Commercial Parking Tickets Are Costly!
Every year, many businesses in the city deal with an extraordinary amount of New York City Commercial parking tickets and fines. We all know that the city has a crazy amount of congestion. This congestion often forces businesses that rely on vehicles to do their work to make crucial decisions on the road.
Drivers of commercial vehicles think this to themselves all the time: Should I park in a spot illegally to do the work I need to do? Or should deal with unhappy clients and take a blow to the bottom line by keeping it moving and looking for a legal spot to park? Businesses often choose the former. However, these commercial parking tickets can add an exorbitant tab to your business’s total expenses. Thankfully, the city provides programs to help lower the costs of parking tickets. We’ve gathered all the information you need to cut your costs dramatically below.
How Can The City Help With Your Commercial Parking Tickets?
The city has set up two programs to address the NYC business community’s concerns and complaints about this issue. The programs offered by The Department of Finance are the Stipulated Fine program and the Commercial Abatement Program. Both programs lower the cost of parking ticket fines for a variety of violations. The goal of these programs is to support local business and help ease the parking ticket squeeze they face.
Under these programs, businesses pay a discounted rate for all the parking tickets they receive. Up to 30 New York City parking violations, including no standing, double parking or no stopping violations can have fines reduced significantly. So while vehicles in the program will still get a ticket for say double-parking, the cost will be much lower than fines average passenger vehicle driver face. Moreover, these programs make paying commercial parking tickets easy so you do not have to worry about late fees. Here’s a little more information about what each program can do for your business.
Stipulated Fine Program
The Stipulated Fine Program is for businesses that make deliveries as part of their fundamental business. By participating in this program, businesses waive their right to challenge parking tickets and agree to pay a pre-set, reduced fine amount for each offense they have received. Nonetheless, this program is open to all businesses who qualify and is free with no fees to participate. Businesses that sign up for the Stipulated Fine Program are also automatically enrolled in the City’s Fleet program. Once enrolled, businesses can manage their parking tickets through a web-based reporting tool and have the ability to create bills and invoices online. Finally, remember that red Light and Bus Lane Camera Violations are also NOT eligible for reductions but you are always able to fight it and request a hearing.
Commercial Abatement Program
The Commercial Abatement Program is open to businesses where pickups or service calls are a fundamental part of their business. By participating in this program, businesses waive their right to challenge parking tickets they receive and agree to pay a pre-set, reduced fine amount for each offense. Like the Stipulated Fine Program, this program is freely open to all businesses who qualify. Similarly, Red Light and Bus Lane Camera Violations are also NOT eligible for reductions but they are eligible for hearings. Businesses that sign up for the Commercial Abatement Program are also automatically enrolled in the City’s Fleet program. Once enrolled, businesses can manage their parking tickets through a web-based reporting tool. As previously mentioned, this gives businesses the ability to create bills and invoices online.
You Still Have To Pay Your Commercial Parking Tickets
While these programs grant a grace period to businesses so that there is no penalty for tickets for a period of 60 days. Unresolved tickets will accrue the first penalty of $10 after this initial 60 day period is up. The second penalty of $20 will take effect 30 days after the first penalty and the third penalty of $30, 45 days after the second penalty. Your tickets will enter default judgment if you do not resolve outstanding tickets after 135 days. Interest will then be charged and the judgment may be enforced by booting, towing, non-renewal of registration, and/or property seizure. If your company accrues more than $350 in judgment debt, it will be removed from the program.
How To Apply To These Programs?
Finally, you’re probably asking how do you get my business in on this? To join the program, business workers must complete and submit the Stipulated Fine Program application and enrollment agreement. Once the city receives your application, The Department of Finance will send your bill listing all of your parking ticket fines. Businesses have 30 days to resolve all the parking ticket fines received by either:
- Paying all commercial parking ticket fines you choose not to contest
- Scheduling hearings for the parking ticket fines you want to contest. If you decide to contest a parking ticket fine but lose the case, you must still pay the fine.
The Department of Finance will determine which of the programs your business is eligible for and automatically enroll. Every business that enrolls in either program will also automatically be enrolled in the NYC Fleet Program and receive a reduced fine schedule.