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DRIVERS visiting a bustling tourist area have been hit with parking tickets even though they may have been in a legal spot.
But cops are urging those ticketed drivers to look carefully at the slip they received.
“Someone gave me a ticket while I was parked legally,” one woman told Atlanta News First.
The woman parked in Atlanta’s Piedmont Avenue over the weekend.
She showed the outlet her ticket, which detailed the make, model, and color of her car.
It cited her for a $75 “illegal parking” fee.
The ticket further stated that the driver’s license plate was recorded and failure to pay within 15 days would result in an increased fine of $125.
The woman was shocked – but she wasn’t alone.
Cops say tickets similar to the woman’s popped up on nearly every vehicle parked nearby.
And it’s not a new occurrence, according to one resident.
“When there’s an event, they’re handing them out left and right,” Rick told Atlanta News First.
But many of the cars were, in fact, legally parked.
“That was my concern, I was looking at the sign, wondering if it was legal or not because I was able to find this one open spot,” a new resident named Jack told Atlanta News First.
And while residents familiar with the area – and the scam – know to double-check these fake tickets, visitors might not.
The high volume of tourists visiting the Midtown Atlanta area makes it a prime spot for scammers to target.
Atlanta News First pointed out a vehicle with a Texas license plate parked in the same area where the phony tickets were doled out.
On top of that, fake QR codes have been popping up in parking garages in the area.
Drivers scan those to pay for parking without realizing they’re phony.
“People are just scanning. They don’t take the time to think, ‘Hey, what am I putting my information to? Where is this information being housed at?’” Simone Williams from the Better Business Bureau told Atlanta News First.
Now, Atlanta police posted an urgent notice to residents.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
Police reiterated to residents that most parking enforcement is carried out by ATLPlus.
“Our citations are always issued on-street and never in a parking lot or garage,” the ATLPlus website reads.
ATLPlus tickets always include details about the violation and how to appeal, plus payment options.
“Citizens with questions about the validity of a parking citation are encouraged to contact ATLPlus. If a fraudulent parking citation is suspected, citizens should contact 311 or 911 to file a police report,” the Atlanta Police Department’s statement read.
And while Atlanta police does issue parking tickets, they look different from those given out by ATLPlus.
Tickets handed out by Atlanta police are handled by the Atlanta Municipal Court.
Images of each ticket were shared by Atlanta police.
The police-given tickets are white and say “The Municipal Court of Atlanta” at the top, while the ATLPlus tickets are yellow and say “Atlanta Police Citation.”
Anyone who thinks they’ve received a fraudulent parking ticket should call 311, or 911 to file a police report.
