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New York City parking defense

Fight a broken-meter parking ticket in NYC

You were ticketed for an expired-meter or failure-to-pay violation, but the meter you used was broken, so you tried to pay at the next-nearest meter on the same block (or within the same municipal lot) and could not complete payment there either.

Jump to statementHow to submitEvidenceLegal basisIf this doesn’t workFAQ

the statement

Copy, customize, submit.

To: New York City Department of Finance — Parking Violations Bureau
Re: Summons No. [SUMMONS NUMBER]
Plate: [PLATE] ([STATE])
Date/Time: [DATE], [TIME]
Location cited: [LOCATION]

I am pleading NOT GUILTY to this violation and respectfully request that it be dismissed.

On [DATE] at approximately [TIME], I attempted to pay for parking at [LOCATION] using the Muni-Meter / pay station serving that spot, but the machine was broken: [DESCRIBE — e.g., blank screen, rejected every payment method I tried, printed no receipt]. Because the machine at my parking spot did not work, I walked to the next-nearest Muni-Meter on the same block, located at [NEXT-NEAREST METER LOCATION], and attempted to pay there as well; that machine also [DESCRIBE OUTCOME — was broken / rejected payment / had no functioning screen]. I made a good-faith effort to pay for parking through no fault of my own.

Under 19 RCNY §39-08, and consistent with the Department of Finance's own published "broken meter" dispute ground, I ask the hearing examiner to consider this evidence of a good-faith attempt to pay at both the ticketed meter and the next-nearest meter on the same block, and to dismiss this violation.

Attached: [time-stamped photo(s) of the broken meter, any 311 complaint or repair report you filed, and notes on which second meter you tried and what happened there].

Respectfully,
[YOUR NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[PHONE]
[EMAIL]

This template is for informational use only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Square-bracketed placeholders must be replaced with your specific facts. Rules and deadlines can change; if your situation is urgent, complicated, or high-stakes, email info@imfrustrated.org for a free conversation with a volunteer attorney before you send it.

how to submit it

A few things before you send.

  • 1Locate your ticket's summons number and confirm the violation code, date, time, and location printed on it.
  • 2Choose a dispute method: online hearing (NYC DOF's "Dispute a Ticket" portal at nycserv.nyc.gov), the Pay or Dispute mobile app, a hearing-by-mail, or an in-person hearing at a DOF business center.
  • 3Before submitting, review NYC DOF's "Common reasons for ticket disputes" and "Evidence recommendations" pages and gather supporting evidence (photos, receipts, DMV records, etc.).
  • 4Enter a plea of "Not Guilty" and submit a written defense statement plus your evidence — online: upload through the portal; by mail: attach copies of evidence to the ticket and your letter and mail to the Hearings By Mail Unit; in person: bring your evidence and identification to a DOF business center.
  • 5Wait for the decision from an Administrative Law Judge: in-person hearings get a decision immediately; online and mail hearings get an emailed or mailed decision, typically within about three weeks.
  • 6If you disagree with the decision, you may appeal within 30 days of the judgment through DOF's "Appeal a Hearing Decision" process; any refund from a successful dispute is first applied to other outstanding judgment debt you owe.

bring receipts

Attach this evidence.

  • ✓A statement of your attempt to buy a receipt from the next-nearest muni-meter on the same block or within the same municipal lot
  • ✓Proof you tried every payment method the machine accepts (coins, credit card, etc.) and all failed
  • ✓Time- and date-stamped photos of the broken meter
  • ✓A 311 complaint or repair report for the broken meter, if you filed one

if this doesn’t work

Your next move.

If the hearing examiner finds you guilty, you may appeal the determination to the DOF Appeals Board within 30 days of the decision through DOF's "Appeal a Hearing Decision" process. Note that any refund from a successful appeal is first applied to any other outstanding judgment debt you owe the city.

questions people ask

FAQ.

Is it enough to show my meter was broken?

Not by itself. NYC DOF's published broken-meter dispute ground requires that you also tried the next-nearest Muni-Meter on the same block (or within the same municipal lot) and that payment failed there too. Document both attempts.

What if I never tried a second meter?

The dispute is weaker without it. If you can still find and photograph a second nearby meter that was also out of service, or that you can show was too far to reasonably reach in time, include that detail — but DOF's stated ground expects a second attempt.

Should I file a 311 complaint about the broken meter?

Yes, if you can do it around the time of the violation. A 311 complaint or repair record isn't required, but it's independent, time-stamped corroboration that the meter was actually broken.

Nervous about sending it yourself?

we’ll read it over with you.

Email the situation and a volunteer attorney will respond. No commitment, no invoice, no judgment — just an honest second pair of eyes from someone who actually understands the law.

info@imfrustrated.org
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