Submitted by boreneisnotdead t3_yd5srp in pittsburgh
Tweed_Kills t1_itq5x65 wrote
Contest it. Always. If the cop doesn't show up and you're not an asshole, it'll essentially always get at least reduced. Even if you were actually in the wrong, like you were here, albeit by accident. Honestly, it's not that bad, and it can be worth a lot of money.
boreneisnotdead OP t1_itq95w0 wrote
Do you think I would have better luck contesting online vs contesting in person?
Have you ever contested before? If in-person, do you know how long before I have before I have to make an appearance? I'm leaving town for a while this weekend.
westinghousesghost t1_itq9jd0 wrote
Contest in person. Making the effort to dress decently and show up in court shows you care and are respectful of the judiciary, which goes a long way.
Tweed_Kills t1_itqase4 wrote
I have contested before, twice, and won both times. Both were in person, the first one was reduced by half, the second was vacated.
As a note, I am a white, fairly femme, blonde woman. I didn't dress differently, or like, flirt or anything, but studies have shown multiple times that my demographic gets more in tips than other demographics, and also political donations, when the givers were also white, and both of my judges were There is a societal incentive, especially among white people to be "nice" to people who look like me, so results may vary.
boreneisnotdead OP t1_itqbdbi wrote
Welp. I am not white so I'm gonna keep that in mind and be extra penitent.
How long did it take after you submitted the not guilty appeal for you to appear in court? A few days?
Tweed_Kills t1_itqdiz9 wrote
My last comment, and then I'll stop spamming you, I promise, the system is rigged in favor of those who have the means to show up. I have the means (barely, but I do) to schedule around court dates, and to get myself to court. Your outcome is 100% more likely to be positive if you show up and can be physically there, which is disadvantageous to people who are poor, or who don't have enough knowledge of the system to feel able to contest it.
That $150 is more valuable to you than it is to them. Show up if you can and present your case. Do what you can to keep your money.
boreneisnotdead OP t1_itqe3wj wrote
No you're not spamming, I promise. I absolutely appreciate your replies. Thanks!
Tweed_Kills t1_itqcggf wrote
You just call the parking authority, tell them you're contesting, then they give you a date. It's pretty simple. You just show up at one of the parking courts, they give you the one that's closest to you for the most part. Show up early, absolutely do not be late, read a book or something, try not to be on your phone, they don't like that, until it's your turn and state your case. Try to bring evidence, like that you were on vacation and hadn't seen the signs (just say that, not that you haven't left the house). Bring pay stubs or like... A PTO slip or something. They most likely won't bother to look at them, but you need to have them on hand if they ask. Try not to cry or anything, I'm an easy crier, but I did good and didn't cry either time, and keep your answers short and polite. Rehearse with your girlfriend if you're nervous. Treat it a bit like a job interview.
You can do this. It's not that bad. I mean, it's a pain in the ass, but it'll probably be worth it.
Tweed_Kills t1_itqd2cg wrote
Remember: if the cop doesn't show up (and they probably won't) it almost always gets automatically vacated. If you're there on time, ready to go and the cop isn't, you're almost always sitting pretty.
Edit: this only applies to cop issued tickets, which this post is about, not standard parking enforcement tickets.
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