Contest Your Chicago Parking Ticket With a Well-Written Letter of Appeal

Whether you live in Chicago or are vacationing there, getting a parking ticket is a frustration you don't need. Can you contest it? Yes. While many people are apt to just pay a ticket, few think of the possibility they can get it dismissed. Contesting a Chicago parking ticket should start with a good appeal letter as to why the ticket was not warranted or a mistake.

While a lawyer or paralegal could write a solid letter showing evidence of innocence, can you? You may be able to find a sample letter on how to contest a Chicago parking ticket on the internet. But, DoNotPay can write that letter for you, quickly and effortlessly.

Reasons for Appealing a Chicago Parking Ticket

The fact that you lost track of time and forgot to reload the meter as an appeal, just is not going to fly. But there are some legitimate reasons to appeal a ticket. Some of these include:

1. The officer's writing is illegible
2. There are errors on the ticket
3. The parking meter was malfunctioning or inoperable at the time of the citation
4. Signage restricting parking were obscured or missing altogether
5. You were not the owner or lessee of the vehicle at the time of parking ticket
6. There was no reason for the citation as you were parked correctly

Of course, you are going to have to prove any of these reasons. Taking photos at the scene of your parking ticket may help. If you can disprove the ticket through visual evidence that will greatly help. You should set your camera to include the date and time.

You Can Contest a Parking Ticket Anywhere

Although this article discusses Chicago parking tickets, the method that DoNotPay uses to help you write a letter of appeal may apply to almost any other city and/or state across the country. DoNotPay can help you write a dispute letter to contest a parking ticket or simply pay the fine in:

• Rutgers University
• SFMTA (San Francisco)
• San Jose, CA
• Los Angeles, CA
• New Orleans
• New York City
• Seattle
• Chicago
• California

How to Dispute a Chicago Parking Ticket

Chicago lets you contest parking tickets by mail or in person. But you have to do so quickly: you only have seven days to contest your parking ticket from the date it was issued.

Contesting Your Parking Ticket by Mail

While Chicago allows this, considering the short timeframe you have to do so, you may want to look for another way. To contest by mail, use the pre-addressed envelope that should have accompanied your parking ticket. There is a place where you can note that you are "Contesting by Mail." You should include the stub at the end of your parking violation.

Also, include your signed contest letter for your parking violation along with any supporting evidence. The 10-digit ticket number should appear on every piece of evidence including photos. Only send in copies of your evidence as nothing from your dispute package will be returned.

Here’s a sample letter to contest a parking ticket:

To whom it may concern,

I am respectfully contesting the (Citation Number) that I received on (Indicate Date and Time). The ticket indicates that my vehicle was parked at (Location). I have attached evidence in my favor to this statement to prove this otherwise (witness statement, photos, etc.)

I am requesting that my ticket be dismissed for the following reasons: (itemize reasons)

Regards,

Name

Requesting an Administrative Hearing

If you are unhappy with the result of your original parking ticket contest, you can make a hearing request. You can do this online through the city's finance department section. Follow the prompts to walk you through it.

You can also mail a hearing request.

Filing an Appeal

Upon the decision at the hearing, if you are still unhappy with the result, you may file for a final appeal before a judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County. This must be done within 35 days following the Administrative Law Officer's decision.

Writing a Convincing Letter to Contest Your Chicago Parking Ticket

You could consider hiring an attorney, a paralegal, or even a professional secretary to write your parking ticket appeal letter. Of course, you may end up paying one of them more to write the letter than the cost of the ticket.

You may be able to find a sample parking ticket dispute letter sample online. But, how credible is it?

A better option would be to ask DoNotPay to draft a letter contesting your Chicago parking ticket. Even better, let DoNotPay handle the whole thing.

DoNotPay Lets You Contest Your Chicago Parking Ticket in Less Than Two Minutes

According to Newsweek, DoNotPay has successfully won nearly two-thirds of the parking tickets customers have asked it to dispute. What are you waiting for? It only takes a couple of minutes of your time and DoNotPay may get your parking ticket excused.

To get started, simply:

1. Log in to DoNotPay and find the Parking Tickets product.

2. Upload a photo of your parking ticket.

3. Provide DoNotPay with some details on why you believe the parking ticket is a mistake.

4. Select whether or not you want the letter mailed to the traffic ticket issuer on your behalf.
5. That's it. You'll receive an appeal letter that contains state vehicle codes to boost your case.

DoNotPay will notify you when it has sent in your dispute and when results come back.

DoNotPay Offers A Lot More Than Paying or Disputing Parking Tickets

What started as a app helping you create a sample letter to contest a Chicago parking ticket has evolved into a lot more. DoNotPay will be able to help you with other needs you have including, but not limited to:

• Creating a power of attorney
• Renewing your car registration
• Filing an insurance claim
• Finding discounts on things you use the most or want to try

And a whole lot more. Join us to see all the things you can accomplish in little to no time with DoNotPay.