QUESTION
I would like to fight a ticket given for not having a residential sticker on my car on the block where I actually live; does it make sense to do so?
Asked on Jun 22nd, 2018 on Civil Litigation - New Jersey
More details to this question:
A parking ticket was placed on my car for not having a residential sticker. I do live on the block. When I called the court to get a convenient date to appear since I wanted to plead not guilty, I was told that there is no way I would win and that when I lost, more fees beyond the ticket penalty could be assessed. If the clerk was correct, then I would not bother to pursue this. I have lived on this block for a year now with no issues and never thought about getting a sticker since I had previously lived for 14 years on a street in the same town which required no stickers. I would just like a legal opinion as to whether this is an open-and-shut case that I can't possibly win or receive leniency.
1 ANSWER
I don't think you have a chance to win. You are a resident, but you didn't pay for a sticker, depriving the town of the sticker fee. The town doesn't want residents not to pay for stickers and take their chances, and then get off by buying a sticker later. If so, why would anyone pay for a parking sticker? The town would lose money. Moreover, letting you off would be unfair to those who paid for their permits. This is not to say that a judge may not do you a favor, but (as a guy who pays about $350 a year for parking stickers), I wouldn't expect him/her to do so.
Answered on Jun 25th, 2018 at 11:15 AM