Category Archives: Fighting Chicago Parking Tickets
Ald. Waguespack, Expired Meter Announce Seminar On Fighting Chicago Parking Tickets
Free Educational Event Is First Of Its Kind In Chicago
The Expired Meter is proud to announce the very first Chicago Driver Survival Seminar presented by Alderman Scott Waguespack (32nd) on Tuesday, November 30th.
This free class will teach Chicago drivers the basics of: avoiding and contesting parking tickets, red light camera tickets, speeding tickets and other moving violations, keeping the Denver boot off your car and updating attendees on new driving laws that effect pedestrian and biking safety, and much more.
The Driver Survival Seminar is the very first event of its kind in Chicago and perhaps the nation with the sole purpose of educating and empowering motorists to protect themselves from these issues that challenge drivers every day on the streets of the city.
Tribune To The Rescue On Improper Parking Ticket
The Chicago Tribune’s What’s Your Problem columnist Jon Yates has done it again.
A motorist, and Tribune reader was issued a parking ticket for an expired meter on a Sunday.
However, per the vehicle’s residential parking permit sticker, the motorist is allowed to park on the street on Saturdays and Sundays without feeding the meter.
The driver fought the ticket and provided photographic and documentary evidence, but was still found liable for the ticket.
Ouch!
But then Yates and crew parachuted in to handle the situation.
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek
Dear Geek,
Last night when going out with my girlfriend we left her car parked and fed the parking meter but we overstayed for 6 mins (paid until 8:48pm, ticketed at 8:54….9:00 p.m the time you don’t have to feed a meter anymore on that area).
She got a $50.00 ticket and she was really upset, we read the 5-minute grace period note at the bottom of the ticket but we are thinking that it will not apply (as it was a 6 min overstay).
1) Do we call the 312 number listed on the ticket and try to negotiate with whoever answers for a 6 minutes grace instead of 5?
2) Do we pay it 
?
3) Do we not pay it and see what happens? She never gets tickets but I’m a bit hesitant recommending her not to pay it as I’ve heard horror stories about the yellow boot in the city. Do you think that she can get a yellow-boot if she does not pay this ticket?
4) Do we contest it? (the ticket was issued correctly so I’m not sure if we have a shot)
Thanks for your response Geek,
Carlos
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek
Hello Parking Geek,
I really annoyed by a parking ticket that I just received, it is for violation 9-64-110 (g) Park in Underpass.
So I have three questions:
1) Why is it illegal to park in underpass?
2) Why is this violation valued at a $75 fine?
3) Do I have a chance to contest it?
I am a diligent driver and parker and always look for parking signs. I avoided parking in the yellow curb area and I was far away from the hydrant. There were no signs posted anywhere regarding no parking or tow away.
So, after checking the area I thought it was a legal place to park.
I was not aware that this type of violation existed. I took pictures to show that there were no signs posted. Do I have a chance to fight this, and if so will I have a chance to win if I do it by mail? I can’t believe this is a $75 fine, way too much in my opinion!
Please advise.
Thank you,
Pissed off for Parking in Underpass
Ugh. I think you’re screwed here POFPIU.
Ask the Parking Ticket Geek
Hello Geek,
I let a friend borrow my car and he got a parking ticket.
I have gotten several letters about it saying it needs to be paid and I give them to him. After the last one he claimed he paid it and then left town. Now I just got another letter saying it isn’t paid and it will be going to collections.
My questions is if I contact the city and give them this license information (which I have) will they transfer it to him?
I am wondering this because if he had gotten a ticket while driving it would be under his name not not mine. Do I have any hope of this or am I going to have to eat the cost of this and use it as a valuable lesson in friendship?
Always Delivery
Dear Always,
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek
Dear Geek,
This past Saturday night I got a parking ticket two minutes after my time had expired. I then found out about the 5-minute grace period rule, and I thought I could use it to get the ticket dismissed.
The city website said to call their 800 number to find out what to do to make this happen. When I called Tuesday, I was told that the ticket wasn’t even in their system yet, and they couldn’t do
anything about it until then. The agent said there were a lot of tickets being processed from the holiday weekend, and suggested that I wait a week until the following Tuesday to try again.
I asked: “What about this warning on my ticket that says: ‘Within 7 days of this violation notice you must either pay the applicable fine or contest this violation notice’” ? I was worried that if I waited until next Tuesday to call back, my seven-day time limit would run out.
But the agent told me that the seven days doesn’t start until the violation gets posted in their system, and that I had nothing to worry about. Supposedly, the “violation notice” is not the ticket itself, but some more abstract thing that only exists after the city officially recognizes the ticket.
Is this true? Is the language on the ticket really that misleading? Is the seven-day thing really BS? Just last month my girlfriend realized that seven days had passed since she was issued a parking ticket, and drove to the 24-hour post office on Canal street to get her contestation postmarked by the deadline. Was there no need to hurry?
Thanks for your help, and your blog!
Noel
Actually, the person(s) you spoke to on the phone are correct Noel.
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek
Dear PTG,
I have an ethical question for you.
There is a car that has been parked on my block for over a month–they were doing street construction farther down the block so they seem to have skipped the street cleaning. I know that the law says one week max, but this is not about the law, it is about what is right.
I wouldn’t normally care in the summer but for the fact that the car is taking up two spaces instead of one–it is parked at the beginning of the block and is parked about a half a cars length behind the yellow line so that no car can park in front of it.
I feel like a cranky old man with this get off my lawn behavior, but parking is really a problem where I live and I have difficulty feeling sorry for someone who parks in such an inconsiderate manner. So, what are your thoughts?
Brandon
Ethical question? No comprende “ethics” Brandon.
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek: City Sticker Edition
EDITOR’S NOTE: With the end of city sticker season barely behind us, and the number of questions regarding city stickers dramatically outnumbering questions on other issues, we’re devoting this week’s entire column to city stickers.
For this “special edition” of Ask The Parking Ticket Geek, we’ve consulted with the official spokesperson for Chicago’s City Clerk, Kristine Williams for her city sticker wisdom on these questions as well.
Hi Geek!
If my car was inoperable and I did not buy a sticker in 2009, will I be “penalized” when I get my 2010 sticker?
Also, since the car became operable on 08/03/10, will there be a late fee?
Thanks!
Peg
Dear Peg,
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek
Dear Geek,
I am a Fleet Manager and have just received two incorrect city stickers.
The license plate number on the stickers don’t match the actual plate on each car.
When I contact the City Clerk’s Data Services office I was told the plate numbers don’t matter. There should be a letter stating that non matching plates and city stickers are not a ticketable (her word not mine) offense.
Is this a city worker trying to get me off the phone or is it legit? I’ve been scouring the web and so far no information exists. It was my understanding that the plate numbers had to match on the sticker AND the vehicle. Any information you might have would be helpful.
Thanks,
Chris
Don’t sweat this one Chris…
Ask The Parking Ticket Geek
Hi Geek,
Yesterday, I received a ticket for parking during rush hour on a street where parking is not allowed from 4-6pm.
Clearly my fault.
However, the officer who issued the ticket forgot to mark which state my license plate was from, which is Wisconsin.
Can I use this mistake to get out of the ticket? Please let me know if there is any hope for me.
Thanks!
Ramsey
Dude,
You totally dodged a bullet on this one…
