If someone else hits your parked car, will your insurance rates go up? There’s a few factors that go into determining if your insurance rate goes up or not. Assuming you don’t have the insurance information of the doofus who hit you, the damage will most likely be covered under collision coverage and treated as a hit-and-run. And because the accident was not your fault, your rates will not increase.
After climbing levels and levels of parking spaces, you finally find a spot to park your car. You’ve already spent so much time looking for the parking spot, you hurry to lock your car and go about your business. But, on your way back you completely forget where you’ve parked amongst the hundred of cars on so many different levels. Or maybe you forgot what street you parked on and every corner looks exactly the same. 10 years ago, all you could do is pray that you had some comfortable footwear on, because pal, you were going to do some walking. But now, we have more than a few mobile apps to help you find your parked car:
With just one tap on your iPhone or Android phone, you can pin your parking location to the Google Maps. No more unanswered questions like “where is my car parked” again. This functionality is available to you if you press the blue dot on the app; you can even add specific details like what level you’re on and any landmarks that might help you locate your parked car easier. The app also lets you put a parking location reminder if you’re on a meter 15 minutes before it expires so that you don’t have to fork out extra money.
Not knowing why you’ve been just handed a glaring white ticket can be frustrating, especially if you think you’ve done nothing wrong (as far as parking rules go). It can be a tiring and costly dent in your wallet; but there’s always a small chance of getting out of parking tickets – be it through contesting the ticket, making a company fight for your parking ticket or through an app. We break down some of the best ways to get out of a parking ticket, so that you are always prepared to deal with unfair parking tickets.
If you really think you didn’t deserve that dreaded parking ticket, you can contest your ticket through mail, in person, or online (if your city provides that service). General guidelines tell us that the first thing you should do is read your parking ticket for mistakes or written typos – all of this is vital for a dismissal. Evidence, as you may have guessed, is an essential part in explaining your case; remember every detail before and after you got ticket to find any evidence you feel might is important in getting you out of it. Try to schedule a hearing within 30 days of the issue of ticket; if that doesn’t work out, head to court and plead your case, but beware if your ticket is not overturned there’s a filing fee.
Parking violations and citations are not moving violations, and therefore will NOT affect your insurance rates, assuming you pay them eventually. Unpaid parking tickets may result in your registration being suspended, which can violate the the terms of your insurance policy. Your rates won’t necessarily increase as a result, but you’ll be on the hook to apply for a new insurance policy, which will cost you time and money.
The first table below is applicable all across California, and you’ll see they are pretty straightforward: don’t block things that shouldn’t be blocked, do NOT mess with anything handicapped-related, and pay your parking ticket on time.
“But what happens if I don’t pay my parking ticket on time?” Remember that burning sensation you felt after your senior trip to Cabo? Parking tickets are kind of like that – address the problem quickly so you can move on, without it turning into something worse. If you wait to pay a parking ticket, the fine will increase dramatically (sometimes up to 200%). Rack up 5 or more unpaid parking tickets, and you’ll become the proud new owner of the Boot of Despair (pictured above).
The following citations are specific to Los Angeles, and forewarning: some of these will confuse and infuriate you (we think “storing vehicles in the street” as an offense is pretty subjective and unclear). Hopefully reading the list will keep you informed and prevent a parking citation. And if you ARE going to risk it.. now you’ll know how much cash you’re putting on the line.
It is wise to use your parking brake any time you park, but especially when you are parking on a hill. Before you turn off the car, it’s important to angle the wheels to prevent your car from rolling into traffic if your parking brake fails.
• When parking downhill, turn the steering wheel to the right (toward the curb).
• When parking uphill, turn the steering wheel to the left (toward the street).
• Important: if there is no curb when parking uphill, you should turn the wheel to the right, instead (read more below).
Would you want to know if someone hit your car? Of course you would. So try to stick around to wait for the owner to come return. If you have to run, leave a note with your contact info and where you made contact with their car (and your insurance info if there’s actual damage). If there’s little to no damage to either car, just your number is fine. If the owner is actually committed enough to call you, be friendly. Dealing with insurance can be a hassle – you may consider offering to pay for a carwash or s scratch removal product as an amicable way to settle the situation.
If there is significant damage that can’t be buffed out, leave your insurance information with them from the beginning to speed up the process. Worried about an increase in your insurance? Don’t be. If your rates increase because of a parking lot bump, it will be small, and is a far better option than fleeing the scene, which can get you a $1000 fine and up to 6 months in jail!
What do you do if you hit a parked car? No matter how careful you are, accidents like this are bound to happen, especially in a crowded or busy parking lot. And on top of that, accidentally hitting a parked car, whose driver isn’t around, can cause you a lot of stress.
Hitting a parked car and leaving the scene seems tempting but the consequences of doing that are serious; you could face up to $1,000 as a fine, up to 3 years of informal probation and up to 6 months in county jail, according to Californian state laws. And even if you get away with no one seeing, you can’t afford that bad car karma. So what should you do if you hit a parked car? Do you have to drop what you’re doing, set up a hammock in a nearby tree, and wait it out? In most cases, there a few common guidelines you should follow.
Arrested Development fans know the drill…
Generally, yellow curbs on the west coast are for commercial loading up to 30 minutes or passenger loading/unloading up to 5 minutes. What most drivers don’t know, however, is that the restrictions for yellow curbs are only in effect from Monday – Saturday 7am – 6pm (depending on the city). After 6pm (and on Sundays), you are free to park in at yellow curb. Los Angeles, are you listening? You can park in these spots for as long as you’d like unless a sign specifically says otherwise! Score!
On the east coast and various other states, yellow curbs may mean “no parking”, similar to red zones. Confusing? You betcha. Look to parking signs in the area to determine exactly what is allowed.
The sweet golden conundrum. With cities like Chicago bringing in over $176 million in parking ticket revenue, it almost makes too much sense that different states would have different definitions for the meaning of yellow curbs.
