speeding tickets in the us

[tella]

a couple of weeks ago, i was driving home from boston and received a ticket just outside of rochester, new york (close to the arm pit of america, buffalo new york). eitherway, i've never received a ticket, let alone a ticket in the us so i really don't know how these things work. i got my fine a few days ago, it's 100.00$ USD and it says if i dont pay it within two weeks (which evidently, turns out to be today) they may issue a warrant or suspend my license. i've heard a couple of different stories from different ppl and the concensus is that as long as i don't get caught speeding in new york again, i'll be fine. now i do have intentions of paying the ticket (eventually), i just don't want to receive a letter in the post telling me that my license has been suspended.

so...my final question is does anyone know how this works. can they really suspend my license?

 

[sentence]

they cannot suspend your license. you cant even lose demerit points. what you've heard is correct (about unless you get caught again in the states your fine) however keep in mind that if you dont pay it and you do get caught again in the states, they can take you to jail and hold you until you post bail (the bail could be up to $2500 US i think), although this is pretty unlikely.

 

[SneakyPete]

I don't think they can suspend your license if it's an Ontario license. You don't have to pay the fine if you plan on never entering the US again, but I doubt that's what you wish to do. If they issue a warrant they'll probably arrest you at the border.

Pete

 

[JayIsBored]

if you don't pay up you immediately become a part of the AXIS OF EVIL

does my wife have a leadfoot? tsk tsk tsk

 

[SlipperyPete]

yes, if you don't pay your speeding tickets then George Bush will come to your house, turn you upside down and shake all your money out of your pockets.

Then he and Bill Gates will engage in a homosexual 69 on your front lawn.

 

[stir-fry]

they *CAN* suspend your license.

my friend picked up a ticket in the states and they told him the same thing. they suspended his license as soon as the wait period to pay the fine was up.

 

[The Watcher]

It's happened to me before, I got stuck in a speed trap right on the other side of Cornwall. 90$ ticket... and I was slowing down to the limit... damn speed traps.

Well.. either way, I did not pay it... and they sent me all sorts of letter... and they tried to get my liscense revoke.. but the Canadian government doesn't care.

Well.. to make a long story short... dont drive(or get caught) in that particular state for 5 years, and it dissapears off your record.

-Nickers

 

[OTIS]

Originally posted by SlipperyPete
yes, if you don't pay your speeding tickets then George Bush will come to your house, turn you upside down and shake all your money out of your pockets.

Then he and Bill Gates will engage in a homosexual 69 on your front lawn.

BUUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA

 

[Klubmasta Will]

hey nat

the rules are different depending on which state you were in. since new york state shares a border with ontario, there is a reciprocal agreement between the two ministries - i.e. they share information.

thus, a new york state traffic conviction WILL show up on your ontario record and it will have the same effect as if you did not pay an ontario ticket.

my friend went through this earlier this year. you can hire a guy to defend it down there for you (like canada's version of 'points'). my friend used a guy named michael boothe (416-823-6613) - he's in toronto but he has a relationship with an american traffic ticket shop.

good luck.

 

[OTIS]

Just pay the damn thing.

Besides, if you ever cross the border again, you'll get stopped or denied, especially if your driving the same car.

 

[kennyboy]

Originally posted by The Watcher
It's happened to me before, I got stuck in a speed trap right on the other side of Cornwall. 90$ ticket... and I was slowing down to the limit... damn speed traps.

Well.. either way, I did not pay it... and they sent me all sorts of letter... and they tried to get my liscense revoke.. but the Canadian government doesn't care.

Well.. to make a long story short... dont drive(or get caught) in that particular state for 5 years, and it dissapears off your record.

-Nickers

Unless a warrant is issued, in which case it won't go away. 5 years or not.

My advice, suck it up and pay the fine. I know it's a pain in the ass but it sure beats the worst case scenario which is being stopped, if you're ever in the U.S. again, and then being taken away to jail. Sure to cost you a lot more in the long run.

 

[stir-fry]

coincidently, i got a ticket from a markham parking authority for parking in a handicapped zone, and except for my dimwittedness, i'm not handicapped.
anyone know of any good ploys to get out of it ?

 

[tella]

i DO plan on paying the ticket...i just don't think it'll get there by the end of today and i don't want to receive a notice saying my license is suspended.....

 

[Klubmasta Will]

nat - if you miss your deadline, that results in a conviction (i.e. you can't fight it anymore). you still have time to pay it before they turn it over to a collections agency and inform the ontario ministry. it would be many months i would think before they resorted to suspending your license. even if you have convictions in ontario, they may refuse to RENEW your license or your plates but they will only actively suspend your license as a very last resort.

 

[tella]

and thank you to those who posted serious responses.

