Toronto Parking Ticket - Fight or Pay?

[sarujo]

Re all,

I was unlucky enough to get one of those yellow tickets from the PKE vermon walking the side streets in the Yonge/St.Clair area. This yellow ticket is valued at $30, and I'm not too happy.

One thing I did notice on the ticket was that the "Make" field says "BMW", while I have a Mazda 3; however, the plate # is correct. I want to fight this thing, but would like to hear from others if this mistake on the ticket will result in it being thrown out if I go to court. I could easily provide my vehicle registration papers showing the plate is registered to a Mazda and not a BMW.

Thoughts?

[Fuyuzora]

Bigger question is... did you park illegally or not?

If you did not... Fight it.

But if you did park illegally... it's just a $30 ticket, and it doesn't affect your insurance (obviously). I'd say suck it up, pay the $30 and remember to watch the signs more carefully in the future.

The first day I got my G2 license I went to visit a friend, parked a car in an area which I thought was No parking 9:00-17:00 - I parked at 17:15. Turned out I misread the sign (was until 17:30) and got a minor ticket. I felt foolish, and annoyed at the by-law officer's lack of leniency, but in the end it was my own mistake and I paid it.

:.02

[sarujo]

I'm not looking for a right/wrong/ethical reply. I want to know if technically this ticket can be thrown out if fought because it is showing incorrect information.

[Fuyuzora]

I'm not looking for a right/wrong/ethical reply. I want to know if technically this ticket can be thrown out if fought because it is showing incorrect information.

I can't be certain for Toronto, but I would expect that the licence plate is the only portion of the ticket required to be correct.

So no, I don't think you have very good odds for throwing it out.

[HBP]

Either way, it'll never go to court so don't worry.

[Cust0m]

A friend of mine was in a similar situation early this year but instead he got a ticket for going 20 over in a 60 zone. He noticed that the officer wrote an incorrect date on his ticket (wrote 2010 instead of 2011 year). He brought it to court and the ticket got thrown out because the officer failed to write the correct date. Your situation sounds pretty similar so imo go fight it. Just my two cents on the matter, hope this helps.

[XTOTHEL]

A friend of mine was in a similar situation early this year but instead he got a ticket for going 20 over in a 60 zone. He noticed that the officer wrote an incorrect date on his ticket (wrote 2010 instead of 2011 year). He brought it to court and the ticket got thrown out because the officer failed to write the correct date. Your situation sounds pretty similar so imo go fight it. Just my two cents on the matter, hope this helps.

Yours is date, the Date and plate number is the most important. Make, not so much. What if you mod your car and replace it with a BMW badge and but it is registered as a Mazda?

Though, in Toronto, if you fight it, most likely be thrown out. At least that's what various sources say due to long wait times.

[Acradian9]

it wont get thrown out...you'll get a court date but probably 5 or 6 months later....

[sarujo]

Take a look at your Ministry of Transportation registration/permit form - the plate#, vehicle make, colour AND VIN are on there. If the ticket guy is clumsy enough to enter the wrong information, how can anyone be sure that the rest of the ticket has not be incorrectly created as well? This is my point, and I cannot see how a judge would see otherwise as well. What if my plates were stolen and put on a BMW who then got the ticket?

Acradian9: would you pay or fight in this case?




Yours is date, the Date and plate number is the most important. Make, not so much. What if you mod your car and replace it with a BMW badge and but it is registered as a Mazda?

Though, in Toronto, if you fight it, most likely be thrown out. At least that's what various sources say due to long wait times.

[BMWWW]

Bottom line:$30.
You can be rid of this headache/mishap with 5minutes of clicking and your CC-information.

My time is worth more than $30 (to fight/wait to be summoned), so only you can really answer this question.

I paid my similar tickets. Thrice.

[XTOTHEL]

What if my plates were stolen and put on a BMW who then got the ticket?


I think only the make that was wrong, and it isn't enough to get it thrown out. The other info there are enough evidence that it was your car.

If your plates were stolen, you should or would have reported to the police. Therefore there would be evidence that they were stolen.

[bman13]

Bottom line:$30.
You can be rid of this headache/mishap with 5minutes of clicking and your CC-information.

My time is worth more than $30 (to fight/wait to be summoned), so only you can really answer this question.

I paid my similar tickets. Thrice.

+1

Unless you're really struggling financially, just pay it.

[VaderX]

Fight it. Theres a chance the parking officer won't show up.

[rktsci]

Apply to fight it and most likely you'll never hear back...at least that has been my experience so far.

[laksman91]

I hope you spend $25 dollars in gas driving to the courts and stuff then it gets thrown out so that you can say you saved $5 and wasted 3 hours of your time

[W_L89]

for those saying it will get thrown out, im pretty sure it wont. i have a court date in march for my $110 or so parking ticket from back in September 2009

[XTOTHEL]

for those saying it will get thrown out, im pretty sure it wont. i have a court date in march for my $110 or so parking ticket from back in September 2009

You can get it thrown out when you go to court due to the whole delay.

[ovie8]

for those saying it will get thrown out, im pretty sure it wont. i have a court date in march for my $110 or so parking ticket from back in September 2009

+1...those days are over...UNFORTUNATELY, they've gotten their act together!

[JMAK74]

so, were you illegally parked?

[Default User]

$30? Are you serious?
Not trying to be an ass - but I spent more than that on lunch and coffee today alone.


and you still haven't answered, "were you illegally parked?" (because I'm pretty sure that's going to be the first question asked if you do take it to court)

[n00bMeiSter]

for those saying it will get thrown out, im pretty sure it wont. i have a court date in march for my $110 or so parking ticket from back in September 2009

+1...those days are over...UNFORTUNATELY, they've gotten their act together!

Those days will never be over. You have the right to a speedy trial. Those are your 11b Rights (Look at 11b in the Canadian Charter of Rights). You can have the case thrown out on those grounds alone.


OP were you parked illegally? Answer that question. If you were, just pay the damn thing and stop parking illegally.