How to avoid parking tickets in St. Paul
The main areas parking enforcement officers patrol is downtown St. Paul, around the State Capitol, on the University of Minnesota campus, and the Grand Avenue business district. Tickets from Snow Emergencies account for a large number of parking citations issued in the winter.The west side of St. Paul, Como Park, and south Highland Park areas get the least attention from parking enforcement officers. Wherever you park, and especially if you plan to park in one of the areas parking enforcement officers target, then be mindful of parking legally, and watch the clock to make sure you get back to your car in time. At meter parking in downtown St. Paul, tickets are regularly issued as soon as the time on the meter expires.
Fines from parking violations is a sizable source of revenue for the city of St. Paul. Parking enforcement officers in St. Paul are encouraged to write 55 citations a day, according a Pioneer Press report. St. Paul may have a reputation for being the sleepier of the Twin Cities, but St. Paul's parking enforcement officers certainly don't snooze on the job.
What to do if you get a parking ticket in St. Paul
If you get a parking ticket, there's a couple of options open to you other than simply paying the fine.If you were illegally parked - and being a minute late back to the parking meter is not accepted as an excuse - pay the ticket within the 21 days allowed to avoid late charges.
If you can't afford to pay the fine, you can see a hearing officer to arrange a payment plan. You must do this before the fine is due at the downtown St. Paul courthouse, or the suburban Maplewood courthouse.
What do you do if you think the parking ticket is unfair? What if the parking meter was broken? Did the parking enforcement officer make a mistake? They are human, after all. What if you were parking illegally to attend to some kind of emergency situation?
I used to live on Grand Avenue, and one evening a large tree fell over our parking lot, onto our apartment building. All the residents hastily moved their cars onto the streets (which happened to require resident parking permits) and then returned to the building to deal with the tree. A parking enforcement officer came along and ticketed every car. The citations were later overturned. There's many reasons why a parking ticket might not be your fault, and if you feel it isn't, then you can contest the citation.
Here's how to contest a parking ticket in St. Paul.
First, make sure that the citation has been filed with the city. this can take 10 days, so call the number on the ticket to check, or check online by entering the citation number on Ramsey County's online fine payment website.
Once the citation has been filed, you need to make an appointment to meet with a hearing officer. Hearing officers are available at the downtown St. Paul courthouse, and at the Maplewood suburban courthouse. To make an appointment at either location, call 651 266-9202.
Take the parking ticket, a photo ID, and any documentation you may have to support your case. The hearing officer has the power to reduce the fine or cancel the citation if he/she agrees with you.
Good luck!
Broken Parking Meters in St. Paul
Don't park at a meter that you think is broken. You'll get a ticket. The City of St. Paul asks that you call to report broken parking meters. The number to call is on the meter.
If you park at a meter that you believe is working, and still get a ticket - for example, the time on the meter runs out faster than it should - you can call the Parking Violations Bureau at 651 266-9202 and find out if the meter was broken. If so, you can contest the ticket.
