Complaint Review: City Of Los Angeles Parking Violations Bureau

I finally received the refund check from them. The amount was $76.00 which was the original charge. The letter stated:

Finding of facts:

Examination if this citation indicates that the Department has failed to establish its prima facie case. The citation has a fatal defect or lacks mandatory information required by California Vehicle Code Section 40202(a). While the citation does state a code number, it fails to state the code from which the number it taken, whether it is the California Vehicle code, the Los Angeles Municipal Code, or some other code. The citation mostly preprinted and the details and observations are handwritten, rather than written using a hand held ticket writing device. The code number and amount are also handwritten. Every other printed code section on the citation indicates whether it is from the Los Angeles Municipal Code (M.C.) or the California Vehicle Code (CVC). I therefore find Respondent not liable for the citation.

So this case is now closed, but beware as many, many people get tickets from them that are boguss and are a Rip Off. Make sure if you get one of these from them to respond within the stated time frame and make sure you get a copy of the actual ticket before you have them review it. You are legally entitled to a copy of that ticket.

Today is September 17, 2008 and I am updating this report. I received a letter from them dated 8/18/08 stating they had received and processed my administrative request and any required payment. (well of course they wanted that payment), then it goes on to say if I had requested an in-person hearing which I did not, I would be mailed of the date. If I had requested a hearing by written deceleration, which I did, my case will be reviewed by a city hearing examiner and I will be mailed the notice of decision for the contested parking citation.

No further action on my part is required at the present time.

Well that tells me a whole lot. I went back to read if they have a time frame for this and so far they do not. But anyone who receives a ticket from them has specific time frames in which to contest or we forfeit the right to contest. Seems a bit one-sided here.

If there is any attorney out there willing to take these jerks on for a Class Action Law Suit let me know because they need to be sued for this crap that they do to people. I am ready and willing to sue them at this point for all they have cost me and all my time.

I seriously doubt I will hear from them again. They are probably hoping I will forget all about it. NEVER will I let them off the hook!

Well today 8/12/08 I received a copy of the original ticket. Wow amazing as I clearly saw written on the ticket the date of the ticket was dated 5/21/05 but underneath where it states License year it was written 08 and the month was written 02. That clearly means that when that ticket was written the license plate tags were in fact current and not possibly expired.

I still had to pay the fine when I requested a Hearing by Mail or they would not even review my case. That explains why I never ever received any prior notices as they claimed to have sent them to me.

Now if they try to go back and claim the ticket was written on May 21, 2008 I have clear proof per my passport that I was not and could not have been in Los Angeles at the time this ticket was written.

I requested a full refund of the $78.00 they made me pay plus postage and the $5.00 I had to mail to the DMV for requesting my registration for the past 3 years. I should also charge them for all the long distance calls I had to make to get this straightened out. They have no basis to possibly deny my refund, none.

Be aware of the City of L.A. Parking Violations Bureau as they do make mistakes and force people to pay their crazy fines before giving anyone a chance to prove it to them they were not guilty as charged.

I will up date you when I receive my full refund. What a Ripp Off!

Well today 8/12/08 I received a copy of the original ticket. Wow amazing as I clearly saw written on the ticket the date of the ticket was dated 5/21/05 but underneath where it states License year it was written 08 and the month was written 02. That clearly means that when that ticket was written the license plate tags were in fact current and not possibly expired.

I still had to pay the fine when I requested a Hearing by Mail or they would not even review my case. That explains why I never ever received any prior notices as they claimed to have sent them to me.

Now if they try to go back and claim the ticket was written on May 21, 2008 I have clear proof per my passport that I was not and could not have been in Los Angeles at the time this ticket was written.

I requested a full refund of the $78.00 they made me pay plus postage and the $5.00 I had to mail to the DMV for requesting my registration for the past 3 years. I should also charge them for all the long distance calls I had to make to get this straightened out. They have no basis to possibly deny my refund, none.

Be aware of the City of L.A. Parking Violations Bureau as they do make mistakes and force people to pay their crazy fines before giving anyone a chance to prove it to them they were not guilty as charged.

I will up date you when I receive my full refund. What a Ripp Off!

Well today 8/12/08 I received a copy of the original ticket. Wow amazing as I clearly saw written on the ticket the date of the ticket was dated 5/21/05 but underneath where it states License year it was written 08 and the month was written 02. That clearly means that when that ticket was written the license plate tags were in fact current and not possibly expired.

I still had to pay the fine when I requested a Hearing by Mail or they would not even review my case. That explains why I never ever received any prior notices as they claimed to have sent them to me.

Now if they try to go back and claim the ticket was written on May 21, 2008 I have clear proof per my passport that I was not and could not have been in Los Angeles at the time this ticket was written.

