good bros, need parking ticket help/advice

[Lestat]

Ok so on Saturday I was up in Santa Monica to celebrate a friend's birthday. We all met at a bar called the gas lite.

I parked in a residential neighborhood nearby at around 10pm.

I get back to my car at 1am and there is a $47.00 parking ticket on it!

Apparently you need a permit to park in this residential area between 7am and 12am! I got the ticket at 11:27pm.

I looked and there were some signs on the street, but there were none near where I actually parked, and they were tall signs and there are trees that partially obscured the signs.

I had no idea that you needed some special permit there, it was dark, there were not many signs, im from out of town, etc.

I am going to contest this, but would like some help writing this up in a way that the clerk who reads it (making 8 bucks an hour I am sure) will dismiss the citation.

advice?

 

[hotzie]

pay 47 dollars and be done with it

 

[blueta2]

I am sure she has heard every excuse in the book. I say send her a pic of your huge bulging biceps.
Good luck

 

[Arabian]

Lestat, unfortunatly they have you. Where I live they come by and mark your tire with a chalk stick and God for bid being 30 seconds late. Its just a moneymaker for the city. I say pay the fine and be done with it. good luck bro

 

[jnevin]

$47 is worth the time you'd waste to avoid paying the ticket.

 

[Lestat]

this is extortion

1: an exorbitant charge 2: unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority); "the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty" 3: the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of violence)

 

[sawastea]

...on the other hand, I recd a $125 parking ticket in Manhattan. I paid it the following day, to avoid the hassles.

 

[heatherrae]

The clerk can't dismiss it, lestat.

You could call the county attorney's office, but I doubt you will get very far with that one.

It is more trouble than $47 to hassle further with it, IMHO.

 

[blueta2]

this is extortion

1: an exorbitant charge 2: unjust exaction (as by the misuse of authority); "the extortion by dishonest officials of fees for performing their sworn duty" 3: the felonious act of extorting money (as by threats of violence)

yes it is, and injustice is all around us. Pick your battles. Pay the 47$ and forget about it.
You can fight on principle if you really think it will change the system, but it probably won't.

 

[heatherrae]

yes it is, and injustice is all around us. Pick your battles. Pay the 47$ and forget about it.
You can fight on principle if you really think it will change the system, but it probably won't.

TITCR