Los Angeles Decides Not to Follow New Parking Meter Law

In the past many would accumulate parking tickets thanks to a broken parking meter.  Some thought it was a good day for some free parking and were just unaware of the laws placed about parking in a broken meter zone.  Before the beginning of 2014, parking in a broken parking meter meant being cited with a parking ticket.  No one has a handbook on every traffic law anywhere they go.  The good news is, the law has changed and it is state law allowing motorists the ability to park in a broken parking meter zone.  The bad news is, Los Angeles is still ticketing those who park in these spots.

Meter maids may have had a goldmine citing parking tickets at broken parking meters.  Not anymore!  A new law passed on Jan. 1 2014, allows parking motorists to park in spaces with broken meters.  However, with all the relief for drivers around California; Los Angeles is still trying to make it a headache for everyone else.  There have been reports, even NBC investigated the problem, that Los Angeles was still issuing tickets to those parked in a broken meter.

State laws have allowed cities to opt-out of certain laws and sadly Los Angeles has opts-out of many of the laws to charge the citizens and further increase funding for themselves.  However, this is one law they cannot opt-out of.  It is a state bill stating the exact laws placed about broken parking meters.

It’s sad for the reason Los Angeles County is not following the state laws and/or training the officers/meter maids to learn the laws and prevent things like this happening.  Until Los Angeles can get organized on what needs to be done and what can’t be done, you may still be in risk of getting a ticket in a broken parking meter space.

Parking meters over the years have changed.  Some streets have individual meters and others are grouped up into sections on a block.  Meters have been improved over the years and less likely to break compared to the old system.  However, the law is the law and you have the right to park in those rare spaces when a meter is malfunctioned or broken.

There are a couple of ways of fighting your parking ticket.  One is sending an administrative review through the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.  Another way is paying for the ticket – you rightfully didn’t deserve.  Or you can fight it through us.