It may seem unlikely that you would get a legitimate parking ticket and never know it. There is always the chance that a good (no, wonderful) Samaritan would see it on your windshield and, for no particular reason, take it and pay it herself. But that’s highly unlikely. What is more the usual occurrence is that you try to renew your license or car registration and discover you can’t, because of an outstanding lien, applied because of a parking ticket you never paid, and perhaps, never knew about. How does that happen? Ask my dear friend (and co-worker) J.C. Monahan because that is exactly what happened to her. It should come as no surprise to you that J.C. is one smart cookie, not to mention diligent (and a very good credit risk) who, when told of the outstanding ticket set about proving she was not where the city of Boston said she was, when they said she was there (got that?). J.C. went to her appointments book to see where she was on the day in question and found the answer: in fact she had been in Boston, shopping and dining (yes, she eats occasionally) with a friend, and she’d left her car with a valet!!! It was the valet who got the ticket and, apparently, ignored it. J.C. called the valet company, Boston Valet. They acknowledged the problem, apologized, and promised to pay the fine. While we’re still awaiting proof of payment, this situation gave me a very good opportunity to remind you, this could, and does, happen.
You may not be as organized as J.C. (honestly, who is?) and may not be able to to trace, or prove, your alibi on any given day, but if you discover a similar situation, appeal. The folks at the Boston Parking office tell us about 60% of all parking tickets challenged annually are forgiven; they’re taken on a case by case basis (and, one might imagine, the mood of the sitting magistrate on any given day), so, it makes sense to fight, as they say, City Hall. And, it’s also a good idea, before giving the valet the key (and the small fortune it costs to valet a car in the city of Boston), to ask if the car is being left on the street or a private garage or lot. Happy motoring.
I received two tickets from the City of Boston during the last two years – both for parking offenses and both for when my car was not in Boston. The City of Boston mails late notices – so how come J.C. did not receive such a notice in the mail?
In the case of both of my tickets – one for parking during a snow emergency and one for parking in some part of Boston – forget where -my car was not there. – my notice came in the mail. I appealed both of them – the first time I got a notice saying the ticket was cancelled – the second time – never heard from the court – and I have renewed my license and registration since then. I find it hard to believe J.C, did not receive a late notice by mail – Boston is good about going after you by mail for late fees- as if Cambridge and Somerville – where my son has gotten tickets for parking – using my car – and not paid them.
The Registry now has a registration inquiry on their website. When you enter your plate info, it will tell you the status of the registration, including whether it’s expired or has other problems like outstanding tickets, unpaid excise tax bills, etc. It also will tell you when your car last was inspected and whether it passed or failed.
It may not help in all cases, but it can’t hurt to check to be sure there aren’t unknown tickets like J.C.’s or in cases where you did have a ticket that was paid or otherwise resolved, to make sure that the Registry received notice that the payment was indeed made.
It’s under ‘registration inquiry’ in the ‘online transactions’ page at http://www.mass.gov/rmv