PITA - Photo Ticket (Culver City)

I was surprised to find a photo ticket in the mail, and surprised at the clarity of the photos too. Only thing is, I traded the car 2 weeks before the ticket was issued, but the DMV obviously hadn't processed the change in ownership. Now I have to screw around getting this canceled. Photos below (could that be a rennlister driving?). BTW, beware Culver City (Los Angeles area), I've heard about these before.

But how can they claim that bottom photo is the same as the car? Seems a bit suspicious. I thought they had to show the image, then a close-up of the exact same image. Otherwise that bottom shot could be any Porsche going through the light.

A similar thing happened to me a while back. I sell this one guy my car, and then on the way back home, he uses the toll roads without paying! I got a ticket in the mail for $50 ! I then had to call around to get the stupid thing canceled.

BTW, this was at Sepulveda and Green Valley Circle.

There was a story about Culver City and their red light cameras on the local NBC channel a few months a go. The have their cameras set to the absolute minimum tolerance level. In addition, they said that other cities review the films and issue about 50 % as tickets-Culver City was at 85 %. Clearly, they are in this to make money. Just be careful around that area.

Similar thing in West Hollywood, it was discovered they'd set their yellow light time too short all over the city. They fixed it and threw out tickets then in the system, but no one got a break on possibly wrongful tickets they'd already paid.

There is a form to dispute such an occurance that should have adjoined the ticket and pictures. If not I am sure you can D load one from www.dmv.ca.gov

I had this happen in Scottsdale, AZ - it was someone from the dealership driving the car at the time to roadtest a fix they had made (not the Porsche, btw). I just went to the local county courthouse, asked to see the original photos and pointed out to them that it wasn't me in the photograph. They cancelled the ticket and didn't even ask me who I thought it was who was driving. Steve in AZ

Same thing can be had with the form and you don't have to waste so much time. As you sold the car to the guy, you probably have that info of that person to fill in the form that it was he or someone he gave consent to his car whom drove it. You can also copy the bill of sale and have that accompany the form to give the time transfer credence

I traded the car to a dealer and believe they wholesaled it to another dealer. The Culver City forms have provisions to specify who was driving in case of a sale (i.e. name and address), but since I don't know who was driving, I just listed the dealer. They seem to make it difficult, trying to put on the registered owner the burden of doing their identification work. Anyway, sent them copies of my new car purchase / trade-in documents yesterday, so we'll see if that is enough to have the ticket canceled. Hopefully they won't be jerks and make me appear in court to resolve this.

Jim- I had a similar situation with a parking violation 3 months after returning a leased BMW to the leasing co. The violation occured in Laguna Nigel. It took a while to straighten things out, even after a couple appearances at the DMV office. The annoying aspect was that the city of Laguna Beach kept sending me a citation for which I was not liable, and the penalties kept escalating. They in turn acknowledged I was not at fault, and started sending the "bill" to the leasing/financing co (which is also a major credit card issuer). Funny thing is that in turn the leasing co., started forwarding me the bill! Bastards!!!.... By then it had grown from around $30 to around $150.00 with penalties. A nice and firm letter to the CEO of this financial co., letting him know that I would close all my other accounts with them, and take all my business elswhere for life... seemed to end this stupid thing. I haven't heard back in 3 years. I know the initial $30 is nothing... but it is a matter of principle.... Cheers.

When you trade-in or sell a car you don't keep the tags?

Not in CA, unless you have special/vanity plates. You can take those with you... for a fee...

You California guys should tell Arnold to stop this sort of thing. Talk about Big Brother! Can't you get clear license plate covers that are not so photogenic? (Not that I recommend such behavior... )