Need help with "no front plate" ticket (Portland, Oregon)

[DesertSilver]

Hello fellow AZ'ers. So I got my first ticket ever for not having a front plate. Of all things, it was when it was parked. I parked in downtown in front of Voodoo Doughnuts, where the spots are angled reverse parking, so the front of my car was completely exposed to the ticketers driving by. I know it wouldn't have happened if I parallel parked on a street since they wouldn't even have noticed.

Can anyone provide some assistance in how I can fight this ticket? The ticket was issued by Portland Circuit Court for $55 and it says that they took pictures of my car as proof.

[cecaa]

Dispute it!

[DesertSilver]

Dispute it!

Well, that's what I need some help with. :) I'm hoping someone can reply with some experience on disputing front plate tickets (what worked, what didn't).

[PDX04a4]

i have also gotten a no front plate ticket when parked in downtown portland. even worse, i had my plate in the front window on the dash and talked to the douche fatass meter maid as he was writing the ticket. he didnt care that the plate was on the dash, that doesnt matter. still wrote me a ticket. the meter maids in portland are fucking nazi's.

anyways, i fought it. i cant remember if i won that ticket specifically (i've gotten several parking tickets downtown), but i have won a number of parking tickets. basically i write a very well thought out, clear, and nice letter and stick it in my ticket envelope when i send it in. this particular ticket i know i wrote in my letter that my license plate frame was broken and in the process of being replaced and that i would have the plate back on my car as soon as possible. i was sorry, blah blah blah.

for the record, i have also been VERY aggressive in a couple letters fighting parking tickets, i have gotten at least 3 tickets for being less than 7 minutes over (which you cannot buy time for less than 7 minutes on the parking meter/ticket things). i reamed the meter maids and everything for giving me a ticket for less than 7-10 minutes over and everything. of course with portland you have to pay your ticket and then they will re-imburse you. i think of the 7-8 tickets i have gotten i've been reimbursed for 5 or 6. i'll have to check if i got reimbursed for the no plate ticket when i get home.

all you can really do is write a letter and stick it in the envelope when you pay the ticket and hope to get reimbursed. it takes the courts FOREVER to get your money back too, one time i got a check back almost a year after i paid the ticket. maybe take a picture of the plate on your car and include it in your letter, that would probably help.

[DesertSilver]

i have also gotten a no front plate ticket when parked in downtown portland. even worse, i had my plate in the front window on the dash and talked to the douche fatass meter maid as he was writing the ticket. he didnt care that the plate was on the dash, that doesnt matter. still wrote me a ticket. the meter maids in portland are fucking nazi's.

anyways, i fought it. i cant remember if i won that ticket specifically (i've gotten several parking tickets downtown), but i have won a number of parking tickets. basically i write a very well thought out, clear, and nice letter and stick it in my ticket envelope when i send it in. this particular ticket i know i wrote in my letter that my license plate frame was broken and in the process of being replaced and that i would have the plate back on my car as soon as possible. i was sorry, blah blah blah.

for the record, i have also been VERY aggressive in a couple letters fighting parking tickets, i have gotten at least 3 tickets for being less than 7 minutes over (which you cannot buy time for less than 7 minutes on the parking meter/ticket things). i reamed the meter maids and everything for giving me a ticket for less than 7-10 minutes over and everything. of course with portland you have to pay your ticket and then they will re-imburse you. i think of the 7-8 tickets i have gotten i've been reimbursed for 5 or 6. i'll have to check if i got reimbursed for the no plate ticket when i get home.

all you can really do is write a letter and stick it in the envelope when you pay the ticket and hope to get reimbursed. it takes the courts FOREVER to get your money back too, one time i got a check back almost a year after i paid the ticket. maybe take a picture of the plate on your car and include it in your letter, that would probably help.

Thanks...that's actually good information. I guess I didn't read all the details on the ticket yet because I didn't know you had to pay it first and then hope to get reimbursed. So essentially, I'll feel like I do with rebates; pay the money now and be surprised by a check, or get nothing and forget about the money 3 months later.

You mentioned that your plate was on the dash when you got ticketed. Strangely, my ticket says I didn't display my front plate on the "bumper or dash". Although with what you said I figure they would have ticketed me anyway for not having it on the bumper, if mine was on the dash.

I guess it's time to make up some friendly BS excuse and kiss the $55 goodbye, and maybe get a surprise check in the mail next year.

[teg2audi]

Sounds like it's time to get a "skid plate" from Winston.

I've got 4 no front plate tickets in Oregon. I looked up the specific law mostly due to my large volume of tickets and basically it states this:

The a license plate must "clearly" be visible on the front and rear of your vehicle. This means that having your plate in your front windshield is illegal because it's not clearly visible (can't see tags, window causes glare, basically cops don't consider it to be visible so in their mind it's illegal).

