Hello. I was in Los Angeles in May and rented a car. I did not know that I received a parking ticket until 2 days ago. The ticket did not come from the DMV, but from Dollar Rental Car Agency. The ticket is $65, and now I am being charged late fees for a total of $165. I don't even know if this is my ticket or not and can not Contest the ticket because I live in Boston. Have anyone of you had this experience where the Car Rental Agency bills you for the ticket violation rather than the DMV? I personally don't think this is right because why should I pay late fees if I don't even know about a ticket? What to do... thanks!
2006-08-26 04:08:08 · 6 answers · asked by dcjunk 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law Enforcement & Police
By the way. I called the LA DMV dept and they said they contacted Dollar Rental Car Agency on June 29 for our address so they can send the ticket directly to our house. But Dollar Rental Car Agency never gave the DMV our info, thus the late fees...
2006-08-26 04:19:32 · update #1
If you owe the money to DMV LA, then pay them to avoid problems. If the ticket has been paid by Dollar Rental Car on your behalf then it is now a civil matter between you and Dollar Rental Car. I would contact Dollar and see exactly what happened and request the documents to support. I would verify the dates and time and well as the location to see if it was my parking ticket. I would then try to negotiate with them in reference to the late fee. If all else fails then I would pay the $165.00 to avoid possible collections being placed on your credit report. The Fico score minus 20 points could cause you more problems than paying the $165.00 and moving on. I wouldn't pay it if it was not my debt.
2006-08-26 05:39:37 · answer #1 · answered by bsure32 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First...The car company can not get a warrant for your arrest. That person is talking out their ***. But you are not likely to win on this one...Here is what I would do.
Request a copy of your contract, request a copy of the ticket. Varify the time on the ticket as you having had the vehicle at that time. If they refuse to provide either tell them you have no problem paying, however, you want to make sure you owe the money for the ticket.
If you don't or they don't provide the info, contact the manager. If they continue, then tell them you will file a small claims court case against them for harrassment. And follow through if they don't send a letter dropping the $65.
Now, if you owe, then pay the $65. Review the contract. If there is a $100 fee for the "late fee" then pay it after asking if they can remove the fee --- they probably will if you explain you did not know. If there is nothing in the contract, again, you do not need to pay the fine. Returning the vehicle late and paying a fine are two seperate issues so make sure the contract addresses ticket violations etc. But don't be taken by strong arm tactics or idiots that say they can send a warrant for your arrest.
Good Luck
2006-08-26 11:24:46 · answer #2 · answered by Who me? 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Insist on getting a copy of the violation & your rental agreement, and examine them closely. It may be someone else that received the ticket, and unless there was a line in the contract that specifically says you will pay for any tickets, it's the owner who is responsible. If you did receive a ticket, you should pay for that but I would balk at giving them the extra $100 for something you were unaware of. If this was charged to a credit card, you should definitely dispute it. You will not be held responsible to pay it until the issue is resolved and the burden of proof lies with the rental agency.
2006-08-26 11:20:44 · answer #3 · answered by brooklyncpl 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have to pay it. I actually had to pay an expired registration ticket on a rental car, which was something I had no control over! The cop said I should have made sure the plates were current before I took it off the lot, and by God the judge agreed with him, and Alamo wouldn't reimburse me, either.
2006-08-26 12:36:06 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The rental company had to pay that ticket so now they want to get their money back (plus the trouble) from you. I don't think they believe you about not-knowing. They think you just hoped to sneak out of town and stiffed them for it. Pay up or you will end up with criminal charges against you.
2006-08-26 11:16:20 · answer #5 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
the ticket is sent to the registered owner (rental company) and they forwarded it to you.
Not much you can do about the late fee on this one
2006-08-26 11:14:32 · answer #6 · answered by ML 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