I requested a full refund of the $78.00 they made me pay plus postage and the $5.00 I had to mail to the DMV for requesting my registration for the past 3 years. I should also charge them for all the long distance calls I had to make to get this straightened out. They have no basis to possibly deny my refund, none.

Be aware of the City of L.A. Parking Violations Bureau as they do make mistakes and force people to pay their crazy fines before giving anyone a chance to prove it to them they were not guilty as charged.

I will up date you when I receive my full refund. What a Ripp Off!

Well today 8/12/08 I received a copy of the original ticket. Wow amazing as I clearly saw written on the ticket the date of the ticket was dated 5/21/05 but underneath where it states License year it was written 08 and the month was written 02. That clearly means that when that ticket was written the license plate tags were in fact current and not possibly expired.

I still had to pay the fine when I requested a Hearing by Mail or they would not even review my case. That explains why I never ever received any prior notices as they claimed to have sent them to me.

Now if they try to go back and claim the ticket was written on May 21, 2008 I have clear proof per my passport that I was not and could not have been in Los Angeles at the time this ticket was written.

I requested a full refund of the $78.00 they made me pay plus postage and the $5.00 I had to mail to the DMV for requesting my registration for the past 3 years. I should also charge them for all the long distance calls I had to make to get this straightened out. They have no basis to possibly deny my refund, none.

Be aware of the City of L.A. Parking Violations Bureau as they do make mistakes and force people to pay their crazy fines before giving anyone a chance to prove it to them they were not guilty as charged.

I will up date you when I receive my full refund. What a Ripp Off!

I went to their actual website plus verified the number through DMV and it is the same number unfortunately. The girl I spoke to was busy today and I spoke with another girl and documented it all. You know Dates, times names, ext numbers.

Thank you though....

Wow what a blow. I called the DMV who then referred me to Information Services, who handles all requests for copies of Vehicle Registrations and unfortunately they are 4-weeks behind. I asked nicely to see if there was any possible way to expedite my request and they simply no we are very sorry.

The DMV stated they were just now working on requests received from July 1, 2008 and they had priorities. So I called the City of L.A. Parking Bureau again to see if I could request an extension. They said no. I explained what the DMV told me and that I was not able to provide proof by 8/19/08. They said then you must pay the ticket.

I asked very sweetly what I should do and the girl decided to be a little nice and stated that I must Request an Administrative Hearing by mail and provide proof if not still request the hearing and insert a letter explaining what the DMV stated. She doubt it would get any kind of extension but at least I replied. She also stated that I must pay the ticket in full before I Request any hearing on or before 8/19/08 or I am not entitled to any hearing and can not dispute anything.

She stated that later when I receive the copies of my vehicle registration from the DMV then write another letter to the City of L.A. Parking Bureau asking for a correction providing the proof and asking for a complete refund of the amount of the ticket. She said to make sure to write Correction Accepted.

I told her that I did not receive a copy of the original ticket and that I am entitled to receive a copy. She stated that she would send me that copy. I also asked her why I did not receive copies of all the notices that were supposedly sent to me and she said she was not authorized to send any copies of previous notices and in my Letter of Correction I should ask for those copies. At that point what good does that do.

So there you are, in the end I must pay the ticket, and maybe I get a refund or maybe not. If I do not pay the ticket I was told it could result in my drivers license being suspended. Who knows what else they can do? After all of this I never even had 1/2 the chance to properly prove anything up. Seriously a RIP OFF, I could excuse it if they had granted me a small extension to give me a chance to get those copies from the DMV.

At this point I will continue with all this letter writing and update this if anything changes and I get a refund.

Are you calling a numnber that they provided you or are you confirming the number actually belongs to the LA PVB. Reason I ask this is if this is a scam they may have the phone number on the paperwork answered by the scammers. I'd suggest (if you haven't) do a internet search for the number and then call and see if you can get connected to the person that you've already talked to. At least this way you could confirm if you are indeed talking with the real LA PVB.

Update:

I just received a letter from them to my new address as I asked them specifically to send me a copy of the actual ticket and proof of all the letters they have sent to me for the past 3 years. I did not receive a copy of anything but a letter stating they had reviewed my case and stated "the citation coincides with that provided by the department of motor vehicles, therefor the citation must be valid".

Are you kidding me? Guilty until proven innocent? I have 21-days to request a hearing by mail. I must prove to them my vehicle was registered. I already knew that. How can they accuse someone without providing that person proof of their claim? Obviously by not sending me copies of the actual ticket and proof that they have been sending me these notices for 3-years tells me they have no proof and they figure since it has been 3-years I will just pay it and forget. Well I will not.

I will keep you updated as to what happens. I am waiting for the DMV to send me copies of my registration for 2005. I am keeping notes and dates of who I speak to from their department. I am going to call them and request again a copy of the original ticket and all the notices they said they have mailed to me over the past 3 years.