How to Fight an Unfair Ticket
Sometimes tickets are issued in error or under unfair circumstances. Whether you have received a traffic ticket or a parking ticket you feel is unjust, there are actions you can take to combat unfair tickets. The process can be long, slow-moving and frustrating, but if you are in the right and proceed knowing you have power over the situation, arming yourself with as much relevant information as possible, you have a chance of getting the ticket annulled.
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Instructions
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Traffic Ticket
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Research the circumstances surrounding your ticket by looking up local traffic laws to learn if you have actually made an error. If you are in the wrong, fighting a ticket will waste your time and is unlikely to result in a successful appeal.
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Take pictures of the site where you received the ticket, as well as all objects involved. For example, if you received a ticket for making an illegal left turn that you believed was permitted because of a sign with unclear wording, take a picture of the intersection where you made the turn and the sign that confused you.
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Attend the optional hearing date listed on the back of your traffic ticket. Dress professionally, show up on time and bring your photographic evidence. Represent yourself at this hearing instead of spending money on legal representation.
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State your case at the hearing to demonstrate to the judge why the traffic officer was incorrect in issuing you a ticket. For example, explain to the judge that you should not be penalized for misunderstanding a confusing sign and that the sign should be replaced and citizens should not be punished.
Parking Ticket
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Research the issues surrounding your ticket by learning about local parking laws. You may have violated a law that you did not know existed. If you actually made a mistake, fighting a ticket will waste your time and is unlikely to result in a successful appeal.
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Take pictures of the site where you received the ticket, as well as all objects involved. For example, if you received a ticket for parking at a meter that read "fail," your ticket may have been issued in error since many cities permit free parking at failed meters. Take a picture of your car at the broken meter to use as evidence.
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Visit the website listed on the back of your parking ticket and follow the process given for appealing a ticket. Protocol in each municipality differs slightly, but most appeal processes require that you write a statement explaining why you received the ticket in error. Submit the photograph of the faulty meter with your appeal, either online or through the mail.
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Attend a hearing if your original appeal is not accepted. Dress professionally, show up on time and bring your photographic evidence. Represent yourself at this hearing instead of spending money on legal representation.
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State your case at the hearing to demonstrate to the judge why the parking officer was incorrect in issuing you a ticket. For example, explain to the judge that you should not be punished because the city failed to repair a faulty meter promptly, and because parking officers were unsure of parking laws surrounding failed meters.
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References
Resources
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