The best way to fight the ticket is to ask if they can change it to a fix it ticket. All 4 of my tickets have been resolved because i got them changed to fix it tickets. Bring in a photo of your car with a front plate (tape it on, velcro it, whatever...) make up some story that your car came from a state where a front plate is not required and you're front bumper didn't have holes, justs something, then show them that you have installed the front plate my showing the picture and hope they don't make you pay a fine. that's really the only option you have.

[oblu]

So what if you're car has out of state plates? Say, I'm down from WA visiting, can they give me a ticket for no front plate? (yes, I know WA requires a front plate but technically that's not OR's issue to enforce)

[littlewhite]

$55? damn that was nice. Got one back in Feb in Oregon for $145. Pigs got nothing to do. I was driving and they pulled me over for it. Almost always if you get tagged with a parking ticket, they will include the no front plate ticket in there along with other BS too.

[teg2audi]

So what if you're car has out of state plates? Say, I'm down from WA visiting, can they give me a ticket for no front plate? (yes, I know WA requires a front plate but technically that's not OR's issue to enforce)

If your driving in the state of Oregon then the police can enforce any law Oregon state law. That would be like driving through a state that does not allow radar detectors but you get a free pass because your from out of state. Most likely they would run your information and check your current state of residency. If they see your really from a state like Arizona that does not require a front plate they would "probably" let you go without a ticket, it's all up to their discretion.

[Tifosi]

If your driving in the state of Oregon then the police can enforce any law Oregon state law. That would be like driving through a state that does not allow radar detectors but you get a free pass because your from out of state. Most likely they would run your information and check your current state of residency. If they see your really from a state like Arizona that does not require a front plate they would "probably" let you go without a ticket, it's all up to their discretion.

Not exactly. In the case of front plates, they can not ticket you if your car is from out of state, regardless of the laws in your state or your residency status.

[v3n0m]

Not exactly. In the case of front plates, they can not ticket you if your car is from out of state, regardless of the laws in your state or your residency status.

Yea thats true, because I had a friend who drove his bike to FL and the state he's from they allow them to ride with no helmets.. idk how thats possible but anyway he got pulled over and he explained to the cop and he let him go..

[grease]

ya, Idaho doesn't reacquire helmets

[endlesswinter77]

Not exactly. In the case of front plates, they can not ticket you if your car is from out of state, regardless of the laws in your state or your residency status.

Yeah I love driving in WA with no front plate (Ive got an OR plate) I get followed ALL the time and they can't do shit about it once they see the OR plate!

LittleWhite: Whats the story with your pullover/ticket?

So far ive noticed that Oregon cops (especially Portland ones) dont seem concerned at all with no front plate. (as they should be considering theyve got much better things to be doing.

As for the meter maids... ive got a ticket from them too. And they WILL check when your parallel parked too. I paid mine and sent a note saying that I just bought my car and it didnt come with a front plate mount and I had one ordered.. they sent my money back.

I now have a magnetic front plate so I can slap on when i park downtown : )

Oh and... I looked at the law once too.. and it says nothing about magnetic (removable) plates being illegal nor does it mention "permanent".. cant wait to slap mine on right in front of a meter maid!

[littlewhite]

LittleWhite: Whats the story with your pullover/ticket?

A pig on cycle saw me pulling into a strip mall so he decided to have a talk with me. Waited for 10m for another pig that comes in a car and they both chat behind my car and after 20m later i got the ticket. I told him they got nothing to do & can still chat around doing nothing and tag me for this non sense and should do something more productive.

[grease]

i got pulled over by state patrol and he asked me if my plait had gotten stolen. but i was all dressed up coming home from church and acted all surprised when he said that and smiled a lot, he just told me to find a plait and get it on.

[endlesswinter77]

A pig on cycle saw me pulling into a strip mall so he decided to have a talk with me. Waited for 10m for another pig that comes in a car and they both chat behind my car and after 20m later i got the ticket. I told him they got nothing to do & can still chat around doing nothing and tag me for this non sense and should do something more productive.

A bunch of BS for sure. was it in Portland Metro? I swear the fuzz has never even given me a second glance in portland. I would expect it in Beaverton etc.. though.

[littlewhite]

^ that was in Beaverton. But i had come pull over with related BS in Pdx also.

[Oricle]

Nothing you can really do. Got pulled over by a motorcycle state trooper for no front plate. Was about an $80.00 ticket. Said on the ticket:

"Please dismiss upon compliance."

Got a real plate put on, sent in pictures to the court. I made the mistake of checking "guilty" on the ticket.
Bastards still fined me $80.00 because I checked guilty.