dips009

Hi,
I was in DC couple of weeks ago and today I got a letter from Hertz stating there was a speeding violation and I owe $130 to Hertz.

I was never pulled over, there is no proof that I was speeding but most of all they paid the "fine" so I don't have a right to appeal.

What are my options?

MojaveFlyer

If Hertz paid a fine, you are probably obliged by the contract to pay it, end of story.

In at least some states, it is the driver, not the owner, who gets hit with a speeding ticket, and Hertz will just respond to the complaint by giving them your name (and charging you $30 or $50 for the privilege, even though it may be done by ATS who may be the same company running the speed cams).

I have posts somewhere describing my experience with Hertz and speed cams in Tucson. I'm not going to repeat it, but summary was that I didn't argue with the $30 or whatever and did not pay the ticket, which was OK because I was never legally served (a speed cam is different from an LEO who writes the ticket and gives it to you; thereby you are served).

dips009

Yea, that's what I think i'll have to do but that process is broken. By them paying the fine, they took away my right to contest the ticket. Luckily its just a fine w/o points on your record otherwise I would be really mad.

Thanks,

flyerfmaz

On a related note -- the really good news is that as of yesterday all the red light and speed cameras here in Tucson are turned off. Gone for good. The lights at those intersections were "tweaked" to catch even the honest, good drivers. The voters took the cameras out in Proposition 201.

cestmoi123

That's sort of good news. Much better news would have been to keep the cameras, but reset the lights (longer yellow). That would still penalize reckless drivers who run reds, while no longer penalizing safe drivers or encouraging them to stop short because of excessively short yellow lights.

flyerfmaz

I completely agree. Unfortunately, the city was given opportunities over the years to operate the cameras fairly and they repeatedly ignored those chances. The reasoning, as I understand it, is that if the city properly adjusted the yellow light length then the revenue would drop so severely it wouldn't be worth having the cameras in place to begin with. The cameras were a cash cow -- over $300 for the ticket, plus points (unless you paid the exorbitant cost to go to the city-run driving improvement class). This was entirely a scam operation, as are many red light cameras.

MojaveFlyer

Hooray!!! I will be smiling when I'm driving around Tucson, perhaps just a touch too fast , over my Christmas break. No, really, I'm a careful driver, but those cameras had a hair trigger, saw a few go off on vehicles that I would not have called for running the red.

CrazyOne

I had a DC camera ticket a couple years ago too (speeding, not red light). I couldn't figure out how to fight it with the rental car situation of them having already paid it. It was during the time I had the rental, and I did drive it to DC, and it was not during the time I had the car parked with the hotel parking, so I just ate the cost.

Had it been my own car and got the original notice, I may or may not have contested it just on the principle.

Often1

DC law makes the registered owner responsible for camera violations, but does not assess points for them. If the registered owner maintains that he was not the driver, there is an affidavit which the registered owner can provide to DMV and DMV will issue the summons to that individual.

The rental car companies simply pay the fine, tack on an administrative fee and either invoice the renter or simply charge the CC used (all of which one agrees to when one signs off at pickup).

uclacolumbiaunc

I got a speeding ticket too from Hertz by one of many speed cameras in DC that many tourists probably were not aware of until they got the ticket in the mail.

You can see the picture of your car online taken when violation occurred. You just need to call DC DMV for the pin number.

I got hit with $300 fine (plus $30 Hertz admin fee, so I got screwed for $330). My fine was doubled from $150 because my violation occurred in a construction zone.

If anyone is going to DC and plan to drive, beware of the speeding cameras (there are many of them), in addition to the atrocious traffic (I think DC traffic is worst than LA traffic)...