0
bertusgeert

Should I pay this outrageous speeding fine?

Recommended Posts

I am licensed in CO. Last winter, my radar detector broke, and I waited a while to get it fixed. I got two tickets in that period that I likely would not have gotten. But now I'm stuck with a tough choice, and need to know the consequences.

I was pulled over driving home out of Manhattan going 71 in a 55. 3a.m., must have been a bored cop. I don't blame him, but it's a bit silly. I was going slower than the truck & trailer in front of me.

I paid the fine (~$150), since that was what was on the ticket, and nothing more. Then, a few weeks later received a letter that I lost points (I think 3) and need to pay $100 each, at $100/yr over the next 3 years. I paid $100.

Earlier this year, I was pulled over in upstate NY for going ~82 on the interstate (65 or 70mph). I paid the ~$170 fine to the local town, since that was ALL that was shown on the ticket. Then, a few weeks later, the same letter - $300. Except this time, $500 all at once. The outstanding balance.

How can they charge me such ridiculous sums of money and not show it on the ticket? I pay that money for breaking the law, not some other reason - so they need to disclose it to me. If I knew it was that much, I likely would have gone to court and fought it (especially the Manhattan one).

I haven't paid, and received a letter that my license will be suspended in NY State. I'm moving west next week, probably won't be driving in NY for a loooong time.

What are the consequences of not paying the surcharge for my points? What is the worst case for not paying money they didn't disclose I owe, up front?


---------------------------------------------
As jy dom is moet jy bloei!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You can always do community service... hahaha. Sounds like garbage though, both of those tickets should have only been 1 point, and at least out here in CA, there is no point x year x $100=fine, sort of junk.
Most likely scenario will be a warrent, but with such a small bail the cops likely won't arrest you. If you just tell them you left the state and didn't pay the ticket, the cop probably won't care, but shit man you might have a hefty fee when you return.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'd heard of those idiotic ideas of turning the random-motorist tax into an annual repeating cash cow, but didn't know anyone had actually enacted the stupid law.:S

Note to self: Avoid NY like the plague.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

VA is another one - but they have such cool dz's. >:(

If you don't pay the fine and then try to get liscensed in another state it will show up that you have unpaid fines in NY - sorry. [:/]



Yeah, I think DUI here comes with a $3000 civil penalty on top of the criminal fines. Paid over 3 years.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I
What are the consequences of not paying the surcharge for my points? What is the worst case for not paying money they didn't disclose I owe, up front?



Most states have reciprocity regarding suspended licenses....if NY suspends your license you won't be able to get one anywhere else.
SmugMug

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

I
What are the consequences of not paying the surcharge for my points? What is the worst case for not paying money they didn't disclose I owe, up front?



Most states have reciprocity regarding suspended licenses....if NY suspends your license you won't be able to get one anywhere else.


yeah an unpaid fine is one thing but if you have a suspended license you will not get another license issued in any state until you clear the suspension.

that's bullshit about the points thing though what the fuck is that scam??? you're paying a fine because you paid a fine:S
if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I had something similar in Texas. I think it was a driving without insurance charge that I paid the fine on, and still had to pay some retarded amount every year for the next 3 years for.

Its fucking retarded, I was broke, so I couldnt afford insurance and the fine, so, I had to run the risk of not having insurance just to pay the fine, for not having insurance.:S

I just have a good radar detector now and dont speed (atleast not that can be proven)

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
That's the problem. Stay out of NY & CA. These big states need $$$$ for all their dumb programs the Democrats push that we don't need. Ever thought U could be in a speed trap? Just drive the Speed limit man & don't worry about it. Do what your supposed to do as far as obeying the speed limit & don't worry about everyone else. Not to mention CA is about broke anyway and I think a hamburger in NY costs like $8.00 or something. Freggin crazy man.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I had something similar in Texas. I think it was a driving without insurance charge that I paid the fine on, and still had to pay some retarded amount every year for the next 3 years for.



That's a SR-suspension. DPS started that because of the serious problem with uninsured motorists. If you get caught driving with a SR-suspension and don't have insurance at the time, then you are arrested with a Class B misdemeanor. If you're just caught driving during the suspension its a Class C (ticket or arrest), unless you've been previously convicted, then its a Class B. If you are suspended and get in an accident in which someone else is injured, then its a Class A. That's all explained in the Texas Transportation Code 521.457.

Not saying its right or wrong, just explaining it to you since it didn't appear that you had a grasp of the future consequences of your situation.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

I had something similar in Texas. I think it was a driving without insurance charge that I paid the fine on, and still had to pay some retarded amount every year for the next 3 years for.



That's a SR-suspension. DPS started that because of the serious problem with uninsured motorists. If you get caught driving with a SR-suspension and don't have insurance at the time, then you are arrested with a Class B misdemeanor. If you're just caught driving during the suspension its a Class C (ticket or arrest), unless you've been previously convicted, then its a Class B. If you are suspended and get in an accident in which someone else is injured, then its a Class A. That's all explained in the Texas Transportation Code 521.457.

