Apr 10, 2025
Long Island resident Hector Colon rarely goes into Manhattan, so he was surprised to get multiple New York City parking tickets and notices adding up to $1,000.
Colon told CBS News the truck involved did once belong to him, but that he’d sold it to someone else. New York State’s Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) data confirms ownership of the truck was transferred to another driver long before the violations.
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"I can't afford $1,000,” Colon said, “for something that I didn't even do."
Unfortunately, New York’s Parking Violation Bureau — which has access to DMV real-time data — didn’t consult the data and charged him anyway.
Now, thanks to media intervention, his case will be reviewed.
Here’s what happened to Colon along with tips on how to dispute unfair parking fines.
New York’s finance department in charge of parking fines
New York City’s Department of Finance oversees the Parking Violation Bureau, and judges paid by the city’s finance department make decisions on parking violation appeals.
Retired lawyer Larry Berezin, who runs a blog to inform people about New York City parking tickets, believes this is a conflict.
“The mission of the Department of Finance is to raise money,” he says.
The department collected $46 million in parking ticket revenue in 2024. New York City issued 16 million tickets in 2024 for illegal parking and traffic violations.
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But quite a few people appealed their case — 457,000 had their fines dismissed, representing 30% of the parking violation appeals heard in court.
Unfortunately, when Colon appealed, the judge still found him guilty — despite proof Colon sold the truck, surrendered his license plate and canceled truck insurance. Colon said the judge deemed that “insufficient evidence.”
He and his wife were concerned Colon’s wages would be garnished to pay for the violations, so his wife paid $600 toward the fines.
The good news is that when CBS News got involved, the Department of Finance connected Colon with its parking summons case legal advocate. Tse is resolving the case for Colon.
"Once (the fines are) dismissed, I should receive a refund," Colon said.
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In addition, the DMV has raised concerns with New York City’s Department of Finance about parking ticket violations being based on outdated information. For its part, the finance department said “timing issues” were involved in Colon’s case, but added no further details.
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How to dispute a parking ticket
You can fight unfair parking tickets, but you need to follow the correct process. Here are some guidelines on the steps involved, which depend on the jurisdiction that issued the ticket.
Take photographs and gather evidence. If you believe you’ve been ticketed wrongfully, take time-stamped pictures (for example of nearby parking signs nearby). If there are witnesses willing to testify that you were legally parked, get their contact details.
Establish whether you have a case. The ticket should indicate what ordinance was violated. Consult the law to confirm whether you’ve broken the rules. If the ticket doesn’t indicate which ordinance was violated or state date or time of violation, that is a good reason to appeal. Even If you were in the wrong, you may be able to demonstrate extenuating circumstances that made it necessary for you to park the way you did.
Read the ticket for guidance on the appeals process. Your ticket should outline how to appeal and the deadline for doing so. This varies by jurisdiction. In New York City, parking disputes go through the Department of Finance; in Philadelphia, they go through the Philadelphia Parking Authority.
Submit your documentation with your appeal. What happens next will vary depending on jurisdiction, but this process may involve a review by a parking enforcement office, a hearing before a judge and the opportunity to appeal to a state court. With a good case and evidence on your side, your appeal might be granted after a review by an officer.
If not, you may have to go to court. If that’s the case, consider hiring an advocate to handle paperwork and help make a convincing case on your behalf. That’s where the photos and other evidence you gather, including witnesses, will be crucial. In the meantime, be careful not to pay the ticket because you are afraid you’ve missed the deadline.
It's worth the effort if you feel you've been wronged. By appealing, you can save money — and your reputation on the road.
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Christy Bieber has 15 years of experience as a personal finance and legal writer. She has written for many publications including Forbes, Kilplinger, CNN, WSJ, Credit Karma, Insurify and more.
