How to Fight a Parking Ticket in Bliss Corner, MA

The no-parking sign was absent, missing from the block, obstructed by a tree or another sign, or so faded as to be illegible at the time of the violation.

Legal basis:

A motorist cannot be held responsible for violating a regulation that was not properly posted. Signage must be installed and maintained according to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

Required evidence:

• Photograph of the sign (or lack thereof) taken on or near the violation date
• Wide-angle photo showing the full block face
• Timestamp metadata from the photo

The parking meter was visibly broken, displayed an error, accepted payment but failed to register it, or was not functioning at the time the vehicle was parked.

Legal basis:

Vehicle operators are not required to seek alternative parking when a meter malfunctions. The city bears responsibility for maintaining meter equipment.

Required evidence:

• Photograph of the meter display showing the error or malfunction
• Receipt or bank statement showing payment attempt if applicable
• Timestamp from the photograph

Two or more signs on the block face or pole provided contradictory parking rules, making it impossible to determine the lawful parking restriction.

Legal basis:

Contradictory signs create an ambiguity that must be resolved in the motorist's favor. Enforcement cannot stand when the regulation is unclear.

Required evidence:

• Photograph clearly showing both conflicting signs in the same frame
• Photograph showing the distance between the signs

The ticket contains a material error in the vehicle description — wrong license plate number, incorrect state, wrong vehicle make, model, or color.

Legal basis:

A ticket with a materially incorrect vehicle description is legally defective. The issuing officer must accurately identify the vehicle for the citation to be valid.

Required evidence:

• Copy of vehicle registration showing correct plate and description
• Photograph of the vehicle's actual license plate

The vehicle was parked in violation because of an unforeseen medical emergency affecting the driver or a passenger that required immediate attention.

Legal basis:

Most municipal codes recognize medical necessity as an affirmative defense to a parking violation. The emergency must be genuine and documented.

Required evidence:

• Hospital or emergency room discharge paperwork showing date and time
• Doctor's note or urgent care visit documentation
• Any emergency services record

The parking restriction was not properly posted under MGL c. 85 § 2, or the citation omitted required information under MGL c. 90 § 20A½ or local ordinance for a valid parking notice.

Legal basis:

MGL c. 85 § 2 requires traffic control devices to conform to the MUTCD before restrictions are enforceable. MGL c. 90 § 20A½ governs parking citation procedures; material defects in the notice may support dismissal.

Required evidence:

• Photograph of the sign or its absence at the cited location
• Copy of the citation showing missing or defective required fields

Under MGL c. 40 § 21D and c. 90 § 20A½, a person receiving a parking ticket in Massachusetts has the right to request a non-criminal disposition hearing before a clerk-magistrate. If the ticket failed to notify you of this right or the hearing process was not properly available, the enforcement action may be challengeable.

Legal basis:

MGL c. 90 § 20A½ and MGL c. 40 § 21D require that parking tickets provide notice of the right to a non-criminal disposition hearing. Failure to provide this notice, or to make the hearing process accessible, may support dismissal or toll the payment deadline.

Required evidence:

• Copy of the parking ticket showing hearing rights notice (or the absence thereof)
• Documentation of any request for a hearing that was denied or ignored

Dartmouth may impose a winter overnight parking ban on certain streets. If cited under such a ban, challenge whether the ban was properly enacted by bylaw, whether the restriction was adequately posted, and whether the citation was issued during the authorized seasonal period.

Legal basis:

MGL c. 85 § 2 requires traffic control devices to meet MUTCD standards before restrictions are enforceable. A seasonal ban that is not properly enacted by bylaw, not adequately posted, or enforced outside its authorized dates cannot support a valid citation.

Required evidence:

• Copy of the citation showing the violation code and date
• Town bylaw or ordinance establishing the overnight ban and its authorized dates
• Photograph of the street showing posted ban signs (or their absence)

Bliss Corner is a village within the larger Town of Dartmouth. Restriction signage on streets that transition between different Dartmouth neighborhood zones may have gaps at the boundary. If the cited location was at or near a block where signage did not clearly extend to cover the space where the vehicle was parked, the restriction lacked adequate posting.

Legal basis:

MGL c. 85 § 2 and MUTCD standards require that parking restrictions be posted at both ends of each restricted segment and at intervals sufficient to give reasonable notice to all motorists on the block. Gaps in posting coverage may render the restriction unenforceable for spaces beyond the last posted sign.

Required evidence:

• Photographs of the cited parking space and the nearest restriction signs in both directions
• Evidence of a gap in signage coverage on the cited block
• Wide-angle photos showing the full block and sign placement