Traffic violation procedures

zgcasual said:I got hit with a fine while traveling abroad, and now I'm wondering how on earth I actually pay it. I have this general payment slip they gave me from the police, but since it isn't in English, I can't make heads or tails of how to fill it out. Does the fine need to be paid in our local currency, or should I use the currency of the country where I picked up the ticket?😁 thanks

Unless you happened to rack that up over in Canada. About ten days ago, I got absolutely fleeced by some locals there; the radar claimed I was doing 44 miles/h, supposedly accounting for a device tolerance of 5—meaning it was actually 41 miles/h—even though they didn't bother writing that down anywhere. They demanded $125 on the spot, and according to the guy, the standard fine for a local would be $250, but they just slap foreigners with half that amount😂 --> what a load of crap!😠 There wasn't even a speed limit sign right there; there was just a sign for some village about 250 meters back, even though where they caught me was nothing but woods. It’s clearly a trick they play.

I happen to have this unfortunate situation where we own a Vineyard in Canada, a family property passed down from my great-great-grandfather from back when people in that region probably weren't even recognized as a distinct group yet, so I find myself crossing the border pretty frequently for business.

To make matters worse, the officer tells me I have to pay immediately, and I obviously didn't have that kind of cash on me. So, he grabs my passport and tells me I'm not allowed back into the States until I settle up, claiming my passport is being held at the nearest police station in some tiny hamlet. It was a total nightmare. I couldn't cross the border, I didn't know anyone to borrow money from, I had no roaming on my phone, and zero signal to call for help. They walked off with my passport, and honestly, things got pretty dicey. I barely managed to scramble my way out of that bus depot mess. If you guys are interested in the rest of this disaster, I'll gladly tell the whole story later.☕

So now I'm wondering: has anyone dealt with anything similar? What kind of fines are these that get slapped on travelers at half price? How is it even possible for these kinds of absurdities to occur? Honestly, I doubt their radar reading was even accurate because I was driving incredibly slowly; I'm not a fast driver, period. That's the style I carry over from driving semi-trucks to smaller cars. I highly doubt I was doing 44 miles/h, especially since it was a residential area, which in Canada usually implies a limit of 40, 50, or maybe 37 miles/h?🤷 This all went down in the evening, but when I drove back through that same spot the next morning, I saw them pulling over an older lady in a car with American plates—it felt like they were specifically targeting American drivers. It’s just a side road running parallel to the highway where you need a toll pass, which I don't have.

Thanks!🙄

Douglas Miller64 said:Unless you happened to rack that up over in Canada. About ten days ago, I got absolutely fleeced by some locals there; the radar claimed I was doing 44 miles/h, supposedly accounting for a device tolerance of 5—meaning it was actually 41 miles/h—even though they didn't bother writing that down anywhere. They demanded $125 on the spot, and according to the guy, the standard fine for a local would be $250, but they just slap foreigners with half that amount😂 --> what a load of crap!😠 There wasn't even a speed limit sign right there; there was just a sign for some village about 250 meters back, even though where they caught me was nothing but woods. It’s clearly a trick they play.

I happen to have this unfortunate situation where we own a Vineyard in Canada, a family property passed down from my great-great-grandfather from back when people in that region probably weren't even recognized as a distinct group yet, so I find myself crossing the border pretty frequently for business.

To make matters worse, the officer tells me I have to pay immediately, and I obviously didn't have that kind of cash on me. So, he grabs my passport and tells me I'm not allowed back into the States until I settle up, claiming my passport is being held at the nearest police station in some tiny hamlet. It was a total nightmare. I couldn't cross the border, I didn't know anyone to borrow money from, I had no roaming on my phone, and zero signal to call for help. They walked off with my passport, and honestly, things got pretty dicey. I barely managed to scramble my way out of that bus depot mess. If you guys are interested in the rest of this disaster, I'll gladly tell the whole story later.☕

So now I'm wondering: has anyone dealt with anything similar? What kind of fines are these that get slapped on travelers at half price? How is it even possible for these kinds of absurdities to occur? Honestly, I doubt their radar reading was even accurate because I was driving incredibly slowly; I'm not a fast driver, period. That's the style I carry over from driving semi-trucks to smaller cars. I highly doubt I was doing 44 miles/h, especially since it was a residential area, which in Canada usually implies a limit of 40, 50, or maybe 37 miles/h?🤷 This all went down in the evening, but when I drove back through that same spot the next morning, I saw them pulling over an older lady in a car with American plates—it felt like they were specifically targeting American drivers. It’s just a side road running parallel to the highway where you need a toll pass, which I don't have.

