CSUN Citation Review & Adjudication

The following FAQs will help to answer some of your questions about your parking citation.

Questions:

1. How do I pay a ticket/citation? 2. Who is liable for the ticket/citation? 3. Can I get a payment extension? 4. Why did I get a ticket/citation? 5. How do I contest a ticket/citation? 6. Will late fees be attached to the fine amount on my parking citation if it is still in the appeals process? 7. I appealed my parking citation, should I also pay the fine amount? 8. I have a CSUN annual/quarterly permit but just forgot to display it; can’t you just void this citation? 9. I lost the permit I purchased what can I do? 10. The officer states my permit was altered. How can I appeal? 11. I received a notice of a parking violation but I have not visited CSUN. How do I clear the ticket? 12. I sold this car. Why am I getting tickets in the mail? 12. I’m not the owner of the vehicle can I contest the ticket under my name? 14. The permit belongs to my friend can I contest the ticket? 15. What evidence do I need to provide? 16. I have a valid disabled placard why did I get a ticket/citation? 17. If I come in to the office will I get a decision over the counter? 18. When will I receive a decision regarding my appeal? 19. Will the response be emailed to me? 20. Do I have to pay the ticket/citation if I’m contesting it? 21. What if my ticket/citation is not in the system? 22. I can’t afford to pay the ticket, what can I do? 23. Can I do community service instead of paying the fine? 24. Can I be arrested if I don’t pay for my ticket? 25. I have an overdue citation. Will my car get booted or towed? 26. I paid for my ticket at the DMV. Why did I get another late notice? 27. I paid my ticket at CSUN Parking and Transportation Office, but when I went to renew my vehicle’s registration I was told that my ticket was still unpaid. If I paid my ticket in your office why isn’t the DMV aware of my payment? 28. My car was booted, how can I get the boot removed? 29. I paid my ticket late and was told the penalty could not be waived. Can I appeal? 30. If I can’t contest the late fee/citation, can I go to court and have a judge hear my case? 31. I was told that it was too late to contest my ticket. Who can I make an appeal to? 32. My appeal was denied how can I appeal further? 33. Why do I have to pay the ticket in order to have a hearing? 34. I am unable to pay but would like to continue with an Administrative Hearing, what can I do?

Questions & Answers:

