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Report: #27521

Report: Parking Violation Bureau of Los Angeles

Reported By: (Los Angeles CA)

Parking Violation Bureau of Los Angeles Fraudulent citation issuing practices and unfair policy by bureaucratic "monkeys". a private company of crooks sub-contracted by the government Los Angeles California

... The problems I've faced in dealing with the L.A Parking Violations Bureau

2Author 4Consumer 0Employee

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Parking Violation Bureau of Los Angeles

215 West 6th Street
Los Angeles California 90014
U.S.A.
Phone: 213-623-6533
Web Address:

Category: Government Services

Submitted: Wednesday, August 21, 2002

Last posting: Thursday, February 12, 2004

Once on a rainy day in Westwood, I found a parking ticket in a plastic bag on my windshield wiper when I walked out of the restaurant I was having lunch at. I immediately took it out to see what violation did I commit, it says that I illegally parked because I did not feed the meter. I went over to double check the meter to see what happened, and indeed I still have 20 minutes as I have thought. Right away I know that the parking officer whom issued the ticket never even bothered to get out of his car in the rain to check the meter. Instead, he must have just simply drove by and opened his window to put it there. Otherwise, he would clearly see I still have plenty of time left on the meter.

I called the number on the citation immediately and told the person answering the phone what had happened. All she did was tell me to contest the ticket according to their procedure. I asked her how in the world can I prove that I had 20 minutes left in the meter? She says that's not her job. I asked to speak to her supervisor because I need to find a way to ensure that they will not reject my appeal for lack of evidence. Right after I said I want to speak to your supervisor, she hung up on me. I could not believe what had happened and tried to call back but could not reach anyone.

I proceeded to fight the ticket by writing in my appeal letter and waited. Weeks later I still have not heard from anyone, I wrote in again to see what was going on. They said that they have responded already to my first appeal and it was rejected, but right now I have given up my right to further contest it because I have pass the 30 days policy. I couldn't believe what I was hearing because I never received anything in the mail! So how can the 15 days policy be in effect when I haven't received anything.

Their policy states that "Within 15 days of the mailing of the results of the review, you can request a mail-in or in-person review by a City examiner". I argued that I never received anything from them so I can't be held accountable for the 15 days that I am not aware of. Their only response is that they are not responsible neither for mailing error. I couldn't do anything except to pay their fine, I was furious!

I thought that was just a isolated incident and did not necessary reflect the way parking enforcement operate in general. Boy was I wrong! Recently when I went to renew my registration at the DMV, they told me I have a hold and can't get my renewal because I have an outstanding ticket unpaid. I was like what?! I never got a ticket in the entire year. DMV said I would have to check with the Parking Violation Bureau because they don't have any information on it. When I did, the PVB told me that I was cited for illegally parking in a No-Stopping Zone in March (it's now August). I said I was never given a ticket, nor did I receive anything in the mail. They said that they have sent me the ticket, and two notices of delinquency. The ticket is now over two hundered dollars instead of $60! Once again, I said how can this be my fault if I never knew I got a ticket (the citation itself was suspicious because I don't remember ever parking there in March, but that's another story) and I did not receive any notices when the PVB obviously got my address wrong (and indeed they did)!

So I appealed to the delinquency charge and paid for the original amount of $60 (I have no proof that I didn't commit the violation) hoping to just get my registration done. They told me that it was going to take only 21 days for them to make a decision and then I will be issued an "abstract" to bring to the DMV and get my renewal.

It's been over two months now since I submitted my appeal!! Everytime I went to the PVB to ask about the status, they tell me it's still in progress and have no information of when the matter will be resolved. I asked them what is there to contemplate about? They got the wrong address and it was their fault, not mine...why does it take so long? They simply answer I don't know, you can call this number to try to get more information.

I called the number they gave me and only got a run-around. They told me to go back to the PVB to get the information. I explained to them that the PVB was the one who told me to call. They just kept repeating that I have to go to the PVB.

Frustrated and mad as hell, I asked them for their address so I can go there and see their supervisor. Then they tell me that they cannot give out that information! I said you guys are a public service under the government, I am a tax payer and a citizen, why can't I get those information?! I was shocked when I heard their response, they said that they were not public! They are a private company sub-contracted by the government to handle reviews and related matters! I was outraged because that means they have something to gain from issuing all these tickets and denying all the appeals!

To this day I still have not gotten my registration as a result of this matter. I believe this is extremely unfair and the county needs to do something about this to clean up the corruption. If anyone out there shares similar horror stories, please post it here and suggest what we can do about this...one person can't change anything, but together we have strength in numbers!

Jonathan
Los Angeles, California

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REBUTTALS & REPLIES:

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Error Correction

- ()

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 POSTED: Wednesday, August 21, 2002

I made a typo in one of the paragraph regarding the number of days I have to contest the appeal decision. The days suppose to read 15, not 30 as it was written in the above posting. I don't want anything getting confuse or mixing up the info. Thanx!

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Los Angeles violates laws & Constitution

Karen - Phoenix ()

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 POSTED: Thursday, August 22, 2002

I can empathize with the above writer, because I too have been victimized by the the illegal and incompetent methods of the City of Los Angeles in the area of parking enforcement.

