How to Fight a Parking Ticket in Chicago

Parking tickets are a fact of live in any large metropolitan area and Chicago is no different. In fact, many motorists view Chicago as one of the worse cities when it comes to issuing parking tickets. Chances are if you have a car in the city of Chicago, you will eventually wind up with a parking ticket. Chicago issues millions of parking tickets every year. Parking tickets are a huge source of revenue for the city. According to the Chicago Department of Revenue, parking violations have brought in over $123 million to the city's coffers since 2004. However, there are a few ways to avoid paying those hefty parking fines once the inevitable happens.

Of course, it's best to try and avoid a ticket in the first place. Most Chicago natives would choose a sharp stick in the eye over trying to find parking in downtown Chicago, where legitimate spaces are few and meter maids are plenty. Just leaving your car for a few minutes in a restricted spot runs you the risk of not only a ticket, but getting your car towed to boot. If you have to drive in the Loop, your best bet is to cough up the cash for a parking garage.

Parking is also at a premium in many Chicago neighborhoods, especially the trendier areas such as the Near North side, Wrigleyville, and the Lincoln Park area. All of these areas, and many residential neighborhoods, require permits to park. So again, if you park in these areas, your safest bet is to pay the five or six dollars to park in a lot.

Don't be tempted to leave your car, even for a few minutes, in a store's parking lot if you are not going into that store. Most stores in these areas hire private firms to patrol their lots and they'll hook up your car and take it to a private pound faster than you can blink. It usually costs around $100 to get your car back, which makes the parking lot fee look like a bargain.

Besides parking in permit only spaces, you can also accumulate violations on street cleaning days, on snow routes, expired city sticker, missing license plate; the list goes on and on.

When you do get a parking ticket in Chicago, and odds are you will, there are ways to contest the ticket. According to the expose, "Tips On Contesting Bogus Parking Tickets," by Chicago's CBS affiliate 53% of parking tickets contested in 2006 where thrown out. So how do you contest a parking ticket in Chicago?

When you receive a ticket you have seven days in which to contest it; details on how to contest it are on the back of the ticket. If you haven't made up your mind, the city will give you another fourteen days when they mail you a Notice of Violation. You can choose either to contest by mail or in person before a hearing officer.

Your best bet is to contest the ticket in person; it's hard to effectively argue your case in a letter. If you try by mail and fail, you can appeal the decision in court but it will cost you a little over $200 to file the case. If you contest in person, you will need to bring proof, the hearing officer is not going to take your word that the ticket was bogus. Here are a few tips on gathering the needed proof.

The Ticket Itself. When you walk up to your car and see the orange ticket stuck to your mirror, don't immediately stick it your glove box and drive off. Study the ticket. Any discrepancies on the ticket can be grounds for dismissal. Check everything from your plate number and VIN to the address. Find out what the violation is, are there signs posted to that effect? Study the ticket carefully before you leave the parking space.

Pictures. If you don't see any posted parking signs, take pictures around your vehicle to prove this. Try and get house or business addresses in the shot to prove your location. If the sign is hidden by a tree or in other ways obscured, take pictures to show this. Remember the old adage; a picture is worth a thousand words. Make sure the area is identifiable in the pictures and don't forget to include some shots with your car in perspective to the area.

Witnesses. Was your mother in the car? Can she vouch for you? Have her prepare a written statement or, better yet, bring her to the hearing.

Research. When you get home, do a little Internet research on Chicago's parking code. See if the violation you are charged with actually pertains to where you were parked. The hearing officers are not experts on every single one of Chicago's various parking codes. If you can prove that the ticket was written in error, you can get the ticket dismissed. Here are a few links: winter parking, baseball parking regulations, residential parking. You can search the City of Chicago's website for more parking rules and regulations.

Remember to appear at your hearing on time, dressed presentably, and have all your documentation ready. Be prepared for a long wait and be ready to present your case quickly and concisely, stay with the facts and don't ramble or get upset.

It's always tempting to ignore a parking ticket but don't do it too often. Over the past few years, Chicago has been cracking down on scofflaws through the use of collection agencies, the Denver Boot, and driver's license suspensions. If you do get a ticket that you feel is unfair, it's best to take a little time to gather evidence to back your claim and present your case at the hearing. You have almost a 50/50 chance of proving your case and having your ticket dismissed, which always beats a sharp stick in the eye.

CBS 2 Chicago, Tips On Contesting Bogus Parking Tickets. http://broadcast.organicframework.com/p/CBS-2-Chicago-Special-Reports-Tips-On-Contesting-Bogus-Parking-Tickets___450,133312.html

City of Chicago. http://www.ci.chi.il.us/

Chicago Department of Revenue, Parking in Chicago. http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalDeptCategoryAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@0327068605.1208714327@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccccadedlimjihhcefecelldffhdfgn.0&deptCategoryOID=-536889525&contentType=COC_EDITORIAL&topChannelName=Dept&entityName=Revenue&deptMainCategoryOID=-536889525