$200 in one single ticket from college, need legal advice

**myk02k** · 07-25-2006, 07:33 PM

OK I really need your help more than ever.

At my college in California, the student parking lot was closed for construction so I parked in the staff lot. When I came back I have a "ticket" for "posted staff parking area only - $35.00 (CVC 21113(a))", "less than 2 license plates displayed - $76.00 (code 5200)", and "valid license tabs not displayed (5204(a))".

I think I can fight it but cannot find federal and state codes that correlate to the laws. The first ticket is unjust because I am legally and registered by the NJ DMV as handicapped. They did not supply handicapped parking other than a 20 minute walk on the other side of campus, although I do not have a handicapped plackard. What are the codes I can use for this?

Second, I have NJ plates, so don't vehicle codes in the state of California not apply to myself? Although I have been living here since January (college will have records I have been in school since), my car is 100% valid in NJ. Also, we do not have license tabs for our license plates (or at least I was not issued them).

Finally, I was told from another student that this may not be a legal ticket. On the top it says, "Notice of Illegal Parking", does not have a court date, and pretty much says send us a check with this envelope for the amount or "contact the citation processing center at (address)". Supposively student who are going into the criminal justice department hand out these tickets for work, although I haven't seen them doing it.

Is there ANYONE that can help me here how to bring up this case? Anywhere I can find the code laws that I need? Anyone please HELP!

**shadegray** · 07-25-2006, 07:44 PM

I think a ticket issued by the school has no state or federal bearing, meaning the DMV and government courts have nothing to do with it. When I got a ticket from my school, I just disputed it with the school's on campus parking/transportation center, and got it dismissed. But it might be different in your state. I guess you could call the state DMV and ask about it.

**oneBADDz** · 07-25-2006, 07:52 PM

Was it a school cop or a student? A student can't give you anything other than the parking ticket. A school cop is the same as a state trooper. What's a license tab? If it isn't required by the state it's registered in, and is a part of the registration legalities, then they can't give you that one regardless. Cali can require you to abide by their laws if you reside there even if it is registered in another state, but not the registration laws, because that isn't necessarily possible depending on the differences in reg laws.

**jacobyb** · 07-25-2006, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by myk02k

OK I really need your help more than ever.

At my college in California, the student parking lot was closed for construction so I parked in the staff lot. When I came back I have a "ticket" for "posted staff parking area only - $35.00 (CVC 21113(a))", "less than 2 license plates displayed - $76.00 (code 5200)", and "valid license tabs not displayed (5204(a))".

I think I can fight it but cannot find federal and state codes that correlate to the laws. The first ticket is unjust because I am legally and registered by the NJ DMV as handicapped. They did not supply handicapped parking other than a 20 minute walk on the other side of campus, although I do not have a handicapped plackard. What are the codes I can use for this?

Second, I have NJ plates, so don't vehicle codes in the state of California not apply to myself? Although I have been living here since January (college will have records I have been in school since), my car is 100% valid in NJ. Also, we do not have license tabs for our license plates (or at least I was not issued them).

Finally, I was told from another student that this may not be a legal ticket. On the top it says, "Notice of Illegal Parking", does not have a court date, and pretty much says send us a check with this envelope for the amount or "contact the citation processing center at (address)". Supposively student who are going into the criminal justice department hand out these tickets for work, although I haven't seen them doing it.

Is there ANYONE that can help me here how to bring up this case? Anywhere I can find the code laws that I need? Anyone please HELP!

As stated, the campus police are fully sworn peace officers and they can citeyou for everything they cited you for. FOr starters, does NJ require both a front and a rear plate? What I mean is does the state of NJ issue you you both a front and rear plate? If they do, you are required by law to display both plates and regardless of the state you are in, you can get dinged for it.

If you are legally disabled and allowed to park in a disabled space, you should have a plackard. If you don't, it is going to be up to the judge as to if he is going to let it go or not.

CVC 5204 (a) is written as, and this is straight out of my California Vehicle Code 2006 book, "Current Month and Year tab Not Properly Attached."

If you have them attached incorrectly or not at all, you are S.O.L. on this issue.

The good news is that the license citations are all "fix-it" tickets. This means that if you correct the problem before you go to court, the judge will throw them out. The parking ticket you are going to have to pay.

**Bigrus** · 07-25-2006, 09:51 PM

No plackard no care.