Thanks!🙄

Hit edit and finish the story!

There aren't any double fines for locals versus tourists in any country in Europe. It’s just how it works—you get a citation on the spot so you can pay right then and there, which usually comes with a cash discount. But if you decide to fight it in court? Well, then they just strip you bare with all those extra fees and legal costs.

Douglas Miller64 said:Unless you happened to rack that up over in Canada. About ten days ago, I got absolutely fleeced by some locals there; the radar claimed I was doing 44 miles/h, supposedly accounting for a device tolerance of 5—meaning it was actually 41 miles/h—even though they didn't bother writing that down anywhere. They demanded $125 on the spot, and according to the guy, the standard fine for a local would be $250, but they just slap foreigners with half that amount😂 --> what a load of crap!😠 There wasn't even a speed limit sign right there; there was just a sign for some village about 250 meters back, even though where they caught me was nothing but woods. It’s clearly a trick they play.

I happen to have this unfortunate situation where we own a Vineyard in Canada, a family property passed down from my great-great-grandfather from back when people in that region probably weren't even recognized as a distinct group yet, so I find myself crossing the border pretty frequently for business.

To make matters worse, the officer tells me I have to pay immediately, and I obviously didn't have that kind of cash on me. So, he grabs my passport and tells me I'm not allowed back into the States until I settle up, claiming my passport is being held at the nearest police station in some tiny hamlet. It was a total nightmare. I couldn't cross the border, I didn't know anyone to borrow money from, I had no roaming on my phone, and zero signal to call for help. They walked off with my passport, and honestly, things got pretty dicey. I barely managed to scramble my way out of that bus depot mess. If you guys are interested in the rest of this disaster, I'll gladly tell the whole story later.☕

So now I'm wondering: has anyone dealt with anything similar? What kind of fines are these that get slapped on travelers at half price? How is it even possible for these kinds of absurdities to occur? Honestly, I doubt their radar reading was even accurate because I was driving incredibly slowly; I'm not a fast driver, period. That's the style I carry over from driving semi-trucks to smaller cars. I highly doubt I was doing 44 miles/h, especially since it was a residential area, which in Canada usually implies a limit of 40, 50, or maybe 37 miles/h?🤷 This all went down in the evening, but when I drove back through that same spot the next morning, I saw them pulling over an older lady in a car with American plates—it felt like they were specifically targeting American drivers. It’s just a side road running parallel to the highway where you need a toll pass, which I don't have.

Thanks!🙄

I had a similar experience myself—twice, actually. Thankfully, I had enough cash on me to cover it, otherwise they would've seized my documents just like they tried to do to him.
Regarding the part about the fine being half price if you pay it immediately or within 8 days—that's actually true. They have laws like that in Canada specifically to make fine collection more efficient, and it isn't just for foreigners; it applies to the locals too.

Basically, you have to be extremely careful in Canada. Ever since I paid that fine, I've stuck strictly to the limits—50 to 80—and haven't had any issues. It's well known that they'll pull us over first before they bother their own people.