It's quite an extortion racket Los Angeles has got going for itself. Besides the fraudulent citations which are often issued by the city's traffic officers, the Parking Violations Bureau (which is Lockheed Martin IMS Corp.) regularly violates many state laws by not notifying vehicle owners of the allegations, by misstating the law, by sending notices to wrong addresses, by placing holds on vehicle registrations with the Department of Motor Vehicles until payment is made, by misstating the appeal process, etc. etc.

Due process is a foreign term to them, and I do believe the City of Los Angeles is ripe for a class action lawsuit

The only thing that surprises me is that the City of Los Angeles has not been indicted by the feds under the RICO act for its racketeering.

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Oh yes, the thing I DON'T miss about living in LA.

Sherri - Richmond ()

SUBMITTED: Saturday, November 02, 2002 POSTED: Sunday, November 03, 2002

The scam is not limited to just parking tickets, but traffic tickets at well.

In January 1997, I was cited by the LAPD for expired decal. I showed the officer where I had already sent payment, he gives me a "fix it" ticket. A couple of weeks later, I get the decal, go to the local police station, get the "notice of correction" signed, mail it and a check for $110.00 to the Municipal Court. Check clears.

I moved to the Bay area in June of 1997, remarried in March 2001. I get a letter in the mail in May 2001 from a collection agency contracted by the City of Los Angeles stating that I owed them $640 for an unpaid violation in January 1997. I call the guy and explain the situation, he gets rude and nasty and tells me that the "original bail" was $384 and with interest it was now $640 and they would prevent me from renewing my registration and drivers license if I didn't pay, as I did not show for court and did not pay.

By this time, I am getting a little bit miffed, because at the time I paid the "fix it" ticket, I really didn't have the money to do it, but I did it. And I pointed out to the "gentleman" on the phone, IF I had not shown up for court to contest the ticket or if I had not done the notice of correction, there would have been a damned bench warrant issued for "failure to appear" and I would not have been able to renew my license in 2000. Oh, the original letter stated "we have tracked you with the assistance of the DMV."

I don't know if they were pulling a scam on people who now lived out of the area, thinking that I would be frightened and fire them off a check or what, but I didn't. If I had needed to, LA is only a 30 minute flight and I would have had no problem going down to dispute it, but fortunately, that has not been necessary. I have renewed car registration yearly (including yesterday) with no problem. Additionally, a friend of mine who is a judge here told me that even if I had not paid the fix it ticket, the statute of limitations had already run out a long time before.

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That's LA for ya.

Ken - Irvine (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Monday, April 28, 2003 POSTED: Tuesday, April 29, 2003

I have moved from LA to OC more than 5 years ago, and I am better for it. I was initially concerned about the more conservative police culture in OC. Experience has proven that strict but fair law enforcement is a far better solution for the citizens involved.

I have actually gotten more traffic violoations and parking tickets in OC relative to LA, but they are always been right.

LA is just the opposite. Furthermore, LA makes it impossible for you to state your case reasonably.

I had 3 tickets with money in the meter as I used to park meters everyday at the hospital where I worked. I sent in letters to indicate this. The first response get is one stating that they had asked for more information and that the case is closed because I did not send that informatoin in.

I find it impossible to believe that the mail system is as poor as parking enforcement would like us to believe. I had sold a car and went through the same ordeal when the purchaser got tickets, and parking enforcement mailed them to me.

The mentality down here in OC among people and co-workers I know is much different than in LA. That is very important. I do not want to raise my children in an environment where they feel law enforcement are unscrupulous. That type of thinking takes away the security of structure. It is the type of thinking that my immigrant parents spent an entire lifetime trying to change.

Like most things, this situation is created at the top. Law enforcement officers are like the rest of us. I doubt they one day wake up and decide to treat people less than the way they would want to be treated. I am certain the corrupt culture is all around them and sooner or later, they just fail to see the wrong in some of their actions. Though they are accountable, I think the people that are ultimately reasonable for the current situation are the people at the top such as the mayor.

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The problems I've faced in dealing with the L.A Parking Violations Bureau

Dex - Lakewood (U.S.A.)

SUBMITTED: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 POSTED: Thursday, February 12, 2004

My ordeal with the L.A.Parking Violations Bureau has been going on since Sept.19,2002.I received a ticket from the L.A.Parking Violations Bureau "whom I can clearly", see now from my dealing, "a group of nincompoops"!

I have the unfortunate luxury of trying to deal with these people concerning a vehicle I owned prior to ,Aug.2,2002. It was held ransom by the City of Torrance,till the fines,towing, and storage cost outweighed the value of the vehicle making it illogical to buy back.Then it was sold at public auction by the greedy zealots who seek revenue at the cost of the citizens there also.

To whomever the city sold the car to has yet transfered the title of ownership in their name, which should be a condition required before the vehicles are released to bidders ? Well anyway over the past 2 years i've done everything possible and required to clear myself from that responsibility,turned in the needed proof to the L.A.Parking Violations Bureau and DMV twice !! Clearly showing the date the City of Torrance took the vehicle in their possesion,and the date they auctioned it off.

I also filled out several release of liability forms and yet I still receive tickets and threating letters of collection, damaging my credit rating..This simply problem is easy to fix but goes to show you how mismanaged and in·com·pe·tent these people are !! LOL.. Boy I Could write a book on this !!