Unless the DMV has proof you are handicapped and you can obtain this before your court date then you are screwed.

Also the judge will not dismiss the other 2 fines since its nothing more than your error.

Also try to get in contact with your local police/court station and find out if the tickets are valid instead of some scam.

**Wulfe13** · 07-25-2006, 10:38 PM

I just read this.... it may explain your situation since you are now in California....
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/th...-wizard/25265/

**Bigrus** · 07-25-2006, 11:21 PM

Originally Posted by Wulfe13

I just read this.... it may explain your situation since you are now in California....
http://www.ocweekly.com/news/news/th...-wizard/25265/

geeze and they act like anything out of that state is shady. Thats pathetic the people of cali let some half assed company regulate tickets.

Seems he is SOL since that guy had to have a six month battle for a 25 dollar ticket.

**myk02k** · 07-26-2006, 11:08 AM

In the state of NJ, we are required to display both license plates. What I'll do is talk to the school police and if they deny me I'll have to deal with this assward back company. I'll also get my CA license, plates, registration, and smog in the meantime (which I wish to avoid but can't any longer) so even if they won't accept my case I'll have it fixed.

That article was very interesting. My ticket has the same PO BOX in Huntington Beach, CA on the envelope to send in the money for the ticket. It seems like a scam because it says you can pay for the ticket by sending a check in the envelope attached, yet it also says if you wish to "deny liability" contact our Citation Processing Center in Huntington Beach, CA. It makes it seem like the only thing to do is mail in a check because the second option seems harsh and confusing, when they could just say write not guilty and mail in the envelope.

**myk02k** · 07-26-2006, 11:11 AM

Oh yea and we don't have license tabs in NJ

**Bigrus** · 07-26-2006, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by myk02k

In the state of NJ, we are required to display both license plates. What I'll do is talk to the school police and if they deny me I'll have to deal with this assward back company. I'll also get my CA license, plates, registration, and smog in the meantime (which I wish to avoid but can't any longer) so even if they won't accept my case I'll have it fixed.

That article was very interesting. My ticket has the same PO BOX in Huntington Beach, CA on the envelope to send in the money for the ticket. It seems like a scam because it says you can pay for the ticket by sending a check in the envelope attached, yet it also says if you wish to "deny liability" contact our Citation Processing Center in Huntington Beach, CA. It makes it seem like the only thing to do is mail in a check because the second option seems harsh and confusing, when they could just say write not guilty and mail in the envelope.

So you are pretty much boned on fighting it if you read the article. Its not a scam if you notice they are allowed to do this by the state. Also not paying a fine you get at school can result in you not being able to register for future courses.

**gwballin** · 07-26-2006, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by myk02k

In the state of NJ, we are required to display both license plates. What I'll do is talk to the school police and if they deny me I'll have to deal with this assward back company. I'll also get my CA license, plates, registration, and smog in the meantime (which I wish to avoid but can't any longer) so even if they won't accept my case I'll have it fixed.

My girlfriend lived in Mississippi until she went to college at LSU. She was there for four years and decided to stay in Louisiana for grad school. While applying she thought she was a resident of Louisiana since she had been here for four years and thought she would not have to pay out of state tuition.

Here is the kicker, in Louisiana, if you are living here as a full time student, that time does not count toward determining your residence.

So my question is do you really have to register your car in California if you are only there as a student. I would imagine that it would probably be cheaper to pay the ticket than to re-register your car.

**gwballin** · 07-26-2006, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Bigrus

Also not paying a fine you get at school can result in you not being able to register for future courses.

I can personally vouch for that one. While in grad school they would just add the fine to my fee bill, but the tickets were handled by the university not some outside company.

**FuxOnTheFirstDate** · 07-26-2006, 12:44 PM

Originally Posted by myk02k

OK I really need your help more than ever.

At my college in California, the student parking lot was closed for construction so I parked in the staff lot. When I came back I have a "ticket" for "posted staff parking area only - $35.00 (CVC 21113(a))", "less than 2 license plates displayed - $76.00 (code 5200)", and "valid license tabs not displayed (5204(a))".

I think I can fight it but cannot find federal and state codes that correlate to the laws. The first ticket is unjust because I am legally and registered by the NJ DMV as handicapped. They did not supply handicapped parking other than a 20 minute walk on the other side of campus, although I do not have a handicapped plackard. What are the codes I can use for this?

