Value of Parking Ticket: $150

HALUK

HALUK

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Hello my friends. I have had very stresfull week because of my final exams and which I have got stupidly expensive parking ticket. I was in library which is on the Yonge-Bloor / Toronto. I parked my bike on Asquith Ave. There is a rush hour time there, from 4pm to 6pm. Because of hard stuying I forgot the rush hour situation but when I went to my bike's side it was 4:10pm. It means I was 10min late. Anyway, 5min before me (4:05pm) they gave me a ticket which has a value for $150!? Isn't it too much? For delaying 10min's punishment shouldn't be a $150. Could you please give me advise? How can I defend my self or should I go to court and what is the prosedure for going to court?

Thank you very much guys..

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I would start to have sympathy for you because it was your bike. But then every time I drive the streets after work trying to get home and lanes are blocked by people parked and I'm thinking "I wish those meter maids would rape (metaphorically in a legal financial manner) these ******** instead of ticketing grannies on back lanes where their fenders are an inch over some imaginary line" but then I know that street and it's practically inconsequential to the rush hour flow (and why is there even a rush hour time on such a sleep strip?). So I'm kinda torn if you know what I mean. I don't really care about it being 10 minutes frankly.

HALUK said:
Hello my friends. I have had very stresfull week because of my final exams and which I have got stupidly expensive parking ticket. I was in library which is on the Yonge-Bloor / Toronto. I parked my bike on Asquith Ave. There is a rush hour time there, from 4pm to 6pm. Because of hard stuying I forgot the rush hour situation but when I went to my bike's side it was 4:10pm. It means I was 10min late. Anyway, 5min before me (4:05pm) they gave me a ticket which has a value for $150!? Isn't it too much? For delaying 10min's punishment shouldn't be a $150. Could you please give me advise? How can I defend my self or should I go to court and what is the prosedure for going to court?

Thank you very much guys..

5agyguse.jpg
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Take it to court and tell them the situation. I'm sure they will be sympathetic and lessen or drop the charges...it's not like you're driving a damn Benz and have baller parents.
 
I didn't realize the fine was so high for rush hour parking offences, kinda glad it is that high to be honest. Good luck, but bet you wont make that mistake again.
 
Yes, fine is very high. I have got 5-6 parking ticket in my driving and riding life, also the highest one was just $30. This is stupidly expensive, I don't know why. This is gonna be my first experience at the court. Do you guys know the prosedure such as How can I sue? Do I need a lawyer? Am I gonna pay some other fees? Any experience?

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Pay it and be glad your bike didn't get towed.
 
sticker said:
Pay it and be glad your bike didn't get towed.
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Spoken by someone who doesn't live in Toronto and has no idea of the ins and outs of city parking tickets.

Go to the parking office and show them the time on the ticket. There is unofficially a 10 minute grace. It worked for me once. If that fails, ask for a court date that will most likely never arrive.
 
RetroGrouch said:
Spoken by someone who doesn't live in Toronto and has no idea of the ins and outs of city parking tickets.

Go to the parking office and show them the time on the ticket. There is unofficially a 10 minute grace. It worked for me once. If that fails, ask for a court date that will most likely never arrive.
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Chances are unlikely, because it shouldn't impede traffic. But OP should try it before going to court.

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=8632fc2beecb1410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD
 
Alright, thank you so much guys..

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Okay the 10 minute grace doesn't apply in your situation but you should still try it.


Time Allowances/Grace Periods for Parking Offences

The City's Parking Ticket Cancellation Guidelines identifies time allowances for certain time-limited offences.
Time Allowance for On-Street Pay-and-Display Parking Offences

Customers who park on-street, in a permitted area where a pay-and-display reciept is required, and who receive a parking ticket within ten minutes of the expiry time of their paid-and-display receipt may have the ticket cancelled. A copy of the receipt showing purchased time and expiry time must be provided. The minimum time purchased must be no less than ten minutes and the receipt location must match the offence location in order to meet the cancellation conditions. The ten minute time allowance does not apply where parking is prohibited or on major arterial routes during rush hour periods.

http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/c...410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextfmt=default
 
Step one - Request a Trial Date or a Pre-trial hearing by visiting a court office
Second - Attend the meeting, they will ask you for your name and record the conversation
Third - Explain your situation and ask for a reduction in the fine. Go on detail of your financial hardship (being a student) and if you have prove of any late payments you haven't been able to make because of having no money (If any)

They will reduce the fine and make payment arrangements.

Be polite and to the point.

That is it.
 
sticker said:
Pay it and be glad your bike didn't get towed.
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Horrible advice - If a big corporation like UPS bunches them up and makes a deal on a discount, why can the normal citizen do the same?
 
sucks man. agree with eljay, be more careful when you park, commuting in this city sucks donkey nuts as it is, people tying up lanes during rush hour makes it that much worse.

that having been said here's what you do.

the ticket will have a location on it you can go to file a dispute, I think it's downtown just west of the eaton centre. go there, tell them you'd like to request a court date. bring the ticket and your license.

they will tell you to expect a letter in the mail with details on your court date. this letter may or may not ever even come. the city courts are so backlogged that I don't even think they issue court dates for those $30-40 tickets anymore.

if they do mail you a court date, write it on your calendar. it will likely be 2-3 months away.

during that time, buy a big glass jar.

put your loose change in the jar.

in the 2-3 months, any reasonable person will be able to save $50-75.

on the day of your court appearance, meet with the crown and tell them you're a poor student. show them your bucket of change and ask them if they can reduced the fine amount. they will.

the peace officer (judge) will come out, say hello.

the crown will tell them you've made a deal. it will probably be around the amount you've saved.

hand them your bucket.

go home.

good luck with exams. being a student sucks.
 
I feel you buddy! I just got one yesterday too! I wasn't very mindful of the rush hour times and got my bike towed :(.

Jp Towing dropped my helmet that was on it and tried to tell me it never touched the ground. That just made it from bad to worse.
 
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Hmmm... be prepared to not get any sympathy at court OP.

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-to-increase-parking-fines-to-smooth-rush-hour-gridlock-1.1649440

New parking regulations will come into effect just after midnight on Jan. 23.
Key elements of the program include:

Increased fines

Fines for illegally stopping, standing or parking a vehicle on key rush hour routes or bicycle lanes will increase from a suggested fee of $60 to a fixed fee of $150.
The fine increase, coupled with heightened police enforcement, "shows the importance of maintaining unimpeded traffic flow," Minnan-Wong said.
Fixed parking fines
Implementing fixed fines is meant to streamline the court system, Minnan-Wong said. Offenders won't go to trial expecting a fine reduction, because judges will no longer issue reduced fines.
In court, a contested fine for a parking violation will either be dropped or will be the same price as written on the ticket, never reduced. Minnan-Wong expects fewer trial requests as a result.
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ZX600 said:
Step one - Request a Trial Date or a Pre-trial hearing by visiting a court office
Second - Attend the meeting, they will ask you for your name and record the conversation
Third - Explain your situation and ask for a reduction in the fine. Go on detail of your financial hardship (being a student) and if you have prove of any late payments you haven't been able to make because of having no money (If any)

They will reduce the fine and make payment arrangements.

Be polite and to the point.

That is it.
Click to expand...


+5

you forgot about the jar, but I'll let it slide. ;)
 
Dr Astronaut said:
+5

you forgot about the jar, but I'll let it slide. ;)
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Lol you made me laugh with this whole Jar ordeal.

OP, Regardless of what that B*** of Minnan-Wong says, request a trial and explain you were only 10 min late and you simply can not pay for it.

..and more importantly, come back in here and help us out by updating us with the results.
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