Nate4635

I got busted at Paseo and Jefferson westbound turning right on a red. I saw the video and there is no way i can contest it (i dont think)...not with a "not guilty" plea anyway. However I guess my issue is that when i go to the cities website and look at the fines for the offenses, running a red light is $10 fine + $59 court costs = $69.....but my mail in ticket is $100! So....im thinking of contesting it.

Anyone have any experience with these things? I have heard all kinds of things.. dont pay it, they will foget and there is no proof you got it (lost in the mail) or if you contest it they will just drop it since there are SO many and they dont want to deal with it? I'm probably not going to do nothing, i cant afford to get arrested or pay who knows how much more.

Any input is appreciated......

Nate < Not photogenic!

RonnieB

What you can't turn right on red? I know I have a friend that got one like a 6 months ago and never did anything, and there is nothing on him.

Nate4635

well you have to STOP........then turn right if it is clear. I looked at my video and i must have been going 15mph at least.

I sure do see the argument that I may have never gotten it in the mail especially since i live in an APT complex. But....it says on there if you default you can contest the default and not be charged the penalty for being late, but you CANNOT contest the actual offense. Paperwork-wise they have their bases covered, but who knows the reality of what goes on when im sure 100 people a day get these sent to them.....

I heard somewhere if you contest it....and are found guilty then it will be on your record, and be sent to your insurance company, which I dont want. If i just give in and pay the 100 its all done with.

Nate

otbs2k

You can contest it... that's your only hope. Apparently, if you don't get a hearing within a certain amount of time, then you get the whole thing dismissed. No matter what, it won't affect your insurance... so that's a plus I guess. In the future though, save yourself the money and just stop. I don't have a problem with people getting the tickets for redlight violations, it's the speeding issue that pisses me off and $100 for not stopping for 3 seconds of your life is a bitch if you ask me...

txs2knoah

just dont pay. i dont. i think i have warrents

s2kshift9k

Nate

contest and take it too court the system has been backed up because of so many red light tickets

if they do not set a court date for you within 90 days then the ticket will be dismissed that is your only hope

radfox

Or just dont answer your door and dont get pulled over for 90 days and they will have to drop it.

Will

They don't work like regular tickets, trust me--I have done lots of research. If you don't pay the fine, they (this is the tricky part) have the *right* to place a lien against and impound your vehicle. However, they are not enforcing this at the current time. But i'd sure hate to be the first one to get his car impounded...

As far as contesting it... I haven't known anyone who's been able to contest one. And I know plenty of people who have wanted to. Not that they lost in court, but they were told they couldn't.

Nate4635

Thanks for the replies.....I have done some research on this as well in the past few days.

What Will said looks like its true. Its some kinda city thing....same as not mowing my grass. Has nothing to do with ME. So i kept wondering what CAN they do. And yea i think they could take my car. But i dont know how they are going to get it, and from the sounds of things they are not out looking to do that. And if they were....and i got pulled over for any reason the cop will have no record of this right? If he runs my plate will anything come up?

My boss at work just went to court regarding this his court date was 2 days away from the 90 day window. He went there and it sounds like they have their bases covered. Had all the certificates, have your video from 3 angles and all kinds of stuff. His was for speeding and his point was how did they know he was the one speeding since there were other cars in the intersection. They made it clear that there are sensors on the road that measure this per lane. He got it chopped in half (it was 200, only had to pay 100).

Now for my situation I really have no case. If they pulled up that video and asked me what i was contesting I'd look pretty stupid.

My boss said that they can place a lein on your registration so next time you go to resister it, it will flag it. I called the DMV and asked under what circumstances they would deny registration and they said that they cannot do that at all.


Now this 90 day window. What if you do not pay it, they only have 90 days to impound your car? I dont think they are gonna get my car, it is in a garage all the time and when im at work.....well thats on base. I seldom leave it parked around town.
90 days and im clear?

This is all assuming these lawsuits people have against this dont end positively as all of this should be void if the city loses.

I'm really thinking about just doing nothing.

Thanks again for the feedback

Nate

piedrafria

Just FYI. One of my employees sent in his ticket asking for a court date. they didn't receive it and responded to him with an additional fee of 300.00. He now has to contest 400.00 for the red light ticket. Even if he claims in court he sent in the original ticket, what proof does he have? Well, I rememeber him telling me he was going to contest the ticket but what else? I don't know man, I say pay the ticket. Besides if you play you need to be prepared to pay. Plus really, who owns an S but can't afford a hundred bucks? Get it over with, pay your dues and move on. We all speed at some time, just know what the price is if you get caught. Sorry for the ticket, it does suck, but you can make it quite worse for yourself. And do you really want to go through all that mess later for a hundred bucks?