PARKING SURVIVAL 101

BY NICOLE SEQUINO

“Nothing can be more gratifying than helping someone when they feel helpless and in the dysfunctional, psychological grasp of a parking ticket.”

As a Brooklyn College student years ago, Louis Camporeale recalls when he routinely searched out broken or missing parking meters so he could find an inexpensive place to park. “It was cheaper than using parking garages,” he says.

If he did happen to find a parking ticket on his windshield that day, he would politely explain to the judge at his court hearing that the parking meter was broken, and that it was the city’s responsibility to keep parking meters operable. He rarely paid for a ticket.

Years later, Camporeale had an epiphany while he was working as a paralegal researcher: He realized that he could help fellow New Yorkers sort through the city’s legal jargon and show them how to fight paying parking tickets, or, better yet, how to avoid getting them in the first place. The Parking Pal was born.

In the second edition of his book, The New York City Motorists’ Parking Survival Guide (The Parking Pal Company; $14.22 plus tax and shipping for members; available at www.parkingpal.com and at Barnes & Noble retailers. Members can use this link for a discount.), Camporeale describes how to park legally, including at broken meters and on streets with missing or illegible signs; how to read a parking ticket for errors or defects; what to do if your vehicle is towed away; and how to get a ticket dismissed in court.

His motivation to help fellow New Yorkers: “Nothing can be more gratifying than helping someone when they feel helpless and in the dysfunctional, psychological grasp of a parking ticket.” Especially today, when the average fine for a parking violation is $115, not including towing fees. In fact, New York ranks as the number-one city for parking-ticket revenue: Each year, it generates approximately $850 million by issuing nearly 10 million parking tickets. By comparison, Los Angeles comes in second place, with more than 3.5 million tickets issued each year.

The problem, says Camporeale, is that New York City makes it difficult for both residents and visitors to park near their destination. “No other city is as mind boggling as New York in terms of parking tickets,” he adds. “The line between aggressive enforcement and good judgment really becomes blurred.”

Safe Bets for Parking

A few years ago, Camporeale was asked by a television reporter to give an interview on the nuances of city parking in front of the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) office. While they were standing outside the office, a NYCDOT spokeswoman came out to speak with Camporeale. “You’re the guy we’re trying to put out of business,” she reportedly told him.

“I thought, ‘Am I really that much of a threat to the city?’” Camporeale says. “I think that I’m actually making the DOT’s job easier—I’m helping people avoid getting parking tickets so they don’t needlessly clog up the city’s courts.”

That being said, what can a driver do to find adequate parking in the city? Safe bets include Muni-meters, single-space meters and municipal parking lots which accept pre-paid parking cards (available in $20 and $50 denominations). For more information visit www.nyc.gov/dot and click on the “Purchase NYC Parking Cards” link.

Also, Camporeale suggests parking on a street with a missing or defaced regulation sign: The city cannot enforce parking regulations if a sign is illegible and you cannot read it according to the city’s Traffic Rules and Regulations (Section 4 08). You might also try consulting Camporeale’s Parking Suspension Calendar that highlights Street Cleaning Regulations (incorrectly known as Alternate Side Parking rules), which allow free parking at certain times and days of the week including holidays, Camporeale says.

Just as Camporeale did in his college years, you can also park at a broken or missing parking meter. The city’s Traffic Rules and Regulations (Section 4-08) allows parking at a broken meter for one hour and parking at a missing meter for the amount of time legally permitted in that meter zone.

Also, Camporeale sells laminated placards that cite the city’s traffic rules and warn ticket agents, “Do Not Issue Summons.” Place one on your windshield when parking in front of a missing or illegible sign or a broken or missing meter, and it will likely deter Traffic Enforcement Agents from issuing you a ticket. If you do receive a ticket the placard lists the city’s traffic rules for you to present to the administrative judge at your court hearing as evidence.

Fighting ‘City Hall’

If you do receive a summons, there are several steps you should take to set about getting it dismissed. The Parking Pal offers defenses for every conceivable parking situation, including his favorite: parking in front of a broken or missing meter. In that instance, he urges ticket holders to alert the city by calling 311 to report the meter. You must provide the meter’s serial number and the street, address and borough of its location. You will receive a claim number which you should present when defending your innocence. This will create a record of the defective meter which should succeed in getting your ticket dismissed.

For missing or illegible signs, Camporeale suggests taking pictures of the exact location where you received the ticket from various angles; photographs depicting the city at fault are evidence enough to get your ticket dismissed.

Besides collecting evidence, Camporeale also urges ticket fighters to prepare a “letter of defense” supporting their claim as concisely as possible. “If people just take the time to do a little research and prepare a good defense they stand a good chance of not having to pay the ticket,” Camporeale adds. “Yes, you can fight City Hall if you have the knowledge and willpower to do it.”

If you do make an appearance at one of the city’s Department of Finance’s business centers to fight a ticket, Camporeale suggests being as respectful as possible to the administrative law judge. “Be clear, be concise, keep a positive and respectful attitude and stick to the facts,” he adds. “Administrative judges aren’t interested in listening to anyone’s sob stories.”

© 2015 TLC Magazine Online, Inc.