Does the 8-day window for filing an appeal with the high misdemeanor court include weekends, or is it just business days? 😕

Can someone walk me through how to easily file an appeal with the high misdemeanor court? I got hit with a speeding ticket $333. My plan is to try and get it thrown out on a statute of limitations technicality since it’s been over two years and two months since the incident, and the limit is only two years. If anyone has dealt with something similar, please help me draft this appeal. Thanks in advance

Hey, I’m dealing with the exact same mess as Carol Foster7... basically, last night at 12:35 AM, I find this damn citation tucked under my windshield wiper along with a bill for $167 that I'm staring at right now... obviously it's for parking, and they slapped it on there ten minutes before I even showed up... but honestly, I have zero intention of paying this. I've been scraping together cash for a week just to cover basic expenses, so I need someone to tell me how to draft a formal appeal. I want to demand a written warning since this is my first offense, I don't have a steady income, and I'm a full-time student... poz

I’m looking for some advice from the community on a situation that just unfolded:

My partner is a college student with absolutely zero income—and I mean literal zero. He survives entirely on my scholarship money. His legal residence is listed at his parents' house, though he doesn't actually live there because they aren't on speaking terms.
About three hours ago, we got pulled over at a bus station. (Is that even legal? I read somewhere that they aren't supposed to pull you over just there.) I was in the passenger seat.
We were doing 74 instead of 31 miles mph in a clear zone; there wasn't a soul on the road, nobody was in any danger.
So far, he's only been hit with one citation.
The car is registered under one of his parents' names.
The officer didn't take a photo; he just clocked the speed, showed it to us, wiped the display, and said $167. My partner refused to sign the citation or the summons because the officer wouldn't give him a single second to actually read what he was being asked to sign. So, he declined.
Should we try to let this lapse through the statute of limitations, or should we file a formal protest?
We have an 8-day window to file a protest before it heads to court, where we'd have to try and convince a judge to show some mercy or at least slash the fine.
From what we understand, the statute of limitations is 4 years for the violation itself, plus another 4 for enforcement.

Thanks in advance to everyone.

Drew Taylor8 said:Hey, I’m dealing with the exact same mess as Carol Foster7... basically, last night at 12:35 AM, I find this damn citation tucked under my windshield wiper along with a bill for $167 that I'm staring at right now... obviously it's for parking, and they slapped it on there ten minutes before I even showed up... but honestly, I have zero intention of paying this. I've been scraping together cash for a week just to cover basic expenses, so I need someone to tell me how to draft a formal appeal. I want to demand a written warning since this is my first offense, I don't have a steady income, and I'm a full-time student... poz

That happened to me as well—I actually saw the police cruiser pulling away—but I went ahead and paid it. That said, I do have a template for an appeal regarding this specific type of violation; I'll send it over via PM if you haven't already sorted this out.

Okay, check this out... I got hit with a violation back on August 20, 2006—specifically for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. In my initial appeal, I tried to explain the whole situation to a judge: the rain had suddenly started pouring down, and since I was out on my rollerblades, I just desperately needed a ride home. I hopped on the bike without a helmet just because of that emergency. I even added that I’m just a college student and totally broke, blah blah blah... fast forward two years and three months later, and I finally get a ruling from the High Misdemeanor Court in Chicago (even though the actual incident happened way down in Miami, Florida, and nobody bothered to contact me for over two years!). They basically ruled my appeal "unfounded" simply because I didn't submit official documentation proving my financial status. And get this—they drafted their decision just a few days before the two-year statute of limitations expired, yet they didn't actually serve me the papers until three months after that! To make matters worse, the ruling calls it an order from the first-instance body, but it doesn't even specify a deadline for when I have to pay the fine. Can I even appeal this? If I recall correctly, if I had been summoned to appear before the misdemeanor judge—which should have happened about a year in—they would have told me I had to pay right then. I could have appealed again, and by now, the whole thing would have lapsed into a statute of limitations issue. Why on earth would they pull a stunt like this?
I mean, we're talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars—hell, millions in some cases—going stale, and here I am, facing my one and only violation in eight years of driving, being forced to pay up through this ridiculous loophole.

