Parking Bureau Commits Violations

Everyone in Los Angeles hates the brownshirts—the rightly despised parking cops who ticket law abiding citizens for frivolous reasons or often for no reason whatsoever.

However, their depredations have become even worse, no doubt by the pressure to raise money, that is, extort it from the people of Los Angeles. About six months ago I got my first “non-ticket”—while letting my wife and son out of the car, a parking cop snapped a picture of my license plate but never dared come up and put a ticket on the car. I did receive notice of this stealth attack though, challenged it, and a judge threw it out, calling it “the worst abuse by a parking officer” that she had ever seen. It’s one thing to get a ticket for parking illegally, quite another to be charged by photograph for momentary pausing while unloading, which has always been allowed under the law.

Now there’s a new wrinkle. I am being charged $185 for a “ticket” that I have neither ever received nor have ever been notified about. There are some who would just pay it to get it out of the way, but I don’t have that kind of money—so I have to fight. But the city, so far, won’t even let me have a day in court, nor will they tell me what my alleged offense was!

So here’s my latest letter to the Parking Violations Bureau.

Wouldn’t it be great if the citizens of LA would rise up as one and squash the brownshirts?

Dear Parking Violations Bureau:

Having now received two letters from you that ignore the rules of law, I find it difficult to remain calm. Nonetheless I will attempt one more time—by repeating what I have said in my last two letters—in the hope that you will allow me the basic legal rights to identify my accuser, find out what I am charged with, and finally have my day in court—rather than what you have stated so far, that I am guilty of an unknown offense, and must then pay $185 without recourse.

As simply as I can, let me recount the facts one more time.

1. I did not receive a ticket. No ticket was placed on my car, on the day in question, December 4, 2012, or indeed on any day in the last six months. Thus I was not aware of any citation, assuming any citation was issued. Not having a received a ticket, a reasonable person would conclude that no violation occurred.

2. I did not receive any mail informing me of this alleged citation. Again, a reasonable person would conclude that no violation occurred.

3. I discovered this “stealth ticket” when I went to my local parking violations bureau of Wilshire Blvd. to complain about the fact that I was still being billed for a ticket that I received months ago that had been dismissed by the judge in court, who called it “the worst abuse by a parking officer” that she had ever seen. When I was discussing this situation with the lady at the parking bureau, she discovered on her computer that I allegedly had a second ticket, this one dated Dec. 4, or the stealth ticket in question. I was shocked, as she can testify. I immediately requested a form to protest this ticket, and wrote (this was March 3, 2012) that I had no knowledge of this ticket and asked for immediate dismissal, given that no ticket was ever issued.

4. I then got the response that since I had not contested within 21 days of the issue date, I could not contest the ticket, and I had to pay $185 (for what, I still wonder!). Now let’s please apply some elementary logic: if I have not received a ticket, nor any notification thereof, how am I supposed to contest it? You will note that immediately upon learning of the ticket, I contested it—not twenty one days later, but immediately, the same day. Thus I am following the law, and the Parking Violations Bureau, ignoring due process, is not.

5. I wrote back enumerating the above facts on March 10, 2012 (I have enclosed a copy of my letter), and received the same letter demanding payment and refusing due process once again.

6. This brings us to the present, where I once again plead to contest the ticket. This is what I want: I want to find out what the citation is for, assuming it exists at all beyond some computer glitch, and I want to contest it, since I have no doubt I am not guilty of whatever alleged infraction I am alleged to have committed.

7. Since I have very little hope that the Parking Violations Bureau will respond to logic or the law, I am posting this letter on my website, TimothyTaylorArtist.com (as well as sending a copy to Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa). One hopes that some lawyers will sense a big payday, and a classic action suit against the Parking Violations Bureau will subsequently occur, since I am sure I am not the only motorist victimized by this type of stealth ticket and denial of due process.

Thank you,

Timothy Taylor