I got a parking ticket in Annapolis, MD, this weekend. The offense is parking in a residential area, meaning in an area in which you need a local permit to park for more than two hours.
The thing is, I saw the signs in the neighborhood that specified this restriction, but in the block I parked there are no such signs! So I thought I was safe.
I called the phone number on the ticket this morning, and the clerk I spoke to said that there didn’t have to be a sign in every block. She said, “If we had to put a sign in every block, there’d be signs everywhere.” Well, there were signs everywhere else, so I thought I was okay. And how far am I supposed to look to know if I can park?
Unfortunately, there’s no option to plead innocent by mail. I’d have to request a trial. Since it’s only a $25 ticket, I’m inclined just to pay it, rather than spend several hours fighting it. But I’m pissed off, because I think that’s exactly what they’re counting on.
But if anyone could tell me if I have a legal case (i.e. that the clerk was lying to me) I might fight it just on principle. In other words, it’s more worth my time if I have a chance of winning. Do you know?
In DC, each block has to have signs clearly posted. I once had a citation canceled because the signs were posted but they were all bleached white by old age and sun exposure. On the back of the citation it gave several reasons for contesting the fine, one of which was signs have to be clearly posted. If Maryland has a similar requirement, I would say that having a few signs scattered randomly through the neighborhood does not qualify as “clearly posted”.
Look at the 2nd line (“I should not have gotten this citation…”) It links to a “request for adjustment” form that you can send in by mail. The second most popular reason is listed at “ambiguous signage”.
The more I think about it, the more it seems like you’ve got to have at least one sign on each block, otherwise how can you know where one residential zone ends and the next begins?
I have no experience of parking tickets in Annapolis (I did manage to park a car & large trailer there free & legally, for a whole weekend - an almost impossible feat.)
But the notion that they can enforce a block-by-block parking rule without a sign sounds like a complete crock. I have a fair experience of parking tickets in Boston (where they can be savage) and I’m essentially certain this wouldn’t fly there.
If I were you, I’d bite the bullet and show up for the hearing. Yes, you’ll waste a bunch of time. But you should win.
If you do, ask the judge whether a citizen who has received an unfounded ticket and been misled when requesting further info has any recourse.
Patty: Thanks for doing my Web surfing for me, and for proving, in part at least, that they were lying to me. I may just fight this, and drag the officer in, just to waste as much of their time as I possibly can. Sons of bitches.
The way to win in court is to be preparred. Give the judge reasons why he/she should invalidate the ticket. Take pictures of where you were parked, take long shots of the whole block to show there are no signs. You might even be able to go to the Municipal Library and ask a research Librarian if they can point you to the local codes regarding signage and parking laws. Show the judge that you have done some homework and it will help your case enormously. If you go there with nothing more than a “This isn’t right” attitude, you will have a tough row to hoe.
Not sure if you can’t be short sheeted, but consult MUTCD as that is considered the rule for signage and control of traffic. You’d need to determine if the municipality involved adheres to MUTCD, and if not, what variances they have enacted.
To save you a trip, here is the Annapolis Municipal Code. In particular, you probably want to look up the rules about Special Residential Parking Districts. The law states only that “signs shall be posted” but there are other sections of the town code that discuss how often and what form of signs shall be posted.
If you can cross-reference these, you have a case.
I’d say your best bet is by analogy to Chapter 12.24.030:
This establishes the municipality’s intent that a visitor should be informed of the parking ordinances in effect for the area in which they have parked. Ignorance of the law is no defense, but a first-time visitor to the town should not have to stop at the town hall to look up the maps of the special residential districts.
Commasense…
I live in a Southern California Beach Town with 17 streets.
Several of the streets are Permit parking,like you stated, however, my street
is not. Our only retriction is Street-Sweeping,every other Monday.
About a month ago, I watched one of our cities Parking-Nazi’s writing tickets
on my street. I walked over to my neighbors car and his ticket was for 2-hour violation. By this time, the over-zealeous ticket writer had cited four cars.
I walked over to her and told her that we do not have 2-hour parking on 16th st.
She looked up at me with her $200.00 Sun-glasses and replied, “Oh my god, I’m
on the wrong Street!”. She then put her vehicle in reverse and removed all the
wrongfully written tickets.
Here, they chalk the tires - a Spawn of Satan, er, I mean Meter Maid(ster) presumably cruises around every 2 hours and puts a chalk mark on your back tire. When they come back two hours later, if your car and the chalk mark are still there, a ticket ensues.
Unless the cars are bumper to bumper you move the car just enough to put the chalk mark totally out of sight. This only applies if the mark is on the tread. If it’s on the side wall apply a coat of Armourall to road side tires when parking and again whenever a chalk mark shows up.
Unless the cars are bumper to bumper you move the car just enough to put the chalk mark totally out of sight. This only applies if the mark is on the tread. If it’s on the side wall apply a coat of Armourall to road side tires when parking and again whenever a chalk mark shows up.
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