Bottom line - most likely an internet hoax. BTW, if you google 'California Traffic Ticket Fine 2011' there are a few 'ticket fighter' attorneys that use almost the exact same wording for the OPs posting, with different $ amounts and citing 1/6/2010 as the effective date.
ALL comunities have thier hands in it now-used to be, if you got a 75/65 max ticket on the freeway from the CHP in Thousand Oaks, (where I live) it would be 175-250ish depending on your current driving record. Now vta county receives a surcharge and the city of TO receives a surcharge adding another 70-100 to the ticket. all over the state this has been enacted, so fines are up. The surcharges are "court costs"
1. New or changed statues go into effect on January 1, not January 6. Unless it is a matter dealing with elections or public safety, then they go into effect when signed by the Gov. Source - [ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Legislature]California State Legislature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
20% surcharge on base fine
DMV Fee of $10
Night Court Fee of $1 (does not matter if you even go to court, you still pay)
Court Security Fee of $40 (does not matter if you even go to court, you still pay)
Processing Fee of $10
Criminal Conviction Assessment of $30
Those are just the fixed fee's, there are others depending on the violation.
So while the state may have added a $4 surcharge to every base fine there is a plethora of fees tacked on that varies county by county.
Handicap/disabled parking has been a growing issue over the last few years with so many now having disabled place cards.
If you live in California and get a citation than you will know for sure rather this is a hoax?
I sat in small claims/traffic court a week ago and was astonished at the outcomes as were the attending audience. So when this info posted although it may seem exaggerated it has a reality to some degree? Some of us had the same reaction when we all first learned about the towing of cars because the residing CHP or local law enforcement agencies started towing on site cars they declared smog violating under Ca vehicle codes?
As for myself I received my case dismissed letter.....pictures really do say a thousand words.:lol:
LOL.. good for Calif!! Nail the butts of those who break the traffic law!! Any one who thinks they can circumvent the traffic laws and drive at reckless speeds... should be hammered to the full extent of the LAW!! Yes?? Or break the law by parking in the 'handicap' areas and not be authorized!!
They should go after the polluting rabbit killing cars and their law breaking ways!!
SOOOoooo.... now, what about the illegals?? ( do they know that definition?? ) Discounted College?? Free Medical?? welfare checks?? Food stamps... maybe they can get those sorted out NEXT??
I don't live in CA, and I'm 99% sure it's a hoax. Find me a valid source, and I'll reconsider. The links I posted to are closer to an authoritative source than all the others I found (i.e., mostly car forums with NO links to the 'real' source).
But hey, you wanna believe, go for it. I prefer to verify the source.
LOL... Hell NO!! well ..ok yes, I do own a bunch of highways around this country!! when I5 was new in so Cal, I think myself and friends helped put that all the way to the border!! LOL
'Do the Crime... pay the fine!!' I have become smarter over the past 40 years, wiser to where and when to engage, but it is all unlawful, yes?? ( Thank God for Valentine!!) And I do pay!! ( to play)
Just me..................................
Thumper
Ga has offered up a deterrent also.. anything over 85 mph on the interstate.. you pay the regular fine.. PLUS $500.00 MORE. Wanna bet all the way thru Ga I am on 83 MPH cruise control!! LOL
Holy cow - I don't top 75 on the highways out here, but the limit is 65, so I agree - it's what I'm willing to pay if I get caught. Thanks for your generous contributions to our nation's infrastructure! :aureola:
Nothing surprises me anymore coming out of Kalifornia. A friend got tagged for going 70 in a 55mph zone, went to court, ended up paying $396 for the ticket, plus another fee for traffic school.
LOL Traffic school!! LOL they have my seat reserved!! the instructors know my first name!! ( this IS a funny!) It used to be a max of 5 schools in your life... now it is unlimited as long as not 2 in the same year. They found out it is a good way to make money!!
Traffic school here in Fl will erase the points on your record ( up to 4 at one time). This could be a good thing... or a bad thing!! LOL
Thumper
PS: last ticket was 325.00 speeding / 125.00 traffic school.. NO POINTS!!
I got a ticket in the People's Republik of Kalifornia back in September. (my first one in 10 years) I was doing 82 in a 65. The ticket was $364 plus a $40 fee for traffic school (which you can only do every 18 months to avoid the points in CA) plus the school itself was $20. Net I was out of pocket $424.
The irony is that in the past 10 years I have owned: 2001 Mustang GT, 2006 VW GTI, 2006 350Z, and a 2005 Mustang GT. Never got a ticket in any of them.
I'm usually good about not speeding. If I am I'm not going any faster than traffic around me. However, in the MINI I was motoring along at a healthy clip and got tagged. I played. I payed. *shrug* Since then I've been more conscious about my speed. I guess the ticket did it's job.
Its interesting that the fine you received is rather close to the one proposed in the " new " list. That one seems to pan out. has anyone received any of the other types listed for comparison ? The last one I can personally remember was a stop light camera which cost me something around $ 320 or so.
I can only say that it is funny the responses to a hoax or lets say over exaggerated fines are from people that do not live in CA?
I posted something sent to me and found it so close to what I personally witness recently in court? The one that stands out most for me is a driver fined initially $150.00 for not wearing seat belt, final fine was close to $1250.00 His fine was double by each additional VC violation. His passenger was not belted and the child to small under CA requirements. So for 2 people not wearing a seat belt and a belted child but not in a car seat total fine $1250.00. Nope no hoax and diffidently not over exaggerated? I would say lets see how many more that have been to a Ca traffic court in the last month report what they received and witnessed for traffic fines?
My suspicion is the 'initial' fine vs the 'final' amount. Since each jurisdiction - as I understand it - can levy their own fines, the final amount varies.
@Nitrominis - you said it yourself. In the example you cited, initial fine was $150 but after all the other administrative fees, etc it was over $1K. I'm only saying the INITIAL fines listed are suspect. And again - not a single reputable source has been found.
And no, I'm not a CA resident, so what? If it looks like a hoax, smells like a hoax, it's still likely a hoax.
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