Hertz - Parking Ticket while renting car?

Has anybody not bothered to pay a parking ticket with a rental car used in a city they hardley travel to? A few weeks ago I received $50 parking ticket after exceeding the 2hr time limit while parking in an independent parking garage. I'm debating wheather or not to to bother with it. If it was a moving violation or ticketed by an officer, than I'd pay with no questions. Thoughts?

Hertz will come after you for the ticket. So they will actually enforce it better than the city where you got the ticket. Best to pay it. :)

Are you sure? Why would Hertz give the renter's name and address to a garage? What does their privacy policy say? How would the garage collect the money?

Are you sure? Why would Hertz give the renter's name and address to a garage? What does their privacy policy say? How would the garage collect the money?

I had it happen at a city garage, not an independent garage. That could make a difference.

I've always paid them. Knowing my luck, I figuredthe $25 ticket would eventually increase to $2500 through Hertz if I didn't. :eek:

They will track you down. Even for an independent they will track you down.

I was once running late for a meeting and failed to pay a stuff-the-money-in-the-slot lot until -after- the meeting.

I actually paid the parking fee after the meeting, but they obviously audited the lot while I was -in- the meeting. :mad:

They tracked me down, so I ended up paying twice.

I don't know what would have happened if I had ignored the letter. I was wrong, so I paid up.

How does Hertz know the garage has a legitimate claim against the renter?

How does Hertz know the garage has a legitimate claim against the renter?

They don't. They just supply your name and address to the garage when requested. At that point you can dispute the claim with the garage as if the rental agency were not involved.

They don't. They just supply your name and address to the garage when requested.

Or Hertz could pay the bill and then bill the renter for compensation, plus fees.

I think that would be better than giving out the renter's private info to the garage.

edit:

Rather than guessing, I looked up the rental agreement and privacy policy. Basically, failing to pay a ticket is probably a breach of the rental agreement, and then you are at their mercy. They can not only release your private information to third parties in an attempt to enforce the agreement, but they can charge you a fee for releasing the info.

Rather than guessing, I looked up the rental agreement and privacy policy. Basically, failing to pay a ticket is probably a breach of the rental agreement, and then you are at their mercy. They can not only release your private information to third parties in an attempt to enforce the agreement, but they can charge you a fee for releasing the info.

Yep. There is no win for them for Hertz to intervene. I was just relating what actually happened to me, though many years ago.

Has anybody not bothered to pay a parking ticket with a rental car used in a city they hardley travel to? A few weeks ago I received $50 parking ticket after exceeding the 2hr time limit while parking in an independent parking garage. I'm debating wheather or not to to bother with it. If it was a moving violation or ticketed by an officer, than I'd pay with no questions. Thoughts?

Here's a novel idea: Pay the ticket and you won't have to worry about any of this.

Rather than guessing, I looked up the rental agreement and privacy policy. Basically, failing to pay a ticket is probably a breach of the rental agreement, and then you are at their mercy. They can not only release your private information to third parties in an attempt to enforce the agreement, but they can charge you a fee for releasing the info.

And that they do! A couple of years ago I got billed 25 euro from Hertz because some German law enforcement asked for the information. I never actually got a ticket, so I don't know what I might have even done (and broadly, didn't recall doing anything wrong on that trip) but I got charged just for Hertz to tell them who I was. I've assumed it was a minor enough infraction that they didn't feel the need to hassle a foreigner.

In London I screwed up paying a congestion charge one day, and Hertz paid the fine as well as charged me something like 30GBP for the pleasure of them doing it.

In the end I would expect Hertz to pay it and charge you. There's no escape. :)

Steve

I had it happen at a city garage, not an independent garage. That could make a difference.
Depends who issued the ticket, if it's the municipality, they are enforcing a law, makes no difference if the garage is a city garage or independent.

Depends who issued the ticket, if it's the municipality, they are enforcing a law, makes no difference if the garage is a city garage or independent.

I can't speak directly to the parking ticket question, but ...

1. I was charged an extra EUR30 (or something like that) without explanation on a German rental. I suspected it had to do with the flash of a camera I saw in Liechtenstein whilst going a very reasonable 45kph in what turned out to be a 30 zone coming out of an unmanned border station (Austria to Liechtenstein) I called the U.S. Office and they couldn't tell me what it was ... they said I had to go to the Germany office to find out. Between my German and lack of desire to fly over there to dispute $45-ish, I let the matter drop.

2. I was charged by a company in Israel (again, appeared on CC bill without explanation) for what I think was failure to buy a permit to drive on their new toll highway. Again, I didn't pursue it.

All that to say, it's probably in the rental agreement that the company can charge your cc for expenses like "photo-tickets-by-mail."

2. I was charged by a company in Israel (again, appeared on CC bill without explanation) for what I think was failure to buy a permit to drive on their new toll highway. Again, I didn't pursue it.

Almost, not quite.

Route 6 (the only toll road in Israel) has two ways of billing: If the car has a responder in it, provided by the company which built and operates the road, billing is through that and somewhat less expensive. Otherwise, the road has sensors which read the license plate numbers and the bill is sent to the owner.

In either case, Hertz would have gotten the bill and then charged you for it.

Incidentally, one one rental I received two parking tickets in Lugano, Switzerland. I expected to be billed for them by Hertz but never was -- perhaps because I rented the car in Milan and the Swiss authorities didn't try to collect from an Italian company.

Hertz will get the ticket, and they will probably immediatly pay it. They can not risk the car getting booted or towed or impounded for outstanding tickets down the road.

They will bill your card for it, and probably add a significant service fee to it. by the time they get the ticket, it will probably be way more than it is now.

It's totally possible they gon't getthe ticket, but if they do, you will pay.

thoughts?

just do the right thing.

Over the years, I've clooected a few parking tickets in several states while driving cars I owned registered elsewhere. A few "summons" have darkened my mailbox, but pretty sure I was safe from extradition, I've simply been careful not to drive the same car back to a city in which I offended. There's an old Ford van that I hope the guy I sold it too has either never gone to New Orleans or has changed the plates, because there is probably a warrnt which should the car be detected will cause a big crane to come and pick it up.

Parking ticket scofflaws are the salt of the earth!

Hertz has ratted me out for a photo radar ticket so i think you had better count on getting stuck with it.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry7130e/4.1.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/104)

I think a lot depends on what this "parking ticket" issued at an "independent parking garage" really is. Is it a summons or citation issued by a governmental agency, and returnable before a court or administrative tribunal? Or is it a demand from a private garage company that you pay them $50 for overstaying your welcome? Is any statute or ordinance cited in the "ticket"?

THEY will find you and get their money! If you don't pay you will be prevented from renting again even fro a different renting city.

DO however read the ticket carefully as many times the cop will get description of the car or license plate wrong and in the case just throw it out!