West - Scottsdale, AZ Photo Radar

Does anyone know anything about the enforcement process in Scottsdale using photo radar?

I've heard that loads of tickets are sent out to tourists who pay them while the local residents know all the "tricks" to get out of them.

Technically, mail is not considered proper service. If you don't respond they have to send a process server to personally serve you with the ticket. The cost is added to the fine if convicted.

Technically, mail is not considered proper service. If you don't respond they have to send a process server to personally serve you with the ticket. The cost is added to the fine if convicted.

Thanks. This interesting post raises two questions:

1. From the time the notice is sent by mail, is there any information available to a police officer in a patrol car computer to the effect that a ticket was issued. I'm wondering in case you get pulled over for something like the proverbial "broken tail light."

2. Would a municipality like Scottsdale pay to have something served out of state?

Photo radar in AZ generally tickets at 11mph over the speed limit. I'd recommend staying below that. It's not that big of a stretch as the speed limits of most major Scottsdale thoroughfares are 40-45, and some of the freeway is 65mph now I believe.

Now my sister just got busted where Scottsdale borders on Tempe and the speed limit drops 10mph--so be careful of things like that.

Technically, mail is not considered proper service. If you don't respond they have to send a process server to personally serve you with the ticket. The cost is added to the fine if convicted.

More importantly, is the tourist driving a rental vehicle or personal vehicle? Municipalities usually treat the photo speeding and redlight tickets as non-moving violations and cite the vehicle owner rather than driver.

If driving a rental vehicle, the rental company will merely track down the renter, charge the credit card and add an administrative fee on top of it. If driving a personal vehicle registered in another state, Scottsdale technically could send a lawyer to your state and impose a lien on said vehicle. In practice, this is almost never done due to expense involved, and one can therefore get away with not paying out-of-state tickets for non-moving violations.

Photo radar in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley (Biltmore area) certainly are moving violations. It remains that mail is not proper service. So if someone knocks on your door in Toronto after you have gotten a ticket (forwarded by the rental company to your address) don't answer it. Just kidding, as I suspect Scottsdale is not paying a process server to run people down in out of state locations. And the ticket is not served on the vehicle owner. They get a request to identify the driver, which they may or may not do. the request is accompanied by an excellent picture of the driver and the vehicle.

I also suspect they don't use process servers locally for reasonable speeds as they get too much revenue from the folks that mail the check back in.

The photo radar in this town is everywhere and is moved constantly using radar equipped vans. The simple answer is never drive 11 over in Scottsdale. That is the stance you will find most locals take and it makes the driving experience quite comfortable.

Perry

They only have 90 days to serve you and its a done deal. If you get a email from them don't open it or you have been served! It costs about $30 more if the process server gets lucky and catchs you home. They take great pics, its the best shot I have of my wife and car:D:D.

More importantly, is the tourist driving a rental vehicle or personal vehicle? Municipalities usually treat the photo speeding and redlight tickets as non-moving violations and cite the vehicle owner rather than driver.

If driving a rental vehicle, the rental company will merely track down the renter, charge the credit card and add an administrative fee on top of it. If driving a personal vehicle registered in another state, Scottsdale technically could send a lawyer to your state and impose a lien on said vehicle. In practice, this is almost never done due to expense involved, and one can therefore get away with not paying out-of-state tickets for non-moving violations.


No, not quite. They go to the car rental company, get the name, address and drivers license information of the renter who then hears from the Scottsdale P.D. with a notice of violation.

They only have 90 days to serve you and its a done deal. If you get a email from them don't open it or you have been served! It costs about $30 more if the process server gets lucky and catchs you home. They take great pics, its the best shot I have of my wife and car:D:D.

I have never heard of service by e-mail being legal. It certainly isn't in this state.

Alright.

I got one. In Tempe. Actually I don't have it yet -- it's not in my name yet. I just got the notice from National Rent-a-car But it will be in my name soon.

Now, I haven't had a ticket in 13 years so this is more a spot on my personal record than it is an inconvenience.

I have heard all the tricks and quite frankly want to do well by the courts so I will probably either take traffic school online if I can or just fly out there for a day to do that. Sure, the 2 points (by the time they transfer to Texas) won't hurt me much. But I want my clean record again!

Anyway, there is always the (small) option of trying to wait out the process server... i.e. wait for the letter, ignore it, and wait to get served before asking for traffic school or just sending in the fine.

Now I have heard many state that because National ratted me out that I am screwed, but they still need to properly serve me, correct? If I wait until when (if) I am served, how much time does that give me to get traffic school in order?

Or, since I am open to just doing it anyway, should I just do it when I receive the ticket?