days of receiving the violation as you can still be subject to late penalties after the 30th day. If the judge finds you guilty, you may have to pay the penalties. Once you have been granted a hearing, be sure to provide as much evidence and information that supports your dispute against the parking ticket. Don’t forget to bring a valid Driver’s License, your Vehicle registration and title or rental agreement.

Request an Online Hearing

If you choose to request an online hearing and have evidence you want the judge to consider (photographs of signs/street, documents, etc.) you must fill out and submit an online hearing request form. All evidence must be submitted at once since you may not have another opportunity to submit evidence after your hearing. If you are submitting evidence online, make sure you submit no more than 5MB of evidence to system as files that are larger than 5MB will not be accepted online. If this is the case, submit your hearing request and evidence by mail or in person at a Finance Business Center.

Request a Hearing by Mail

To have a hearing by mail, return the ticket with the reasons why you believe you are not guilty checked off on the back. Be sure to attach a letter explaining why your evidence and reasons support your dispute as well as copies of any evidence that you wish to present. If you are sending photographs of parking signs, include all signs on the side of the street where you received the ticket. Pictures must be of the entire block from corner to corner, with the front and back of signs. Include a picture of the street name. If you want show that the parking ticket has your registration information wrong, simply send or bring a copy of the registration with the correct information to your hearing. If you are sending or bringing a copy of a parking permit to your hearing, make sure the permit is good for the area where you were parked.

If you disputed the parking ticket online or by mail, the judge’s decision will be mailed  to you. If you had an in-person hearing at a NYC Finance Business Center, you will receive the decision right away. If the decision asks you to provide additional evidence, be sure to follow the instructions and include your ticket number. Remember, you have the right to appeal a hearing decision within thirty days if you think the judge got it wrong too!

 

 

Pay Your NYC Parking Ticket With A Payment Plan

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Although its always best to fight or pay off your parking ticket within 30 days, everyone knows that life doesn’t always work out the way we want. Whether you’re low on cash or just don’t have the time to pay, letting your parking violation collect dust in your desk drawer is perhaps the worst thing you can possibly do and might end up costing you thousands of dollars and countless headaches in the long run. Instead, take advantage of the parking violation payment plan provided by the NYC Department of Finance if it makes sense for you.  You can start by checking if you have parking tickets on your vehicle by visiting this page.

Paying your NYC parking tickets with a payment plan can help relieve some of the financial strain associated with many parking violations and may help you avoid penalties and enforcement actions such as additional late fees, having your vehicle towed or added to the dreaded boot list. This payment plan allows you to pay off large fines in small payments over period of time. However, keep in mind that at the end of the day you may being paying more money. This is because interest will continue to be added to the balance of your fine until the total amount you owe is completely paid off.  For example, if you owe $1,000 and you choose a 2-year payment plan with 9% interest, you will end up paying a total of more than $1,100.

Anyone can fill out the Payment Plan Request Form, however if you owe more than $10,000 in judgment debt, you will also need to fill out a Credit Application Form. Bring your completed form(s) to any Finance Business Center to enter into a payment agreement.

Here’s is the NYC Department of Finance: Payment Plan Request Form that must be submitted to start the process.

Before you begin filling out your application, don’t forget to review some of the necessary requirements you must meet before being approved for the payment plan:

  • You must be the registered owner or the owner’s court-appointed agent.
  • You must have at least 40 days left in the current registration. If approved, the plan will last only as long as the current registration.
  • Any current or defaulted Payment Plans must be paid in full.
  • Your vehicle has to have had proper insurance for more than 30 days.
  • You must owe more than $350 in parking and/or camera violation judgments.
  • Hearings on outstanding judgments must be completed.
  • Any current or defaulted Payment Plans must be paid in full.
    • 50% plus all fees for plans involving booted and/or towed vehicles
    • 33% for all other plans