Decided to fight my parking ticket instead of just paying the $60

I got a ticket downtown Austin for a sign I swear wasn't visible at 6am, so I wrote out a whole appeal with photos and they actually dropped it. Anyone else had luck fighting a ticket that seemed like a sure loss?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher95217d ago

I read somewhere that like 40% of people who actually bother to appeal their tickets get them dismissed, which is way higher than I expected. I had a similar thing happen in San Antonio last year, I got a ticket for parking near a fire hydrant that was basically hidden behind a big bush. I took a photo showing the hydrant was covered and sent it in with my appeal, and they dropped it without any hassle. It's crazy how many people just pay because they think fighting it is pointless, but if you have any kind of evidence it's worth trying. The city workers who look at these appeals are usually just checking for basic stuff, they're not trying to make your life hard.

rivera.jake16d ago

Totally agree. That 40% number is WAY higher than most people think. I swear half the battle is just showing you care enough to write something. The city workers probably see a thousand "I was only gone for 2 minutes" letters a day, so having a photo or a real argument instantly puts you in the small group of people they actually listen to. People really do just throw money away because they assume the system is rigged against them.

sarah_brown16d ago

Yeah I was totally one of those people who just paid and assumed it was a waste of time. You guys actually convinced me to try appealing next time, especially with a photo.