Not saying its right or wrong, just explaining it to you since it didn't appear that you had a grasp of the future consequences of your situation.



I was allowed to drive during the 3 years. *atleast, I thought I was?*

Its done and over with, my record has been clean for the past 6 years (minus 1 failure to obey traffic control sign that was removed from my record... long story)

I haven't even been pulled over in almost 5 years. The one time I was, it was the weekend I just got back from my first deployment and going home to visit the family (pulled over outside memphis) doing 5mph over. The officer saw my blackhawk bag and asked if I was Army, I told him, and that I was going to visit my family, he said have a good one...

That was a cool cop, he might have been looking for something else (~1130pm) but I guess I got off lucky that day.
"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Tut, tut... Are you really blaming your ticket on a busted radar detector? Sounds to me like your problem is that you're driving faster than the legal limit!! :D

I know this is going to make me sound like a boring accountant, but... Have you considered just not speeding??!

Problem solved! :P



ETA - pay up. Save yourself the hassle of even more problems like going to jail.

"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Tut, tut... Are you really blaming your ticket on a busted radar detector? Sounds to me like your problem is that you're driving faster than the legal limit!! :D

I know this is going to make me sound like a boring accountant, but... Have you considered just not speeding??!

Problem solved! :P



ETA - pay up. Save yourself the hassle of even more problems like going to jail.



Yeah i'll probably just cut it up into two or three payments and pay them their money - not worth the risk of having something like that sit on your record.

to answer your question, yes. I have considered not speeding. About 5 seconds before dropping the accelerator pedal to the floor.

Have you considered not jumping out of planes? come on, gotta have a little fun every now and then!


---------------------------------------------
As jy dom is moet jy bloei!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Call a ticket lawyer in NY.



+1. Way cheaper in the long run to lawyer up these days when you get a ticket plus if the municipality is using ticket revenue as a profit center, they actually lose money on you. :ph34r:
Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

Quote

I know this is going to make me sound like a boring accountant, but... Have you considered just not speeding??!

Problem solved! :P



Birds gotta fly, fish has got to swim, don't ask him to change who he is.



I'm just sayin' it's an option! (And as an accountant, the fact that he would be saving money seems to me like a win-win!! :D:D)
"There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse."
- Chris Hadfield
« Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. »
- my boss

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Hilarious, although I don't envy your knowledge.

A few years ago, I was driving through B F Texas, on my way to Denver from Deland, when my check engine light came on. This was at 3am on a Sunday morning, in the middle of nowhere. So I stopped and checked the engine, listened to it, and thought there may be something amiss. So I slowly drove to the next town to stop at a gas station and take a better look.

I pulled into Quanah at a Shell station where there were some lights. There was NO ONE there. So I parked in front of the door where the lights were so I could see. Engine running, me in the car, looking for the AAA number to make sure they can tow me back out of the middle of nowhere, in case my car blew up.

Just then, someone knocks on my window. Scared the hell out of me. The town sheriff. He was rounder than Chief Wiggum. "Do you know where you're parked?"

I ended up getting a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot, in a town with less than 3000 people in it, 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning. While I was in the car. While the engine was running. With engine problems.

After I exchanged a few letters with the Judge of Quanah TX, and she spelled "cited" as "sited", I realized my case was lost. I paid the $150, which was probably a good chunk of their town's revenues that year.

I haven't been to Texas since, and haven't been given a whole lot of incentive to counter the sour taste I got in my mouth the last time I passed through.


---------------------------------------------
As jy dom is moet jy bloei!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
That sucks. A lot of times common sense prevails, but those aren't the situations in which people remember and talk about. It is always the messed up situations or the one where they got Chief Wiggim.

That is BFE, driven through there four times, both swoop weeks I went to in Colorado. At least that's Braum's country, so you can get a good burger and a milk shake.
--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I got a ticket for doing the ton on my motorcycle one afternoon in Perris (I was in between a long string of tandems and trying to clear my head, LOL!)

When I showed up for the initial court date my ticket wasn't on the docket. I found out later the officer that wrote me up was killed by a gang banger a couple hours after he stopped me. They took his ticket book, badge, and gun and they were never recovered.

I would have rather paid the 200 bucks . . . :|

NickD :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Just pay it.

About 3 yrs ago I had a ticket for failure to stop at a stop sign. I did stop but the damn snow bank was so high the cop who was sitting down the block only saw me inch forward to see around the snow bank. I bet he nailed several people that morning. I thought i had it paid off but little did i know they tacked on 23 dollars for a processing fee of some sort. About 4 months back i received a postcard thing in the mail. That 23 dollars turned into 360ish dollars and I was only given 7days to pay it ,go to court to fight it, or it would turn into a warrant. i had no choice but to pay it.
TPM Sister#130ONTIG#1
I love vodka.I love vodka cause it rhymes with Tuaca~LisaH
You having a clean thought is like billyvance having a clean post.iluvtofly

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

0