1. How do I pay a ticket/citation? You may pay your citation online at www.pticket.com/csun. We accept MasterCard, Visa or Discover. There is a $3.95 fee if paying online. If your payment is due today we encourage you to pay your citation online or have your payment postmarked with today’s date to avoid additional penalties. To pay in person: CSUN Parking Services 9222 Darby Ave Northridge, CA 91330 Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. To pay by mail: CSUN PO Box 2081 Tustin, CA 92781-2081 After Hours drop box: CSUN Parking Services (Drop box is next to the Reception window) 9222 Darby Ave Northridge, CA 91330 To insure proper credit, please include your citation and license plate number on your check or money order. Please do not send cash through the mail. We honor postmarks. 2. Who is liable for the ticket/citation? California State Law holds the registered owner of the vehicle liable for the citation. If a person other than the registered owner of the vehicle appeals the citation both the owner and the appellant may be held responsible for the citation. 3. Can I get a payment extension? CSUN Parking Services does not grant extensions for parking citations. A payment must be received within 21 days of the date the ticket was issued, or 14 days from the date of the “Parking Violation Reminder Notice”. Otherwise, late fees will be added, which often double the ticket fine. 4. Why did I get a ticket/citation? The citation or notice will indicate the reason the citation was issued under the violation number or code section violation. For a full description of the violation you may log on to our website www.pticket.com/csun under the “More Information” box to the right. Click on “Parking Violations and Regulation” and look up your violation number which is highlighted in blue. If you require further assistance, please contact our office during business hours at (818) 677-2157. 5. How do I contest a ticket/citation? You may file an appeal within 21 days of the issue date or your ticket/citation, or within 14 days of the date on the “Parking Violation Reminder Notice”. Appeals may be submitted online at www.pticket.com/csun by mail or in person during business hours. 6. Will late fees be attached to the fine amount on my parking citation if it is still in the appeal process? No. Late fees are only attached if the penalty amount is not paid within the time allotted. If you received your appeal/administrative disposition results and it was upheld, a late fee will be placed on the penalty amount after 21 calendar days from the date of this notification. 7. I appealed my parking citation, should I also pay the fine amount? Not yet. If you have appealed a parking violation, the parking violation penalty is suspended until you receive the disposition results of the appeal/administrative review. 8. I have a CSUN annual/quarterly parking permit but just forgot to display it; can you just void this citation? No. Parking Adjudication must adhere to California law and process parking citations in a legal manner. Please file an appeal and provide us with the permit number and your valid CSUN ID number. 9. I lost the permit I purchased what can I do? If the permit was lost, you must come to CSUN Parking Services with a photo ID. Once we confirm that you purchased a permit, we process paperwork for a decal replacement. 10. The officer states my permit was altered. How can I appeal? You may submit an appeal online at www.pticket.com/csun. If the officer states the permit was altered you will need to provide us with the original permit displayed at the time the citation was issued and an explanation as to why you are contesting the ticket. If you no longer have the original permit we must conclude the violation was issued correctly. 11. I received a notice of a parking violation but I have not visited CSUN. How do I clear the ticket? If you received a “Parking Violation Reminder Notice” or “Final Notice” and your vehicle was not at CSUN on the day the ticket was issued, you must submit and return a copy of your current vehicle registration, notice of the parking violation and a brief explanation to: By Mail: CSUN PO Box 2081 Tustin, CA 92781-2081 We will review your vehicle registration along with the vehicle description information on the ticket and will render a decision as to whether or not you are responsible for paying the parking ticket. You will receive written notice that will provide you with the decision of the parking ticket. 12. I sold this car. Why am I getting tickets in the mail? If you were the registered owner at the time the ticket was issued, than you are responsible for the ticket. When you sell a vehicle, you are responsible for notifying the DMV that the vehicle is no longer in your possession, and providing the DMV with the name and address of the new owner. If you continue to receive parking tickets for this vehicle, it is probably because the DMV still has your name on record as the legal owner. You must go to the DMV and fill out a Release of Liability form. Once you have done so, you must submit a copy of the Release of Liability and also fill out a Declaration of Non-Ownership form provide on the back of the notice we mailed you. Please submit the documentation as listed on the form and send it to: By Mail: CSUN PO Box 2081 Tustin, CA 92781-2081 13. I’m not the owner of the vehicle can I contest the ticket under my name? Yes. You do not have to own the vehicle in order to contest the ticket/citation but you will be held responsible if the appeal is not ruled in your favor. 14. The permit belongs to my friend can I contest the ticket? No. The owner of the permit must contest the ticket as permits are not transferable from one person to another. 15. What evidence do I need to provide? The evidence required depends on the type of violation you received and what you feel will support your claim. For instance if you received a citation for failing to display your disabled placard you would need to submit copies of the following; the disabled placard provided by DMV, registration identification card to the disabled placard, and a copy of the disabled placard holders driver’s license or ID. If the disabled placard does not belong to the appellant, a written letter from the disabled placard holder is required. Another example, you forgot to display the permit you purchased or it fell off the window. In this case you would provide a copy of a permit you purchased at a kiosk, pay station, special event, parking voucher, guest permit, etc. 16. I have a valid disabled placard why did I get a ticket/citation? Here at CSUN you are required to display a valid CSUN parking permit along with a valid disabled placard. Failure to display both will result in a parking ticket/citation. 17. If I come in to the office will I get a decision over the counter? No. The process takes up to 3 weeks to review and a decision will not be made in person, all decisions are mailed to the address the appellant provides. 