XPost: phl.misc, phl.sports, phl.talk   
   XPost: phl.transportation   
   From: ill@gmail.com   
      
   Hey Stupid.. the City of Philadelphia had nothing to do with it.   
      
   Our Republican controlled state took over the Parking Authority...go   
   whine to Harrisburg..oh wait you did and no one cared.   
      
   ..I never park at anything blue in paint or meter...it's you're own   
   fault for "assuming" the space was fine.   
      
      
   I've received parking tickets in Huntington Beach and in NYC...both   
   expected the same from me...pay the fine, or notify them by their rules   
   then try to fight it...both wanted me (or a local lawyer) to appear if I   
   felt I wasn't guilty....that's what you're supposed to do...appear   
   before someone to plead your case..   
      
      
      
      
      
   > PHILADELPHIA'S MALICIOUS PARKING TICKET SCAM   
   >   
   > Parking spaces reserved for the handicapped are desirable, but   
   > from the number of them in Philadelphia PA one would think half   
   > its population is in wheelchairs. These spaces do not exist   
   > through kindness though, but as an unscrupulously administered   
   > means of raising revenue through exhorbitant fines. And this   
   > "city of brotherly love" is not above having its cops write   
   > completely UNJUSTIFIED $300 FINE TICKETS on out-of-state   
   > residents' cars as a means of extortion!   
   >   
   > I live in NYC and occasionally visit Philadelphia. I do not get   
   > parking tickets because I always carefully read and obey the   
   > signs. I was amazed one Sunday in January 2004 to find my car   
   > ticketed for parking in a space reserved for the handicapped at   
   > some times, but not on Sunday, when the facility I was parked   
   > in front of (801 Arch Street) was closed. A bright orange "TOW"   
   > sticker was glued to my rear window, but fortunately I got   
   > there before they came to steal my car. And to this day I have   
   > not been able to completely remove these vandals' glue from my   
   > window.   
   >   
   > I have PHOTOS that PROVE I WAS LEGALLY PARKED and falsely   
   > ticketed!   
   >   
   > I responded promptly with a certified letter stating my   
   > innocence. I received a reply "- suspending any further action   
   > pending the outcome of this investigation," and stating,   
   > "PLEASE DISREGARD ANY FURTHER NOTICES YOU MAY   
   > RECEIVE BEFORE A FINAL DETERMINATION IS MADE   
   > CONCERNING THIS."   
   >   
   > That was DELIBERATE LIE NUMBER TWO, the first lie being the   
   > ticket itself. Further action was NOT suspended as I was told;   
   > HARASSMENT AND THREATS then began. First a NOTICE OF   
   > DEFAULT, adding a $38 penalty to the $300 fine. Then an OFFICIAL   
   > NOTIFICATION AND FINAL ORDER. I continued to do as instructed -   
   > disregard further notices pending a final determination. Next   
   > came a CIVIL DEFAULT ORDER threatening to sieze my car, and   
   > then a COLLECTION AGENCY warning containing more threats. Next   
   > came a CREDIT RATING WARNING, followed soon afterwards by "YOUR   
   > ACCOUNT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO A CREDIT BUREAU," which if   
   > true would constitute LIBEL, as no official determination had yet been made.   
   >   
   > At this point I replied with a strong letter insisting that the   
   > harassment stop and that a final determination be rendered.   
   > That came quickly - finding me LIABLE for the alleged   
   > violation! I was told I had the right to appeal, and if I did   
   > so I would be informed of the hearing date. Guilty until proven   
   > innocent!   
   >   
   > I submitted a notarized sworn statement testifying to my   
   > innocence, and indicating that merely examining the signs at the given   
   > location would   
   > exonerate me. I received a reply setting a hearing date and stating that I   
   > may attend,   
   > but if I did not the review would proceed in my absence and I would be   
   > notified of the final determination. Two weeks before the   
   > hearing date however I received another letter CONTRADICTING   
   > THIS, stating, "IF YOU FAIL TO APPEAR, YOU WILL BE FOUND   
   > LIABLE FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF ALL APPLICABLE FINES   
   > AND PENALTIES."   
   >   
   > Philadelphia is over 90 MILES from my New York City home. They   
   > demand that I take a day off and travel there and back to prove   
   > my innocence, though they are incapable of proving me guilty -   
   > and should I fail to appear, that alone proves my guilt! This   
   > confirmed the suspicion that my out-of-state license plates   
   > were why I was chosen for a false violation ticket - easy prey.   
   > Or so these extortionists thought!   
   >   
   > I found a means of having the signs photographed to prove my   
   > innocence, postponed the hearing, and sent in the photos. This   
   > brought my total expenses caused by Philadelphia's deceitful   
   > extortion attempt to roughly $70 - plus about a thousand   
   > dollars worth of inconvenience and aggravation.   
   >   
   > The hearing was rescheduled for April 19th. Two weeks prior to   
   > this I get another letter, again stating "IF YOU FAIL TO   
   > APPEAR, YOU WILL BE FOUND LIABLE FOR THE FULL AMOUNT   
   > OF ALL APPLICABLE FINES AND PENALTIES." A few days before the   
   > hearing however I get yet another letter saying if I do not attend the   
   > review will proceed in my absence and I will be notified in   
   > writing of the final determination.   
   >   
   > I did not attend the hearing. I received no notification of the   
   > outcome, but one month after the hearing date I received   
   > another threatening letter demanding payment of the $338, and   
   > only two days later another such letter. I responded with a   
   > certified mail request for the hearing outcome notification due   
   > me, and that the harassment for payment cease.   
   >   
   > My request was received but ignored. One month later I receive   
   > another threatening letter on a letterhead from the "CITY OF   
   > PHILADELPHIA LAW DEPARTMENT" - but the envelope it came in was   
   > from the Parking Violations Branch, as were all the other   
   > letters I received. It now became clear that the "Bureau of   
   > Administrative Adjudication" I had been dealing with does not   
   > adjudicate at all - IT IS MERELY AN UNSCRUPULOUS   
   > COLLECTION AGENCY!   
   >   
   > Seeing I could get no justice from these local-level thieves, I   
   > then wrote to Pennsylvania Governor Rendell regarding the   
   > matter. My letter contained all of the above information. I   
   > received a buck-passing reply from the Department of Community   
   > and Economic Development, from which I quote: " - resolving   
   > disputes regarding parking ordinances are matters of local   
   > jurisdiction and must be resolved at that level - you may wish   
   > to consult an attorney to provide further advice on this   
   > matter."   
   >   
   > One hundred dollars or more for a lawyer? No thanks! Let the   
   > bastards come to New York and try to make me pay. I'll deal   
   > with them like the lowlife criminals that they are!   
   >   
   >   
   > "When governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the   
   > people fear the government, there is tyranny." - Thomas   
   > Jefferson   
   >   
   >   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)