Always fight photo ticket

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

First off I didn't get a "cop in a box" ticket. But my Moms sister got two in the same week a few years back when they first appeared in the area. This applies to red light cams, speed cams, ez pass lane violations etc. If you decide to fight the ticket you may have to miss work, and waste a good deal of time etc. I recently learned some of this process is fully automated. You may be able to call a number and listen to an automated message. If you have some type of proof you may be lucky enough to have the ticket thrown out and never step foot inside your towns courthouse. Reasonable doubt. Hey it worked for OJ.

****tag in photo has similar looking numbers/letters but is different state
****tag in photo has similar looking numbers/letters but is different make and model
****I have atm receipt with date, time, location showing I was 100 miles away
****I have gas receipt with date, time, location showing I was 100 miles away
****I have credit card receipt with date, time, location showing I was 100 miles away
****I have smart phone photo with date, time, location showing I was 100 miles away
****I have smart phone location history with date, time, location showing I was 100 miles away

[John Brennan]

The best way to fight this rot is to ignore the tickets. They have to send a process server, because tickets sent in the mail do not constitute legal service. If they succeed in doing that (and they have learned that there are enough suckers who mail in the fines for them not to bother), then fight it using these methods.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

Just ignore it? Won't they put the unpaid ticket info into the computer system? Then the bmv people won't give you the little sticker. I know people used to ignore out of state tickets (I realize they are signed in person) back in the day, but now the states are all tied together. Too many people didn't pay.

[timxr8]

The key with John's comments regards what is legal notification? If it's not done via certified mail (expensive), then there is no legal proof of notification. You have a reasonable doubt regarding whether or not you were notified and the state needs to prove that. Yes, the states are all tied together for the most part, so it may be a pain in the ass to get stuff taken off the system, even though you were never officially "convicted". It's a risk you have to be willing to take.

[Ed Lijewski]

Enforce immigration laws including in so-called sanctuary cities and I'll consider paying cop-in-a-box alleged citations.

"The United States is a nation of laws: badly written and randomly enforced."

Frank Zappa

YMMV

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

That youtube guy Scotty Kilmer did a video on a ticket he got in the mail. Texas made the cameras illegal but the company based in another state still sends out the tickets. I bet plenty of people still send in the money.

[thesameguy]

You can't dispense blanket statements about what constitutes legal service, or legal activity. Laws vary from state to state. In *most* states, service by mail within 30 days is enforceable, Arizona is one of the few states where it is not. That said, don't take legal advice from anyone who isn't a lawyer in your jurisdiction or a judge whom you are standing before.

[andyofcolumbusmerkur]

My Mom got back from a trip, and started getting these bills for toll roads in the mail. I guess it's a system like speed pass, but she didn't realize she needed to basically get off the highway to go through the $$ symbol lanes to pay in cash. After failing to go online and pay the toll within 7 days she started getting sent bills+fines in the mail. Nothing was registered mail just plain first class mail. Maybe some of you guys remember her from Carlisle 2013 she's the retired kindergarten teacher. Well I told her just to ignore them and not to call the phone number like it requested her to do. Pretty unfair for out of town drivers.

[thesameguy]

I am not sure that is sound advice, depending on the state they could issue a bench warrant, send a collection agency after her, send the state tax board after her, or if it's a state with a reciprocal enforcement agreement suspend or withhold vehicle registration. The first thing happened to an ex of mine when she failed to pay a speeding ticket in Virginia. She literally cannot go back to Virginia. The latter happened to me, when a friend blew a roll road and I was in the process of moving so the notice went to the wrong address. California's response? Don't care. Pay the fine or you can't drive the car anymore.

The "I didn't get the notice" excuse only works in one place: When you're already effed and standing in a courtroom. Doh!