General • Faculty/Staff • Students • Departments • Visitors • Garages • Athletic Events • Appeals

If you have a question which does not appear on these Appeal FAQ pages, please send your question to the court clerk.

Appeals

Do I have to pay a ticket when I appeal it?
What happens after I submit my appeal?
Who looks at my appeal anyway?
How long does the appeal take?
Is it worth my time to appeal the ticket in the first place?
How likely is it that the court will grant my appeal (cancel the ticket)?
How will I hear about the court's decision?
What does "Ex Parte" mean?
What can I do if I don't like the decision?
What if I missed the deadline to appeal the ticket?
What advantage is there to choosing a Personal appeal instead of written only?

Do I have to pay a ticket when I appeal it?

No, you do not have to pay the ticket when you appeal it. The ticket is not considered to be outstanding while it is on appeal. You will only have to pay the ticket if the court denies your appeal, and it will say that in the letter you get.

What happens after I submit my appeal?

The court clerk in the Parking Department will check over your appeal first to see if

1. your ticket is one that the department may simply cancel or should be sent to the court (most of them), and
2. you have submitted it within the 10 business day deadline.

Then she makes sure that a copy of your ticket is attached to the appeal, puts the ticket into appeal status in the parking software (that way there are no holds and the cashiers know you don't have to pay it), and puts it into a docket of 25 appeals to send to the court.

Once the court has read your appeal and made its' decision, they return the docket with decision forms to the court clerk, who then processes the decision and mails out a letter with the decision form.

Who looks at my appeal anyway?

The court is made up of 2nd- and 3rd-year law students, who make their decisions based on what they feel is "fair", not necessarily according to the rules.

How long does the appeal take?

In general, the processing time for written appeals is 4-6 weeks. This includes time to collect 25 appeals for a docket, time for the court to make their decisions and return them to the court clerk, and for the court clerk to mail out decision letters.

Is it worth my time to appeal the ticket in the first place?

That is up to you. Since you don't have to pay the ticket until you get the decision back, an appeal will at least put off having to pay the ticket.

How likely is it that the court will grant my appeal (cancel the ticket)?

You have a 50-50 chance, since it is a court of equity, making a decision based on your situation. In general, though, the court grants between 25-50% of the appeals on each docket that we send them.

How will I hear about the court's decision?

You'll get a letter in the mail to the address you write on the appeal form. If you move, make sure you let the court clerk know, otherwise you will not get it.

What does "Ex Parte" mean?

To tell you the truth, I don't know what the actual latin phrase translates to, but in this case, "Ex Parte" refers to a written appeal, in which the court will base their decision ONLY on what you write, and nothing else.

What can I do if I don't like the decision?

If you don't like what the court decided, you must appeal the decision immediately, by filing a Petition for Certiorari with the court clerk. You may only do this if you believe the court

What if I missed the deadline to appeal the ticket?

Unfortunately, that means that your appeal will not be processed. The deadline is printed on the back of each ticket you receive, and we do enforce that.

What advantage is there to choosing a Personal appeal instead of written only?

In the long run, there isn't really any advantage to a Personal appeal over an Ex Parte (written) appeal. If you write a complete explanation, the outcome is not likely to be any different with either type of appeal.

Back to top Content Text.