Red Light Camera Ticket
 

So last night I was in an AVIS rental in the Hayward, CA area.

Made a right turn onto the freeway, and a red light camera flashed me and I presume will be trying to ticket me.

I want to dispute this. I know for a fact that the traffic camera's in Hayward are mostly bogus.

But is Avis going to pay the ticket without informing me first and then try to pass the bill to me? Anyway I can try to intervene and tell them NOT to pay and to forward the ticket to me so I can fight it?

I'm literally considering reporting my cc as lost/stolen so they cant automatically charge anything to my card.

This is a nearly $500 ticket and I know I can win it, if given the chance.

Based on experience, unless you can prove you weren't driving the car, you won't beat the ticket.

No experience here, but I bet they would still pay and then collect from you, maybe tacking on a collection fee.

The kicker is the collection fee which can be quite hefty.

The best approach is to see whether the Hayward system allows you to track the ticket based on the plate # only and for you to challenge the ticket before it is physically processed.

Practically speaking, don't expect success and be prepared to devote a lot of time to this. The good news is that because these tickets are issued against the plate not the driver, you should not see the insurance consequences suffered when you are stopped and ticketed.

The issue is that I know, for a positive fact, that the red light ticket is going to issue what is known as a 'snitch ticket' in California. Its not reported to the courts, and I dont have to pay it whatsoever.

If the system were to send the ticket just to me, I'd discard it. But I'm worried about Avis paying it without my consent then coming after me to foot the bill after the fact.

I will see if there's a way to track down the ticket somehow and have it routed to me instead of Avis so I can deal it with appropriately.

Avis has your consent. Unless you signed a non-standard contract, you agreed that Avis can pay any ticket issued by a govt. agency as well as the admin. fee associated with it.

Whether the local govt. could or would pursue the ticket in court has nothing to do with what you agreed Avis could do.

The California appellate courts have been regularly reversing red light camera ticket convictions.

I know, but I'm still going to try to fight it. :)

We'll see what happens, and I'll let everyone know in case there's any hope.

What you should do is inform the car rental company that you believe the ticket was issued in error and you do want to fight it. Include the date time and location. Ask them to advise you how to proceed. Keep a copy of all correspondence you send to Avis and the government entities. I would even send a certified to each place. Then you might stand a chance of protesting the charge on your credit card

Someone is giving you terrible advice. The tickets certainly are reported to the courts, and you will end up having to pay it unless you contest in court.

The good news is that sometimes those flashes occur randomly, so perhaps your car wasn't ticketed.... unless you know yourself that you went through the light.

My mother got stuck with one of the damn tickets while visiting me in California - luckily no home state license repercussions, but still a hefty fine.

what i do is check on states website few days later, enter the plate and you will find the violation there and pay it right there with card. by doing that the rental agency will not get the tickets to forward to you cos you took the action too early, too fast.

MAKE A FULL STOP AT RED LIGHT, BEFORE YOU TURN RIGHT, Even if your state allows TURN ON RED LIGHT BUT THERE IS A CAMERA ON THE INTERSECTION and if you turn right on red without making full stop, it is same as going on red light and they will take a free picture of you in your car, but it wil only show the car and plate not you

No, they are not. I have fought these tickets before, when not in a rental car, and have won. Not that I make it a habit of running red lights or anything. And if I lose, so be it. But I just want the opportunity to make my case instead of having Avis defacto plead guilty for me.

I know its a long shot and the odds are stacked against me... but still going to try for $500.

THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE. THIS IS ALL FROM MEMORY WHICH MAY BE WRONG. FOR ENTERTAINMENT VALUE ONLY:

I got a red light camera ticket in Florida while renting a car.

This was between Hollywood and Miami Beach.

It was probably Avis or Budget which I usually rent from but not 100% sure.

I remember running the red (barely) and the camera sign in front of me.

I was emailed a link to both stills and video clip in super hi res of my car, so clear you could see the passengers and license plate.

They did NOT charge my credit card.

I was given the ticket with a link to pay, and there was I believe $35 surchargee "processing" fee from the rental company.

The whole charge I think was around $150.

I am fundamentally against the whole red light camera thing so I wanted to fight it.

I called a law office in Miami.

I was told basically that it's not worth the time or effort to fight it.

I was told "If you pay, there's no points and no reporting to your insurance company."

"If you don't pay or fight it and lose, you risk points/insurance ramifications and more costs"

Not sure if any of that was true, but I figured it's basically a tourist tax, and I ran the light anyway....

I did NOT like that at night the cameras have a distracting flash. I was flashed while turning right (on green or yellow) several times and I was thinking "great I will have $1000 in fines when I get home"... but I didn't...

Just the one where I rolled through a yellow -> red with no one around.

I also wasnt going to fly back to go to court in Florida....

MODERATOR'S NOTE

Let's keep this on-topic as to if/how rajuabju can work through Avis or the legal system to challenge this before Avis automatically pays and bills them. I know most of us have strong feelings one way or the other as to red light cameras, but this isn't the forum to debate that. This is how we can help another frequent traveler to hopefully get the correct outcome.

Thanks!

The initial ticket will be issued to Avis. They will search their records and then send in a nomination form ID'ing you as the driver. There isn't really anything you can do about that part, it's company policy.

However, they will not automatically bill your credit card for the ticket. You will simply get the ticket in the mail from the court with your name and picture. I think some car companies do charge you a $30 or so "administrative fee" for ratting you out as the driver.

From that point, you can fight it just like you got it regularly through the mail in your own car. I found some really useful information here:

http://redlightcameradefenders.com/f...ked-questions/

Good luck!