Complaint Review: Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority - Los Angeles California

I got a citation for "commercial/filming use" from MRCA for having a video camera and shooting a short skit for youtube with some friends.  It's now up to $270 with threats monthly in the mail.  Do they have authority to report this to credit bureaus?  It's said often that they don't, and some say that they can.  Seems like a HUGE scam to me as according to the state of california it's only supposed to be prohibited from filming for commercial use, and this was not the case.

nothing will happen. their administrative review is based. there is currently a class action lawsuit against mrca because of their stop enforcement program.

 1st a stop sign in a parking after a giant fence and gate is ridiculous and 2nd the state took the camera enforcements away it's not right to try to get quick money for no reason. I hope these people sleep well at night telling themselves that they are not screwing there fellow Americans over. #swindlers

I was shocked to receive my 'invoice' from the MRCA following a trip to the Santa Monica Mountains in Sept. After researching the MRCA and their methods online, I found out what an egregious, and profitable scam this is. Like most respondants to the MRCA tickets state, there was no one around when I made a 'California roll' from a parking lot onto the Temescal park road that leads to Sunset. I understnad the need to police visitors to the park, but where is the notice? It's not at all obvious that there is a camera anywhere, and there are a couple vague postings about being 'monitored' while driving thru the park. Had the fine been reasonable, say $25, I would have considered it a lesson learned and been done with it. I was shocked to get a bill for $100.00, a month and a half after the 'incident'. Further research online yielded a telling document, a 'lease renewal amendment' between MRCA and Redflex, the Arizona company behind the red light camera controversies of last year. The lease renewal stated that the MRCA was paying $3,750.00 PER MONTH for EACH camera, a total of seven, in the westside parks. That's $26,250.00 PER MONTH! When I saw this, I realizied what a big business this is for Redflex and the MRCA. The MRCA is paying THRU THE NOSE for the right to ticket us. Legality of the tickets aside, what an inefficient use of taxpayer's money, yet again. We all lead busy lives and tickets like this are a relatively minor inconvenience that most people just pay to go away. I think Redflex and MRCA rely on this. 

×

1 / 0

❮ ❯

I'm responding to this guy Robert's response which I've attached below.

His job is to go on to the blogs where everyone says it's okay not to pay these tickets and respond/try to convince everyone that they better pay the ticket or else.

The MRCA sees that word is spreading that they are a scam, so this guy has been told to rebuke these rumors.

He is simply a tool and he is absolutely wrong.   At the top of Temescal, there is a stop sign in the middle of a street.  If he bothered to take ten seconds, he could find the link to all the pictures.

Second, there are not just a few posts, telling people they don't need to pay, there are hundreds of posts everywhere.

The simple fact is, just because some agency puts up a stop sign, and you roll it, doesn't give them the right to send you an invoice.   Don't be intimidated by Robert's laughable reply "you're lucky you haven't killed someone".   Really???  For going 2MPH thru a stop sign in a public park.   Yeah, Thank God, nobody was killed.  

 He is a tool of the MRCA and I think I know who he is.  

 >>>> A Stop Sign means STOP.  It does not mean....well stop only if you feel like you need to.  

>>If you want to complain about being caught on camera then that is one thing.  But it doesn't take away the fact that if a police officer saw you do the same thing in person..the ticket would be valid because when you come to a stop sign you are supposed to come to a full and complete stop.

>> The real scary thing in all of this is the outright "entitlement" attitude that comes across by not only you but in looking at your links the other people who "think" it is wrong that they are actually being told when to stop.  There were even some people who had gotten 3 notices and seemed proud of it.   This attitude unfortunatly is not one that just stops when you enter/exit this area.  So it is very likely that you(and others) do several "rolling stops" around LA.  It is really just a matter of luck that you haven't gotten a ticket or haven't caused an accident yet.

>> The other scary thing is that you are basically telling people to just not pay the tickets.  To trust a few posts from people on various sites saying it is okay.  So I won't say to pay them..but before they decide one way or another they better do a lot of research and make sure that they have a valid position.

 >> By the way I would love to know the exact location(GPS Coordinates) as to any of these stop signs that are in the middle of the road.  As the only thing in your favor is that if there is truly nothing around you may have a valid complaint..on those.

 Say what you will about my driving, but the point is, just because someone puts up a camera and start self righteously handing out tickets to people, doesn't mean they have the authority to do so. This is the kind of abusive behavior that we as Americans are "entitled" to be free from. Perhaps I should follow you around town with a camera and look out for condemnable actions? They are public streets; to oppose my doing so must mean you are guilty of something. Maybe you too would feel a tad bit of entitlement?

On a side note, I understand that stop signs are stop signs, and I think that the people who wrote similiar rants are not arguing with you that a habit of rolling signs on public streets is dangerous. But, to say that safety is the motivation behind these cameras barely qualifies as "truthiness". I can think of about 1 million spots more deserving of monitoring than these. Yes, I did recieve a ticket. Three years ago at Temescul canyon, I left an empty parking lot in the middle of a clear afternoon, and did not come to a complete stop before continuing on to a deserted park road. My apologies to the universe. I'm sure that sort of crime warrants a 24 hour surveleince camera and a minimum of $175 in fees per violation. Just think of how many lives will be saved. On this link, you will see pictures of another famous camera at Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park.

http://www.freedomminute.com/blog/state-government/the-100-stop-sign-scam/

To date, I have not paid that ludicrous ticket, and I never will. You can check my credit, my dmv record, and the LA Supreme court records. As far as anyone with any legitimate authority is concerned, I owe nothing.

×

1 / 0

❮ ❯

The stop signs are known to be in quiet intersections, exits from parking lots onto empty streets, and even in the middle of the road.

- A Stop Sign means STOP.  It does not mean....well stop only if you feel like you need to.  

If you want to complain about being caught on camera then that is one thing.  But it doesn't take away the fact that if a police officer saw you do the same thing in person..the ticket would be valid because when you come to a stop sign you are supposed to come to a full and complete stop.

The real scary thing in all of this is the outright "entitlement" attitude that comes across by not only you but in looking at your links the other people who "think" it is wrong that they are actually being told when to stop.  There were even some people who had gotten 3 notices and seemed proud of it.   This attitude unfortunatly is not one that just stops when you enter/exit this area.  So it is very likely that you(and others) do several "rolling stops" around LA.  It is really just a matter of luck that you haven't gotten a ticket or haven't caused an accident yet.

The other scary thing is that you are basically telling people to just not pay the tickets.  To trust a few posts from people on various sites saying it is okay.  So I won't say to pay them..but before they decide one way or another they better do a lot of research and make sure that they have a valid position.

By the way I would love to know the exact location(GPS Coordinates) as to any of these stop signs that are in the middle of the road.  As the only thing in your favor is that if there is truly nothing around you may have a valid complaint..on those.

http://www.mrcapublicsafety.ca.gov/index.html

http://saferstreetsla.org/443/pay-175-mrca-stop-sign-camera-ticket/

http://www.freedomminute.com/blog/state-government/faq-about-mrca-stop-sign-tickets/