Zachary Kern6 said:Okay, check this out... I got hit with a violation back on August 20, 2006—specifically for not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle. In my initial appeal, I tried to explain the whole situation to a judge: the rain had suddenly started pouring down, and since I was out on my rollerblades, I just desperately needed a ride home. I hopped on the bike without a helmet just because of that emergency. I even added that I’m just a college student and totally broke, blah blah blah... fast forward two years and three months later, and I finally get a ruling from the High Misdemeanor Court in Chicago (even though the actual incident happened way down in Miami, Florida, and nobody bothered to contact me for over two years!). They basically ruled my appeal "unfounded" simply because I didn't submit official documentation proving my financial status. And get this—they drafted their decision just a few days before the two-year statute of limitations expired, yet they didn't actually serve me the papers until three months after that! To make matters worse, the ruling calls it an order from the first-instance body, but it doesn't even specify a deadline for when I have to pay the fine. Can I even appeal this? If I recall correctly, if I had been summoned to appear before the misdemeanor judge—which should have happened about a year in—they would have told me I had to pay right then. I could have appealed again, and by now, the whole thing would have lapsed into a statute of limitations issue. Why on earth would they pull a stunt like this?
I mean, we're talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars—hell, millions in some cases—going stale, and here I am, facing my one and only violation in eight years of driving, being forced to pay up through this ridiculous loophole.

I mean, sure, that kind of thing happens all the time, but it's definitely not the standard rule...

once that window closes, you don't have any right to appeal anymore.

Unfortunately, it’s just another case where judges are backdating rulings just to dodge the statute of limitations. DISGRACEFUL. Are we seriously supposed to believe we live in a country governed by the rule of law?

hey, let's try not to turn this thread into a total spam fest, alright... thanks

Douglas Miller64 said:Unless you happened to rack that up over in Canada. About ten days ago, I got absolutely fleeced by some locals there; the radar claimed I was doing 44 miles/h, supposedly accounting for a device tolerance of 5—meaning it was actually 41 miles/h—even though they didn't bother writing that down anywhere. They demanded $125 on the spot, and according to the guy, the standard fine for a local would be $250, but they just slap foreigners with half that amount😂 --> what a load of crap!😠 There wasn't even a speed limit sign right there; there was just a sign for some village about 250 meters back, even though where they caught me was nothing but woods. It’s clearly a trick they play.

I happen to have this unfortunate situation where we own a Vineyard in Canada, a family property passed down from my great-great-grandfather from back when people in that region probably weren't even recognized as a distinct group yet, so I find myself crossing the border pretty frequently for business.

To make matters worse, the officer tells me I have to pay immediately, and I obviously didn't have that kind of cash on me. So, he grabs my passport and tells me I'm not allowed back into the States until I settle up, claiming my passport is being held at the nearest police station in some tiny hamlet. It was a total nightmare. I couldn't cross the border, I didn't know anyone to borrow money from, I had no roaming on my phone, and zero signal to call for help. They walked off with my passport, and honestly, things got pretty dicey. I barely managed to scramble my way out of that bus depot mess. If you guys are interested in the rest of this disaster, I'll gladly tell the whole story later.☕

So now I'm wondering: has anyone dealt with anything similar? What kind of fines are these that get slapped on travelers at half price? How is it even possible for these kinds of absurdities to occur? Honestly, I doubt their radar reading was even accurate because I was driving incredibly slowly; I'm not a fast driver, period. That's the style I carry over from driving semi-trucks to smaller cars. I highly doubt I was doing 44 miles/h, especially since it was a residential area, which in Canada usually implies a limit of 40, 50, or maybe 37 miles/h?🤷 This all went down in the evening, but when I drove back through that same spot the next morning, I saw them pulling over an older lady in a car with American plates—it felt like they were specifically targeting American drivers. It’s just a side road running parallel to the highway where you need a toll pass, which I don't have.

Thanks!🙄

Just go home with your ID, report the passport stolen to Interpol, and give them a detailed description of who could have swiped it and where (like some bar in Canada), and let's see how that "genius" plan works out for you....

crimsonsailor7 said:I mean, sure, that kind of thing happens all the time, but it's definitely not the standard rule...

once that window closes, you don't have any right to appeal anymore.

So what, are we just supposed to skip the formal objection and jump straight to an appeal?

At least give people a heads-up first...

I was in a car wreck back in April 2008.

