I got a parking ticket in Toronto..... | GTAMotorcycle.com

I got a parking ticket in Toronto.....

R

rekx

Member
And they mailed me a notice of impending conviction, about an infraction that occurred about a month ago

There are a few issues though:

1. I haven't owned a bike in years
2. I haven't had a bike registered in years
3. My plate hasn't been registered in years
4. The actual plate, I can see right now, with a registration sticker that expired years ago
5. I haven't even ridden a motorcycle in years
6. I was a few hundred km away

What gives? Is there an ****** out there using my old (expired) plate number? Did the meter maid have fat fingers? Am I going to be expecting more of these notices or is it likely a one off? HAS THIS EVEN HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE?

anyway,

any insight is appreciated
 
Looks like a win to me. That is a pretty solid list of reasons the ticket isn't valid.

I vote fat fingers, a fake plate should be obvious when the meter maid is close enough to copy down the number.
 
Unfortunately it sometimes costs more to fight than the ticket is worth. I had one a couple of years ago and complaints had to be made in person during business hours to an office in Toronto.
 
I haven't had a parking ticket in decades. Back in the "old days" a meter-reader would write down the particulars. Nowadays, don't they at least take photo of the offending vehicle/plate?
 
Blackfin said:
I haven't had a parking ticket in decades. Back in the "old days" a meter-reader would write down the particulars. Nowadays, don't they at least take photo of the offending vehicle/plate?
Click to expand...

No, it is a handheld device they input the info and the device compiles and prints the ticket.
 
Take it to the courthouse - if your claims are legit (I imagine you can just take the plate in), the clerk will cancel it for you.

Happened to me, when the meter maid said my plate was expired, when it actually wasn't (keep your plate renewal receipts, brah).
 
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=8632fc2beecb1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD

When i got a ticket that was very clearly incorrect, I was able to open a dispute and get the ticket cancelled (I know this situation doesn't exactly line up with their cancellation policy, but I have to think that it will be cancelled if you can prove all the stuff that you said in the OP).

Send them an email or call them. Might be able to avoid coming into the city for the day to deal with it.
 
rekx said:
it's downright BS is what it is. 150 dollar ticket that i either have to pay, or fight, both of which cost me time off work or money.
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Mine was only $30 and not worth the time of work. Read the fine print and see if there are ways of dealing with it without attendance.

If you live in Toronto call your Councillor. If not call the Mayor's office. Call the local police office (not 911) and explain. Lay a charge of fraud against persons unknown.

The blackmail part of this is you lose your licence renewal privileges if you don't resolve it. More Gestapo tactics by our democratic government.

You can in part thank the fight-every-ticket types for the backlogs and therefore retaliations.

It is interesting that the Provincial government has established links to ensure that municipalities get their fines collected but don't include kinks that would make it easy to correct errors for the improperly charged.

Example: Go to any Service Ontario location and say "I want to pay any outstanding fines on my motorcycle. They will be linked to my drivers licence."

Service Ontario "You don't own any motorcycles."

Email to municipality from S.O. "You have issued an erroneous ticket #XYZ and we can't pursue payment. Ticket details blah blah blah."

Most people including the parking ticket types couldn't tell a Kawi from a Yam if the stickers have been removed so the ticket says "Motorcycle, plate # A1B2C". Dirt or an oddball plate location and 5 becomes "S", 3 becomes 8 etc. Somebody in Thunder Bay gets a Toronto ticket.

P.S.
thirsts link has some interesting secondary links. For example if you don't pay you can't renew the plate but does this apply to the one plate or all of your vehicles?
 
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I received one a couple years back from either sauga or hamilton and just called the number on the notice. Told them the plate number was from my old car that I got rid of years ago. I even had the plate in storage with me. They cancelled the ticket over the phone. I've never heard back after that and it has never come up at renewals with the ministry.
 
Thanks all,

I ended up going to a courthouse, filing a dispute, and then I called the number on my notice after the counter lady was less than helpful (and that's after showing her the plate and all that good stuff).

The rep on the other end of the phone ended up connecting me to toronto police services, where they did a quick investigation and found that I was in fact correct on all my points and cancelled the ticket over the phone.

Either way, I'm glad it got dealt with, but it could have ended up way differently. The system is flawed.
 
Nobbie48: to answer your question above plate denial applies to ALL vehicles registered to you. Same as with 407, if they register plate denial process against say your car plate number, you are denied plates for your car, truck and bike. Same as with Driver's licence suspension, it applies to ALL classes of licence you own, so if you get caught for impaired in your cage your M licence is also suspended.
 
Glad to hear you got it sorted. My dad got a bill for the 407 a few years back under similar conditions -- Was for a GM Astrovan that has been off the road (and crushed into a cube) since the mid 90s. Once he contacted them and they checked registration, they found out they must have missed a character, and came up with his plate instead (given older plates were 6 characters vs 7).
 
About 10 years ago the parking tag process was changed.
Previously you could ask for a trial by mail. This was all changed to make it harder to go to trial and to force people to pay.

There is little benefit to holding onto old plates. They stay in the system with you as the owner of the plate.
That's why you get ticket notifications for plates that have been sitting in your garage for years.
Unless you have some reason for holding onto it, take it to Service Ontario.
Tell them you want to return the plate to the Ministry.
The next time 407 or a tagger puts down your plate by mistake, the plate will be in the computer as "Returned to MTO".
 
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