Summary & Quick Facts
- If you overpay a parking fine, the city usually will automatically issue you a refund.
- You can also request a parking ticket refund if you win your appeal.
- If your car was booted and towed and you win your parking ticket dispute, you may also receive a parking ticket refund.
- Tow and boot refunds are not sent automatically.
The City Giveth What It Taketh Away…
It’s a universal fact: New Yorkers, for the most part, hate parking tickets. Even worse than finding that terrible orange envelope on your windshield is actually ponying up the money to pay the fine. The city issues millions of parking tickets to New Yorkers annually which amounts to over half a billion dollars in fines. Nevertheless, out of the immense number of parking tickets the city issues and all the money it pulls in along with it, some of it must go back to New Yorkers. Why? At the end of the day, there are a couple of reasons why the city will issue a parking ticket refund. A percentage of these parking ticket payments either were overpaid in error, must be returned due to an appeal decision, or the city simply made an error.
Why You Can Receive A Parking Ticket Refund
It’s actually surprising how often the city returns payments for parking tickets. How is this the case? A large portion of these parking ticket refunds is due to the fact that drivers chose to dispute their tickets and thankfully, won their appeals. Drivers choose to dispute their tickets for a number of reasons and there are a number of ways appeals are granted. For one, there may be wrong information on that dreaded parking ticket you find on your car: a miswritten license plate number, address or vehicle description. The NYPD traffic police may even have easily misread a sign or misjudged how far you parked from a hydrant. They’re human after all and it happens!
Sometimes, the city just flat out makes an error. There have been numerous cases over the years where NYC drivers received a parking ticket refund due to changes in parking regulations. In these cases, lucky drivers have received letters in the mail informing them about the change in the law as well as their pending parking ticket refund.
Another reason why you may receive a parking ticket refund is due to a payment problem. Sometimes, parking ticket payment processing simply doesn’t work as it should and the system accidentally overcharges you. Alternatively, parking ticket overpayment may simply just be human error on the part of the driver. Just like traffic agents, drivers do not always get things right. Sometimes, in the rush to pay off our parking ticket fines, we mistakenly pay the wrong amounts.
How To Apply For A Parking Ticket Refund
How many times have we mistakenly put on an extra zero on a number or simply put the wrong amount? In these cases, drivers pay much more than they should. The city makes enough money on parking tickets and there is no need for you to give up any extra money. Afterall, you deserve to keep every hard earned dollar that you make. But can you do anything when this unfortunate mistake happens to you?
Luckily, the city is an honest broker and will not keep any over-payments made by drivers. We will show you what you can do to receive your parking ticket refund.
Parking Ticket Refund Paid To A Vehicle’s Registered Owners
The Department of Finance automatically refunds drivers who overpay their parking, red light, and bus lane camera violation. The city will make out a check out to the registered owner within thirty days and will mail the check to the address on the vehicle’s registration. However, if you won an appeal for your violation, you must send in a refund form to request a parking ticket refund. You may also apply for a refund online.
Parking Ticket Refund Paid To Someone Other Than The Vehicle’s Registered Owner
Sometimes we let other folks drive our cars whether they’re family members or friends. Unfortunately, just like you, they can easily get a ticket while on the road. If someone other than the registered owner got a parking ticket and won their appeal, or paid too much and was entitled to a refund, that person must file a refund form. If they chose to dispute a parking ticket they received when they were a driver and won their parking dispute, they should also file a refund form. They may also choose to apply for a refund online.
Tow Refund
In order to claim tow refund, your related parking tickets and summonses must have been dismissed after winning your dispute. Unlike parking ticket overpayments, tow refunds are not sent automatically. Instead, drivers must file for a tow refund online or by mail. If you have proof to confirm that you won your appeal, you should submit copies of it along with your request form by mail. Do not submit originals. You must fax a copy of the receipt or voucher to the attention of the Refunds Unit – Parking Refunds at 212-232-1891 or (212) 480-0919 along with the confirmation that you will receive after submitting your refund application.
Booting Refund
Booting refunds work a little differently. If the city booted your vehicle but you won your appeal, the city will refund your boot fee. If this is the case, drivers must file for a boot refund online or by mail. However, if the city opted to reduce the amount you owe, you will unfortunately not receive a boot fee refund. Also, the city will not refund additional fees such as Sheriff’s execution fee and poundage fees unless they booted your vehicle in error.