Los Angeles Parking violations, tips to avoid worst case scenario?

January 8, 2016 5:30 PM

Ok, well I'm not looking for sympathy nor do I need a lecture, (yes, my screename is ironic since I'm in this embarrassing predicament) but it's past time for me to renew my registration at the DMV yearly here in Los Angeles, CA, and after imputing my plates and vin number I was shocked to find out I owe roughly 1500 in unpaid tickets, fees, penalties, etc.

I do realize I accumulated more than 5 citations but some of these other ones I don't recall (not that it matters now anyhow since it's too late to even contest) and the late fees and penalties, although severe, are obviously my own fault. I've moved 3 times in the past year and thus I never received any type of notification from the dmv but anyhow, enough of the pity party since I accept responsibility and thus realize I simply have to pay since I'm now officially driving with an expired registration as well my plates being expired, and thus, I could get pulled over at any time and given an additional ticket.

My question is (since I simply can't pay the total amount as of now since rent comes first and foremost obviously is how to avoid the dreaded boot while I try to get the funds to pay all this off asap? Obviously no more parking at any city meters, since even if I put the correct amount of change in the meter and it flashes "green" the meter maid can still run my plates and call in for the boot since I have 8 unpaid parking tickets in the past year. So valet and private lots it is for the foreseeable future. In terms of getting pulled over by the cops, well can't do much about that but hope for luck in that regard, I need my car to get to work as there is no public transit that will take me to my destination. I'm assuming if I get pulled over by the cops I'll get a ticket for expired registration and plate sticker but not get my car towed or booted on the spot for parking tickets since parking enforcement is a different agency than the police who only track criminal or traffic violations correct? Any other tips for the time being? I'm not upset since the only person to be upset at is myself for my laziness and irresponsibility, I take this as a learning lesson for living in such an otherwise amazing city. However, my predicament is scary since I need a bit of luck to avoid the boot, which could lead to impoundment, as well as my car being auctioned off if I can't pay all the fees immediately as well the hit to my credit and a lien being placed against my car if I don't pay in the near future.

Furthermore, does anyone have any advice on when I DO pay all the fees, what steps I have to take to prove this to the DMV and not run into any issues with parking enforcement's coming after me even after I paid (which I've read about and seem like a nightmare situation.)

Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to read this and thanks in advance for any advice on how to survive in the meantime by avoiding anything risky as I try to take care of this asap. Unfortunately, sometimes lessons have to hit you hard for you to finally learn to be responsible and take care of stuff when it happens instead of procrastinating and avoiding the issue that you KNOW you're going to have to deal with eventually.

posted by HonestAsian to Travel & Transportation around Los Angeles, CA (11 answers total)

Call them; there's an amnesty program going on and they also do payment plans.
posted by SMPA at 5:34 PM on January 8, 2016 [8 favorites]

Yes! Call them! It's always wise to try and deal directly and be honest with bureaucratic stuff like this!
posted by jbenben at 5:39 PM on January 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

I have definitely gotten late fees reduced when I had a sob story about moving.
posted by salvia at 5:59 PM on January 8, 2016 [2 favorites]

Definitely talk to them. You have nothing to lose by asking for a payment plan.
posted by samthemander at 6:24 PM on January 8, 2016 [4 favorites]

Oh, also, your car can be impounded for being unregistered. I'm not sure how often that happens in Los Angeles, but officers have that option. My guess is that it's annoying for them (having to wait for a tow truck,) so you'd be at greater risk in jurisdictions where the police have more time on their hands.
posted by SMPA at 8:07 PM on January 8, 2016

Crap - 5 unpaid citations is the magic number to get your car booted or towed in LA. If you know anyone who could loan you their driveway (or office parking deck) for the weekend, this is a time to ask. You certainly can get a ticket on private property but it's much less likely. Expired tags are not a big deal and neither is expired registration (though either will get you ticket). No Tags, no registration and lots of unpaid tickets...well, that enough to get you impounded if you catch a parking enforcement officer in a testy mood.

Tickets in LA are probably at the Los Angeles Parking Violations Bureau. They have an automated 24 hotline [phone] and a website that explains their policies. Monday you need to go and ask for some mercy on the tickets (and a payment plan). Pay something - even a token amount. Next deal with your registration/tags. You may need to go to the DMV with the documented payment plan so keep track of the paperwork.
posted by 26.2 at 10:30 PM on January 8, 2016

Response by poster: Wow, thanks for all the replies!

The amnesty program it says is only for tickets up to 2013, but might as well inquire. I do know there is a payment plan which I need to look into at the least. Not sure if I can get a renewed registration even if on a payment plan but at least I have some links and a plan of action to start forward, thanks again to everyone!
posted by HonestAsian at 4:22 AM on January 9, 2016

One other idea, which is probably so obvious that you've already considered it (but which I sometimes forget might be an option when I'm paying government bodies), is that you could probably pay by credit card and then make payments to the cc company.
posted by salvia at 6:02 AM on January 9, 2016 [2 favorites]

I would suggest that you deal with this sooner rather than later - when I was a dumb grad student, parking on the street and basically only driving on the weekends, my car in fact did get booted and impounded for unpaid parking tickets (damn street cleaning). Which I didn't find out til several days later, when I tried to go to the grocery store, scoured a four block radius looking for my car, and eventually called the police to report it stolen. They didn't tell me it was impounded until the police officer arrived at my apartment to take the report.

It cost me a small fortune to get it back, plus the impound lot was completely inaccessible by public transportation- 2 hour long bus trips followed by a mile and a half hike in waist deep weeds on the side of the road.

And to add insult to injury they then sent a letter about it to my dad (the car was still in his name). That was one hell of an awkward phone call.

Don't be me.
posted by telepanda at 6:59 AM on January 9, 2016 [3 favorites]

I've been pulled over a number of times over the years for having expired tags (and no insurance in one case) and each time I got fix-it tickets. (There was that one weird time I got pulled over for a left I made on Alvarado but they didn't bring up the expired tags for some reason.

My one piece of advice: avoid Culver City at all costs; the cops are hard-core and I don't know anyone who has ever been let off the hook by CCPD. (I got pulled over in CC on the way to AAA on Sepulveda to pay everything. I had all the paperwork right on the front seat and the cop asked me what AAA's address was to "prove" I was going there. I told him the address was "AAA on Sepulveda near the ice skating rink" and got a ticket. Dick.
posted by Room 641-A at 7:11 AM on January 9, 2016 [1 favorite]

Definitely call them and see if you can set up some kind of payment plan. I've had my car impounded in West LA for expired tags, and it is No Bueño.
posted by culfinglin at 12:45 PM on January 12, 2016