18. When will I receive a decision regarding my appeal? You should expect to hear from us in 21 days from the date you submitted your appeal. If you have not heard back from us by mail in 21 days, please contact our office during business hours at (818) 677-2157. You may also check status at any time online at www.pticket.com/csun 19. Will the response be emailed to me? No. The law requires we mail in the decision by US Mail to the address you list on the appeal form. 20. Do I have to pay the ticket/citation if I’m contesting it? You are not required to pay your citation at the “First Level” review process. All fines will be placed on hold once the appeal is received. We recommend you contest your citation online at www.pticket.com/csun as your appeal will be placed on hold immediately. 21. What if my ticket/citation is not in the system? If the citation was recently issued, please allow 72 hours for the citation to appear in the system. 22. I can't afford to pay this ticket, what can I do? Parking tickets cannot be contested or cancelled due to an inability to pay. Additional penalties will be imposed if your ticket is not paid within the prescribed time and a hold may be placed on the registration of your vehicle. 23. Can I do community service instead of paying the fine? No. Community service is something granted by courts as an option to paying fines for criminal offenses. Since parking tickets have been decriminalized, there is no longer any alternative to payment of the fine. 24. Can I be arrested if I don't pay for my ticket? No. Parking tickets are not criminal violations in California; however, there are substantial penalties for unpaid parking tickets. Citations may be subject to boot/tow, DMV hold, collections, and/or tax garnishment. 25. I have an overdue citation. Will my car get booted or towed? Your vehicle will only become eligible to be booted or towed if the vehicle has five (5) or more delinquent tickets. If your vehicle is in danger of being booted or towed, you should pay your tickets immediately at www.pticket.com/csun. If you have fewer than five delinquent tickets, your vehicle will not be booted or towed. However, a hold will be placed on your annual Vehicle Registration until the tickets are paid. 26. I paid for my ticket at the DMV. Why did I get another late notice? There is a significant delay (often 30-60 days) between the time a payment is made at the DMV and the time CSUN is notified of the payment. If you paid at the DMV, you may fax your itemized DMV receipt to (818) 677-4747 or bring or mail it to our office at 9222 Darby Ave, Northridge CA 91330 27. I paid my ticket at CSUN, but when I went to renew my vehicle’s registration I was told that my ticket was still unpaid. If I paid my ticket in your office why isn’t the DMV aware of my payment? What can I do to clear my citation at the DMV? It takes approximately 1-3 business days from the date you paid your ticket at CSUN before the Department of Motor Vehicles records will show the payment you made. If you need to obtain your vehicle registration right away you can go to the CSUN Parking Sevices Office and request an abstract. When you present your abstract along with your vehicle registration fee you may deduct the dollar amount of the ticket(s) from your registration fee. Abstracts will only be given when CSUN is able to confirm your payment. 28. My car was booted, how can I get the boot removed? If an immobilization (booting) device has been placed on your vehicle’s tire, you will find an Immobilization Notice on your windshield. Bring this notice to CSUN Parking Services lobby or call (818) 677-2157. Vehicles are booted because they have five (5) or more unpaid, overdue parking tickets. You must pay all fines and late fees, as well as a boot fee, in order to have the boot removed. You will have 24 business hours to pay all outstanding penalties and fees. All payments to release a vehicle must be in Cash, Money order, or Cashier’s Check. No other forms of payment will be accepted. Upon payment, your vehicle will be released if you are a licensed driver. You must also provide a valid driver’s license. If you are not licensed to drive, please call the office for more information (818) 677-2157. 29. I paid my ticket late and was told that the penalty could not be waived. Can I appeal? No. You cannot appeal the late fee, tickets must be paid within the time prescribed in the California Vehicle Code which is 21 days from the date the ticket was issued or 14 days from the date of the delinquent parking notice. If you moved and did not receive your delinquent parking notice and you failed to submit a change of address with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) within 10 days from the date you moved, you will still be held responsible for any additional late charges. 30. If I can’t contest the late fee/citation, can I go to court and have a judge hear my case? In order for a judge to hear a case all steps of the appeals process must be followed. Failure to follow any of these steps and/or being late/skipping payment consists of an automatic denial and the case will not be heard in court. 31. I was told that it was too late to contest my ticket. Who can I make an appeal to? Tickets must be contested within 21 days of the date the ticket is issued. Once that period of time has expired, you lose your statutory right to contest that ticket. There is no appeal. There are several exceptions to this rule. If you are contesting your ticket on the grounds that the vehicle was stolen, the vehicle no longer belonged to you at the time the ticket was issued, or the sole registered owner of the vehicle is now deceased. Supporting documentation must be provided, i.e. copy of police report, release of liability notice, bill of sale, or death certificate. 32. My appeal was denied how can I appeal further? If you are dissatisfied with the results of the initial review (Administrative Review and have been found liable), you may request an Administrative Hearing after paying the original amount. For additional information on the Hearing process, please go to contesting information. 33. Why do I have to pay the ticket in order to have a hearing? California Motor Vehicle Code Law governing the appeal process requires the fine to be paid in full prior to requesting an administrative hearing by the due date noted on your denial letter. If the appeal resulted in a reduced fine, but you would like to request an administrative hearing, you must pay the original amount to proceed. Once you have paid the fine. please fill out the hearing request form on your notice letter, or come into our office to fill out a hearing request form. 34. I am unable to pay but would like to continue with an Administrative Hearing, what can I do? If you are requesting an Administrative Hearing but are unable to pay the fines due to extreme financial hardship (financial support documentation is required) you may qualify for a fee waiver. For more information and to view/print the form: inability to pay The intent of the Fee Waiver provision is that a person's inability to pay would not preclude their right to a hearing: however, if the Administrative Hearing Officer determines that the contestant is liable for the penalty, the payment would be required within 10 days of the Administrative Hearing Examiner's decision. Financial Hardship is not an acceptable defense for dismissing a citation. You may only file a “Fee Waiver Request Form” if your citation has been denied at the 1st level review process.