I've driven a vehicle for over 20 years. A few months ago, I noticed my front license plate was missing. Not sure if it was stolen or not, I called the DMV to find out what the procedure was. They advised me to go to my local police station immediately and file a stolen plate report. I did this the moment I got off the phone. The police officer issued me a report and told me that I would need to make an appointment with the DMV to get new plates and registration.
In the few days before my actual appointment, I was issued a ticket for not displaying a front drivers plate. I contested the ticket and included a copy of the police report along with my phone number if they had any additional questions.
A week later, I got another notice saying the ticket was still valid. By this time I had already gone to the DMV and been issued new plates and new registration. I called the City of Los Angeles Parking Violations, gave them my citation number and the person told me that my police report was not legible. I told them I would resend it along with my new registration.
10 days later I got another letter saying the ticket was still valid and if not paid within a certain amount of days it would go up. I called the department again. I couldn't believe the ticket was still valid. This person told me that I needed to send them a picture of the front plate attached to my car and the ticket would go away. I asked why no one had mentioned that before, to which he apologized and said to send the picture in and it would all be taken care off.
I sent the picture in within a few days and sure enough yesterday I received another letter from the city saying that the ticket is still valid and now I have more fees to pay. I called again and they would not allow me to speak to a supervisor. I was calm and asked the customer service representative what went wrong, and he even said he had no idea. He saw both issues of my police report, my registration, my photograph of the plates. He told me that he did not have the authority to make the ticket go away, only his supervisor who I couldn't speak to could do that. I gave them my phone number and was told to wait 24-48 hours.
It's now been 3 days and I have not heard from them, yet I have called each day asking to speak to someone. The more time that goes by, the higher my ticket is going to be.
I feel like I am being held hostage.
Signed,
Helpless in Hollywood