In a word … yes.
Recently a friend of mine got a ticket issued to him from one of the numerous automated cameras strategically positioned at intersections around LA. Soon enough he was bombarded with aggressive and threatening letters outlining the exorbitant fines he was about to get slapped with if he didn’t pay the already absurd $480 ticket fine.
He came to me and wanted to know if the rumor that he could not pay this ticket was true.
The answer is simple, but specific. Yes, you can ignore the ticket IF you have ignored it the entire time. This is where it gets a little tricky, but keep reading because you’ll get it.
The way the courts look at these tickets in LA is that you can ignore it because you didn’t physically sign for the ticket. This means they can’t assume you’ve received it. Since they can’t be certain you’ve received it, they can’t punish you for not showing up in court or insist you pay it. Got to love our legal system.
The trick to ignoring these tickets is that you must completely ignore them. If you respond in any way, shape, or form you are now on the hook for the ticket because the court’s position hinges on the idea that you might not have received it. The second you respond to any correspondence you can no longer claim this. No matter how much then threaten you, ignore them.
They may send it to a collection agency. Ignore them. They may threated the fine will double or triple is size. Ignore them. They may claim it will go against your credit. Ignore them. It will NOT go against your credit. They are simply crying wolf and it will all eventually vanish like it never existed if you simply continue to ignore it.
One important note, please make sure your ticket is issued by Los Angeles county law enforcement. If it is issued anywhere else you might have to pay it. In this article I am specifically talking about the rules in LA county. If you are in Orange County or anywhere else in California different rules apply and you must familiarize yourself with those.
In the end, my friend never paid his ticket and saved himself a boatload of money. I know who’s buying the next time we go out for lunch.
Recently a friend of mine got a ticket issued to him from one of the numerous automated cameras strategically positioned at intersections around LA. Soon enough he was bombarded with aggressive and threatening letters outlining the exorbitant fines he was about to get slapped with if he didn’t pay the already absurd $480 ticket fine.
He came to me and wanted to know if the rumor that he could not pay this ticket was true.
The answer is simple, but specific. Yes, you can ignore the ticket IF you have ignored it the entire time. This is where it gets a little tricky, but keep reading because you’ll get it.
The way the courts look at these tickets in LA is that you can ignore it because you didn’t physically sign for the ticket. This means they can’t assume you’ve received it. Since they can’t be certain you’ve received it, they can’t punish you for not showing up in court or insist you pay it. Got to love our legal system.
The trick to ignoring these tickets is that you must completely ignore them. If you respond in any way, shape, or form you are now on the hook for the ticket because the court’s position hinges on the idea that you might not have received it. The second you respond to any correspondence you can no longer claim this. No matter how much then threaten you, ignore them.
They may send it to a collection agency. Ignore them. They may threated the fine will double or triple is size. Ignore them. They may claim it will go against your credit. Ignore them. It will NOT go against your credit. They are simply crying wolf and it will all eventually vanish like it never existed if you simply continue to ignore it.
One important note, please make sure your ticket is issued by Los Angeles county law enforcement. If it is issued anywhere else you might have to pay it. In this article I am specifically talking about the rules in LA county. If you are in Orange County or anywhere else in California different rules apply and you must familiarize yourself with those.
In the end, my friend never paid his ticket and saved himself a boatload of money. I know who’s buying the next time we go out for lunch.
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