Second, I have NJ plates, so don't vehicle codes in the state of California not apply to myself? Although I have been living here since January (college will have records I have been in school since), my car is 100% valid in NJ. Also, we do not have license tabs for our license plates (or at least I was not issued them).

Finally, I was told from another student that this may not be a legal ticket. On the top it says, "Notice of Illegal Parking", does not have a court date, and pretty much says send us a check with this envelope for the amount or "contact the citation processing center at (address)". Supposively student who are going into the criminal justice department hand out these tickets for work, although I haven't seen them doing it.

Is there ANYONE that can help me here how to bring up this case? Anywhere I can find the code laws that I need? Anyone please HELP!

I got a ticket on campus in New Mexico at UNM a couple years ago but I never paid it. Nothing ever happened either. I wouldn't worry about it unless you plan on continuing to park on campus. Are you still handicapped enough to not be able to walk long distances? If not I would just park somewhere else and if it ever comes up again just deny it because they didn't give YOU the ticket personally. For all they know it was windy and the ticket blew off the car.

**ReBop** · 07-26-2006, 04:00 PM

You are being reamed by campus security. That's BS.

Fight it.

**myk02k** · 07-27-2006, 09:25 PM

Well I talked to one campus police officer today after class. I was being really nice about it as she was too. She said because of the disability thing, although I did not display a plackard she will relinquish that fine just this time. I don't see myself that handicapped and I see it that people who REALLY need it will have a space. What I have is not noticeable and although it does affect me, I don't let it stop me from doing anything.

On another note, I told her in NJ we don't have license tabs but we are suppose to have two plates. She said she'll drop the tab fine and if I come in with 2 plates she'll sign it off as fixed and all I have is a $10 fee...then the plate comes right back off. I gave her all of my information as I was speaking to her and she pointed out my registration is invalid since December and if I get caught living in the state without a state license it's a very hefty fine.

Looks like I'll be a little angry I have to give them $10, but at least I feel like I've been saved from my car being impounded and $1000 in tickets for her telling me about my registration and how it works if I'm caught being a CA resident w/ NJ plates (though I wish I could keep my NJ stuff, I'm going to NJ in a week and I'm thinking about re-registering my car while I'm there rather than get my CA stuff and see what happens).

**Sassy Cassie** · 07-27-2006, 09:30 PM

I'm glad that it worked out fairly well for you.

**myk02k** · 08-31-2006, 06:22 PM

Not over yet...

I tried to get those tickets written off by the leutenant before I went on vacation. I explained my situation and he wrote me off for the "less than 2 license plates" and said that I'd need to register my vehicle in CA and then he'd write off the rest. I told him I couldn't get it done within 21 days (that's what the ticket says) and he told me its not a problem and he'd write that off too for my situation.

Today, I go to the campus police asking to get the rest written off by another officer. She took my ticket and wrote "over 21 days" and only wrote me off for the "invalid license tabs displayed" situation cuz I got my car registered in CA (that cost me $190). She said because it's over 21 days nobody can help me and I have to pay all the fines in full and send it in with the noted corrections. I asked her why did I get the fines corrected in the first place and she said so she doesn't tow my car out of the campus next time she sees my car being invalid. God I hate it...I just had to buy school books, paid $190 for registration, still need to get a CA license, and now supposively I need to pay all the fines in full unless I can get ahold of the leutenant and see if he remembers me. I think why the leutenant was so nice to me is because I had a 30 min. conversation with him about f-bodies, he said he used to own an LT1 and has a picture of him getting pulled over by Nevada State Police framed in his office.

**myk02k** · 09-25-2006, 10:51 PM

HAHAHAHA...A turn of events.

I haven't paid yet, and I was about to send out a check this week and was about to give up. Turns out, I was able to find the ticket processing website, typed in my citation #, and guess what? THEY GOT MY FUCKING PLATE INFO WRONG!!!!!!!!!!! Wohooo. The only thing that I'd worry about now is the last 4 digits of my VIN, but that's not traceable is it???

**96z28** · 09-25-2006, 11:38 PM

unless the ticket has a place to write in the vin number then i dont think they wrote down your vin.

**Wulfe13** · 09-26-2006, 07:49 AM

I don't know about California but here they write down your VIN on the ticket. Your car wouldn't get towed coz the plate is wrong (unless they misread it again) but you could get a warrant.