So today I went to court. I wasn't going to originally because it was only a $25 fine. But then a friend suggested that it might be good to fight it just so it goes down in the books as a problem that people are not admitting fault to.
I would say there was probably 60 other people in the same courtroom as me contesting their parking citations, and about 10 parking enforcers present. When their cases were called the parking enforcers went up and stated their reason behind issuing the parking citation. Some of them even remembered the precise details of when they gave out the citation.
So I get called up, I plead not guilty. The parking enforcer stated why I was ticketed and I got to state my case. I told the judge I thought the freight loading sign and the City of Jacksonville website were misleading. I mentioned to the judge how she stated in the previous cases that "the sign clearly reads...". I told her that to me this sign did not clearly read I needed a permit or logos on my vehicle. I told the judge I had freight, that it was for Art Walk and I thought I could park there. I told her about the FAQ section of the City's website where it states that drivers are allowed to park there without logos or a permit in a "brief" situation, and that my situation was indeed brief. The judge told me the law states you are required to have a permit or logo to park there. She said, "I know it does not clearly state you need a permit" but if you're going to park anywhere it is your job to figure out what the sign means before you park. I asked the judge in what brief situation is it proper to park there. She replied that couldn't be decided there, it is up to the legislators to decided that.
The judge then found me guilty for not knowing exactly what this sign meant before parking in the spot, but then lowered my fine due to me being mislead by the sign and the website.
So the answer to the poll last week is that you cannot park in a freight loading zone for any reason unless you have a permit from the city or logos on both sides of your car. You can not pull into, block, or stand in that area at all without a permit or logo or you may be fined. They don't care if your excuse is Art Walk or a handicapped grandma (which I heard in court today). Maybe if your car breaks down in one of these spots...but you better have a repair bill when you go to court and you better move it out of that spot as quickly as possible.
Apparently there is no reason that would ever validate the "brief dropping off or picking up" mentioned on the the City of Jacksonville website. The only way to figure out if you are not guilty for using this excuse is to fight the case in a higher court.
Tips for not getting a ticket:
- Always park on the right side of the road. People have been getting tickets even in riverside neighborhoods for this.
- When you renew your tag don't drive your car until you put the new sticker on your license plate.
- If a meter is broken take a picture of the broken meter and call parking meter services on your ticket and report it. If you get a ticket you have to prove the meter was broke.
- Feeding a meter is illegal. Once your time is expired you will get a ticket if you don't move somewhere else.
- Park your car with the front bumper even with or slightly behind the meter post.
posted by tom p
