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DRIVERS with outstanding parking tickets can waive their late fees – but they have to act fast.
City officials in Binghamton, New York, announced on Tuesday that people with late parking fines can temporarily waive their debts.
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Mayor Jared Kraham announced that Binghamton, which is about 200 miles northwest of New York City, will slash extra fees starting on November 15.
The opportunity will run through the end of the year.
Through the Parking Ticket Amnesty Program, drivers can pay any ticket issued before November 25, 2024, at the initial fine rate.
This means any late fees or penalties will be removed from the charge.
READ MORE PARKING TICKETS
“For anyone with unpaid parking tickets in the City of Binghamton, this is a great chance to clean up outstanding fines and avoid paying extra in late penalties,” Kraham said.
“It’s also an opportunity for the City to bring in additional revenue by collecting more of what’s owed in unpaid parking fines.”
Drivers have until December 31 to pay the initial amounts of their old parking tickets.
However, additional New York State surcharges still apply.
This means people who were charged for illegally parking in spaces reserved for people with disabilities still have to pay the extra fees.
The mayor said as of October, there were over 3,400 unpaid parking tickets.
The fines equated to about $195,000 owed to the city.
The mayor said the brand new program is meant to encourage residents with unpaid tickets to wipe their slates clean.
Tickets can be paid through the city’s online portal.
Drivers can also pay for their tickets in person at City Hall.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the mayor for comment.
While Binghamton is forgiving extra fees on parking tickets, a city in Wisconsin is tripling fines for drivers caught illegally parking during the NFL Draft weekend.
The three-day event brings thousands of visitors to Ashwaubenon in April, which causes widespread problems for residents.
The village committee is now looking to triple the current $50 fine to $150 for illegal parking.
The charge would go up even more if it’s not paid within 15 days.
Plus, another city is chasing down drivers with outstanding parking tickets as they try to get back $1 million in lost revenue.
