Fighting commercial fleet parking tickets in NYC

With a borough-by-borough and block-by-block patchwork of laws and regulations, it is easy to see why some commercial vehicle operators consider parking tickets to be a cost of doing business in New York City. However, as those costs begin to add up, an efficient legal solution might start to become more attractive than paying the tickets.

Parking laws exist for a reason. However, not every ticket is appropriate.

Overview of NYC parking

Generally speaking, it is legal to park commercial vehicles in the city while in the general pursuit of business. This would include standing during service calls, making deliveries and performing pick-ups. Only vehicles that conform to a specific legal definition may park in the designated commercial loading zones.

It is generally not legal to park or store commercial vehicles on city streets, especially in residential areas. For example, to avoid paying a ticket, an operator might have to prove that a commercial vehicle parked on a residential street at night was essential to a business activity nearby.

Some parking details

The parking laws come from the principle of keeping the city streets clear for normal traffic. However, the execution of that principle can be very specific. Here are some possible violations:

• Leaving a platform lift in the lower position while unattended
• Remaining parked at an angle after the activity that required the angle ended
• Parking a trailer that is not attached to a vehicle able to tow it
• Parking, stopping or standing more than a foot away from the curb during the day in Midtown

Things get complicated very quickly due to these many laws, conditions and qualifiers. Without all of the factual details, there is no way for the administrative judge to know that a commercial vehicle operator actually was in full compliance.