The driver who hit me didn't even have insurance or registration, and they were using plates from a completely different car.
I actually know exactly who she is because right before she took off from the scene, she showed me her ID (we started filling out an accident report, but once I realized everything was sketchy, I called the cops and she just bolted). I’ve even got photos of the car with those fake plates, which the police later confirmed are registered to her.

Even though I gave the police her full name and home address, they still haven't tracked her down!
Since the perpetrator is technically "unknown" until that warrant gets served, I can't claim anything from her mandatory auto insurance. Does anyone know when the statute of limitations kicks in?

thanks!

rowdybadger3 said:So what, are we just supposed to skip the formal objection and jump straight to an appeal?

At least give people a heads-up first...

😕

There isn't much for me to explain, because in this specific situation, there really isn't any right to appeal anymore...

Hey everyone,

Just a quick one from me regarding a situation I've landed in... here's the deal.

A local parking enforcement officer slapped me with a $100 ticket because I parked on a sidewalk area that wasn't designated for parking. Now, the thing is, over the last two weeks, several people who have lived in the building I was parked in front of told me that residents park there all the time and nobody ever seems to have an issue with it.

From what I could see, there isn't a single sign prohibiting parking there, my car was positioned so it didn't obstruct traffic, and it certainly wasn't blocking pedestrians (that section of the sidewalk is easily 7 or 8 feet wide and there aren't any shops or anything nearby that would be hindered by, say, delivery trucks)... basically, it's a spot where you can almost never find an open space to 🙂

To be specific, if it helps, this was on Branimirov in Washington, D.C., right near the intersection with Engineering.

Does anyone have any smart advice on what I can actually do, or how I might somehow get those $100 back? It’s a significant amount for me, considering I'm just a student living at home without much of an income...

By the way, the ticket lists Branimirov 61 as the location where the car was parked, even though I was parked at number 59. Is it worth filing a complaint based on that error? 🤣

Kate Bailey2 said:Hey everyone,

Just a quick one from me regarding a situation I've landed in... here's the deal.

A local parking enforcement officer slapped me with a $100 ticket because I parked on a sidewalk area that wasn't designated for parking. Now, the thing is, over the last two weeks, several people who have lived in the building I was parked in front of told me that residents park there all the time and nobody ever seems to have an issue with it.

From what I could see, there isn't a single sign prohibiting parking there, my car was positioned so it didn't obstruct traffic, and it certainly wasn't blocking pedestrians (that section of the sidewalk is easily 7 or 8 feet wide and there aren't any shops or anything nearby that would be hindered by, say, delivery trucks)... basically, it's a spot where you can almost never find an open space to 🙂

To be specific, if it helps, this was on Branimirov in Washington, D.C., right near the intersection with Engineering.

Does anyone have any smart advice on what I can actually do, or how I might somehow get those $100 back? It’s a significant amount for me, considering I'm just a student living at home without much of an income...

By the way, the ticket lists Branimirov 61 as the location where the car was parked, even though I was parked at number 59. Is it worth filing a complaint based on that error? 🤣

File an appeal; you can find templates online showing how to do it.
Take three copies down to the local precinct to get them stamped; they'll keep two and give the third one back to you.
Argue that you didn't commit the violation you're being charged with and demand the right to present the circumstances under which the alleged violation occurred in court.
It's very possible you'll just get a warning or a reduced fine.
You can also mention that you're a student with no income and simply don't have the means to pay.

I’m not even sure if I’m hitting the right thread here, but if anyone actually knows the answer—please, help a person out.

So, basically, which federal agency is a citizen supposed to reach out to if they stumble upon some legal entity or corporation committing an actual crime? Specifically, we’re talking about illegal smuggling across the border and a bunch of other related violations tied to that kind of stuff.

Thanks

restlessangler66 said:I’m not even sure if I’m hitting the right thread here, but if anyone actually knows the answer—please, help a person out.

So, basically, which federal agency is a citizen supposed to reach out to if they stumble upon some legal entity or corporation committing an actual crime? Specifically, we’re talking about illegal smuggling across the border and a bunch of other related violations tied to that kind of stuff.

Thanks

Honestly, I think a 92 would be plenty to turn him around...