Dear Parking Ticket Geek-

I just got my new City Sticker and replaced it on my car yesterday (June 2nd). On June 3rd I woke up with a $120 ticket on my car. Did I put it on too soon????? What the heck?

I have the new 2008 sticker on my car. I took the 2007 sticker off yesterday and replaced it with the 08 sticker. Am I required to have both of them on until mid June or something I am not a new resident. I’ve been a Chicago resident for twelve years and have always complied with the sticker rules (or so I thought). I almost wonder of the officer just didn’t realize that was the new sticker.

Let me know what you think and thanks a ton for your reply. And of course I threw out the old sticker. It was destroyed after taking it off the windshield.

Thanks again,

Jason

Dear Jason-

I made a few inquiries on this and the consensus seems to be whomever wrote you the ticket is just stupid. Most likely, they didn’t recognize the new sticker. Typical.

You did nothing wrong.

You need to fight this.

Here’s what I would do.

1-Request the hearing.

2-Photograph your sticker on the windshield. Take a few photos including a closeup, a medium shot of the car with the sticker and try to get your front license plate in the photo.

3-When you go into the hearing, bring in the photos. Also bring all the sticker documentation for the new sticker, and if you can find it, the documentation for last year’s sticker.

4-Explain to the hearing officer exactly what happened (how you removed the old, replaced it with the new, etc.). Insist as strongly as possible that the new sticker was on your vehicle and either the person writing the ticket missed it, or did not recognize the new sticker since it was so early in the month.

Show the photos of the sticker on your car and present the sticker documentation from this year and last year (if you can locate it).

It’s basically your word against the ticket. But your testimony, photos and sticker paperwork showing you purchased the new city sticker BEFORE the ticket. Now remember, the ticket is for failure to display. Just because you purchased it doesn’t necessarily prove that you actually had it on the car. But YOU know you did and it’s your job to convey this to the hearing officer.

Also, you purchased last year’s sticker and it was on the vehicle until you put the new one on. So again, be firm about how it was on the vehicle. Repeat this over and over again so this point will get through to even the most dense of hearing officers.

Good luck with it and keep us posted.

Very truly yours,

The Parking Ticket Geek

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