Expert: Robin Sexton - 6/21/2008

Question
Los Angeles, CA.  I was issued a speeding ticket (going 50 in 35mph, was a speed trap).  When officer issued ticket, I asked  if he could tell me the $ amount of fine.  He told me he couldn't answer me and that I should wait for the ticket which would be mailed to me.  When filling out the citation, he wrote my old address from my driver's license even though I told him that was an outdated address (he also misspelled the street name).  I gave him my new address which he wrote in the registered owner's address part of the citation.  The ticket never came and in the meantime I'd misplaced the original citation thinking I didn't need it since the ticket  would be mailed to me.  Months later, I found the citation and remembered that I'd never received the ticket.  I checked on Superior Court's website and was shocked to find that my ticket had been turned over to collections and amounted to over $700!  These fines had accrued since I hadn't paid the ticket by the court date.  I didn't think this was fair since the officer had told me to wait for the ticket in the mail and it never came and was never forwarded to me because 1) he'd written my old address and 2) he misspelled the street name.  I never found out what the original amount of the ticket was.  There was no way to appeal the fine once it had been turned over to collections.  Noone answers the phone number that's listed on the citation.  So I paid the fine and was told by the Collections person that I should write a letter of complaint to the Superior Court.     Can you advise me on who I should be sending the complaint letter to?  There are a number of Superior Court judges so I don't know who to address it to.  Do you have any suggestions of who I might cc: the letter to.  Do you think the ACLU could help? Do I have any chance of getting some of my $ back?  I was ready to pay the original amount of the ticket which I figure was probably around $200? and wanted to go to traffic school.  But it's outrageous to me to have to pay $700 and being sent to collections with no warning

Answer
Marcie,


Oww !! 700 for a speeding ticket??  Another reason i won't be going to California any time soon.  I obviously don't need to tell you that your required to change your address on your license.  The notice was mailed to the address on your license.  I doubt there is much that you are going to be able to do.  You already sent the money and getting money back from the government is almost impossible.   Once you got the citation it is on you to take care of the citation.  Never heard of waiting for the court to contact you.  Sounds like the officer gave some bad information to you.  I doubt the ACLU will take an interest either.  You can send a letter to the Chief Judge of the Superior court.  Again I wouldn't expect to much.  In some states failure to pay a citation results in a suspension and possible arrest.  The only other thing i can suggest is contact a local attorney and run it by them.  I imagine for free they will probably tell you the same thing I have.
You got a raw deal.

Sorry i can't be more positive

Robin