Worth questioning a parking fine?

JDD10

Hi,

I got a parking ticket from AGS in the post today from over a month ago. The area in question is in a medium sized rural town, I am pretty familiar with it or so I thought!

The area in question is a small residential area, where I park there are no yellow lines or white lines. It is a common place for people to park. There are no traffic signs or parking signs.

The offence that the ticket states is that I was parked opposite a continuous white line.

I genuinely didn't realise that it was illegal to park in this area, so I called into the local Garda Station, the Garda told me that a lot of the local residents are going into the Garda Station everyday complaining about people parking there and obstructing the footpath etc. but I wasn't parked on the footpath or in front of a gateway.

She also told me that several people who received parking fines from this same spot have been in to complain/query too.

She told me that I could write a letter to the Super outlining my case. She also got the Garda who issued the ticket to ring me; he said the same thing about the local residents complaining about people parking there, that the residents would like to have double yellow lines going all the way down the area. He said that it is an offence to park opposite a continuous white line.


Would I have a case in writing a letter to the Super, as she stated, or was that a procedural line that she was telling me? It is interesting that they both mentioned that local residents are complaining, they seem to be under pressure from them in relation to the overall parking in the area.

I have a clean record, never even had as much as a penalty point!

Also, it is a local town, where I work, I don't want to be annoying the local Gardaí or getting on the wrong side of them, but I really didn't know that I was at risk of getting a parking ticket there.

Any thoughts?

corktina

well, I knew it is an offence to park where there is a central white line and can't see what grounds for appeal you think you have.

CreepingDeath

JDD10 wrote: »

The offence that the ticket states is that I was parked opposite a continuous white line.

It's illegal to park anywhere there's a continuous white line.

If your parking forces other drivers to cross that line to get by you, then you haven't a leg to stand on, it's part of the rules of the road.

Dermot Illogical

If there isn't a continuous white line or double yellow there, take a picture that shows that and send it into the local Superintendent's office.

slimjimmc

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0182.html#zzsi182y1997a36

Prohibitions on Parking
36. (1) Save as otherwise provided for in these Regulations and subject to article 5, a vehicle shall not be parked on a public road at a location, in a manner or for a purpose referred to in this article.

(2) A vehicle shall not be parked—

( a ) on that side of a section of roadway along the edge of which traffic sign number RRM 008 [double yellow lines] has been provided;
( b ) on a section of roadway where traffic sign number RUS 019 [No Parking sign] has been provided, during the period indicated on the information plate accompanying such traffic sign;
( c ) within 5 metres of a road junction;
( d ) on a section of roadway with less than 3 traffic lanes and where traffic sign number RRM 001 [continuous white line] has been provided;

If there's a continuous white line there then you're done for.

Hello Lady!

JDD10 wrote: »

[/COLOR]I have a clean record, never even had as much as a penalty point

You still have a clean record! It's just a fine! And a deserved one at that! :rolleyes:

miller50841

I would say it would be nice if they painted yellow lines also but for some reason this country and it's motor vehicle users seem to be attracted to them the same as bumble bee's so probably best not, and taxi's think it gives them the right to make up a taxi rank of their own.

Dermot Illogical

Hello Lady! wrote: »

You still have a clean record! It's just a fine! And a deserved one at that! :rolleyes:

Deserved? Have I misread the OP's 2nd paragraph?

dollybird2

It is impermissible to park opposite or adjacent to a continuous white line so i dont think the fine would be worth appealing to be honest. It is one of the less well known rules of the road with regard to parking violations but still stands.

Hello Lady!

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Deserved? Have I misread the OP's 2nd paragraph?

If I were a betting woman I'd wager that there is a white line but OP never noticed it. Even if there is no white line, AFAIK it is still an offence to park on a road so narrow that parking on both sides means cars cannot pass freely in both directions. Don't know exact wording but it used to be so anyway.

If there really is no white line then I would wonder how so many drivers got tickets for the same. Surely the gards could have found something else to use instead of an offence that didn't apply.

alexlyons

A google maps link maybe?

Dermot Illogical

Hello Lady! wrote: »

If I were a betting woman I'd wager that there is a white line but OP never noticed it.

Possibly. But in that case the residents would have no need for the double yellows they're supposedly looking for.

Guy:Incognito

Dermot Illogical wrote: »

Possibly. But in that case the residents would have no need for the double yellows they're supposedly looking for.

The reason that most people seem unaware that you can't park opposite a solid white line (or close to a corner/junction)

djimi

JDD10 wrote: »

The area in question is a small residential area, where I park there are no yellow lines or white lines.

Based on what you have said, are we to take it that there is no white line down the middle of the road where you were parked?