 

[sentence]

I still have an outstanding ticket from 2 years ago that i got on my way home from NYC. I've received multiple notices and threats and so on but absolutely nothing has come of it. I'd recommend paying it but do it when you can....no hurry.

 

[swenard]

I got pulled over in Ohio once and the cop arrested me on the spot. He took me back to the police station and told me I couldn't leave until I payed the $350 fine. When I asked why he told me that he knew that if he gave me a ticket and let me go. I would never pay it, and therefore get off scott free.

New york is the same way, if you don't pay it they don't come after you. Its not like you killed someone(did you?).


Just don't get caught speeding again in New york!
Or pay the $100

My buddy got off by just making a court appearance in some town in New york at night court(I had to drive him because his license was suspended here too)He told the judge he was a student and was sorry, but, he couldn't afford to pay it.The judge let him off, because he at least made the effort to drive all the way there for court!

 

[funkywanderer]

I would suggest that you pay the ticket promptly. My best friend and I moved down to the states for work about two years ago. Last year around this time we both got speeding tickets and didn't worry too much about it. We were used to the canadien way where you get a ticket, and then you have an optional court date that is usually a month or two after you get the ticket. Down here, your court date is usually a week or two weeks after you get your ticket. If you don't pay your ticket before the court date, then you may face a lot of hassle. My friend and I both had warrants issued for our arrest. I paid mine promptly, he procrastinated at which point they revoked his registration and cancelled his license all of which created a big headache for both of us.

I don't know if they can have your license or registration cancelled like they do to US residents/citizens, but they will most definitely issue a warrant for your arrest which could give you problems the next time you try to cross the border.

Just my two cents from my own experience. Makes you appreciate our country even more.

Shouts from the south...

 

[bucky]

I got a speeding ticket in Toronto about 4.5 years ago and never paid it, I figure I should one of these days because it's only like 50 cents USD... never had a problem crossing the border, I just have to hope I don't get caught speeding again I guess.

yea, i'm dumb for not paying it... but they've never had my license suspended or any of that crap. The damn 407 toll road though sent me like twenty billion letters for a measly $6... I would've thought it'd be the other way around.

 

[The Watcher]

You know.. I drove from Buffalo to Detroit this weekend, and the one thing I've noticed about our American Neighbors is that they dont speed like we do.

I figured out why they dont speed... on a 6 hour drive, I saw 13 state troopers just checking speed the whole way. Everyone was driving the limit, or maybe 1 or 2 mph faster.

In Toronto the limit is 100KPH, but just to keep up with the flow of traffic, you need to be doing a minimum of 120KPH

Crazyness.

-Nickers

 

[tella]

nick...i was also astonished to see soooo many troopers and the various different places that they would hide (speed traps???). lil buggers is what they are! the officer that pulled me over was parked in a bush on a bend. i saw him as soon as i passed but there was nothing i could do...he pulled out, followed me for about two minutes (i don't know what the point of that was) and then pulled me over. when i returned to boston the next week, my uncle told me that in massachusetts you get 10$ for every mile you exceed so i was expecting the ticket to be double than what it actually was. i guess i did get off lucky in a way.

meh..i'm off to get the stupid certified cheque at the bank.

 

[nusty]

Originally posted by stir-fry
they *CAN* suspend your license.

my friend picked up a ticket in the states and they told him the same thing. they suspended his license as soon as the wait period to pay the fine was up.

My understanding was that as long as the state boarders on the state or province where you have you're lisence then yes they can take action. i know people who have gotten tickets in NY with a Ont lisence and gotten in shit. But then I also know people who have gotten tickets in Alabama and nothing has ever happened (they also have no intention of ever driving there again). I got a ticket in NJ this summer and the only reason they could get me in shit was because the car was registered there but they couldn't do shit all to my license... I know cause I took it to court.

 

[Subsonic Chronic]

Originally posted by SlipperyPete
yes, if you don't pay your speeding tickets then George Bush will come to your house, turn you upside down and shake all your money out of your pockets.

Then he and Bill Gates will engage in a homosexual 69 on your front lawn.

AHAHAHAHAHAHA... oh god, that's fucking hilarious.

Pete <- still laughing.

 

[Brokenbone]

Will said it somewhere above, it's all about reciprocity agreements.

Maybe a couple of backwater states haven't got them, but I am sure somehow through the MTO you could find out. I.e., what happens if you speed in Hawaii, will that have an impact in Ontario, or vice versa?

Again, I can't see how the MTO wouldn't have that info.

But as it was NY, yep, you are definitely looking at an obligation that doesn't wait at the border to attach to you again when sojourning in the U.S.

Pay it before the exchange rate gets even worse :/

 

[Lurch]

I got pulled over going to Lake Placid about 8 years ago. The officer gave me a ticket a told me to be in court on Dec.27. I never went and never heard about it again. I have to go back through Ny soon...........hmmmmmm let's see what happens.