Parking Enforcement

To Contest a Parking Ticket

There are three levels that may be involved in contesting a parking ticket issued in the City of Willits. The three levels are prescribed by the California Vehicle Code with the intention of providing citizens with an opportunity to contest parking tickets that were issued to their vehicles.

Three Level Process

1. Initial Review Request

2. Administrative Hearing

3. Appeal through the Mendocino Superior Court

1) Initial Review Request

If you disagree with a parking ticket you received and would like to contest it, you have 21 days from the date the ticket was issued, or 14 days from the mailing of the Delinquent Parking Notice to submit an Initial Review Request.

For your convenience you may download the Request for Initial Review Form. Please complete the form, attach all relevant information and a copy of the parking ticket to the Request for Initial Review Form and mail it to the City of Willits Police Department. Initial Review Requests received beyond the date prescribed by the California Motor Vehicle Code will not be accepted. A written statement as to why you believe the parking ticket was issued in error must be submitted to the City’s Police Department. You should also include any supportive documentation (e.g. receipts, pictures, diagrams) to support your statement. Materials submitted for review will not be returned. Click here to download form.

The Administrative Review Investigator will review your Initial Review Request and will make a determination as to its outcome by rendering one of the following decisions:

1. The ticket was determined to be invalid and will be dismissed. No further action will be required on your part. You will receive written correspondence from the Administrative Review Investigator confirming the dismissal of your parking ticket.

1. The ticket was determined to be valid and payment must be submitted in full. You will receive written correspondence from the Administrative Review Investigator notifying you of the decision and advising you that the ticket must be paid.

1. The ticket will require further investigation before a decision can be made. You will receive written correspondence from the Administrative Review Investigator requesting the required information. The decision on your ticket will not be made until the requested documentation is received. You will have ten (10) days to submit the requested information. Requested information received after the due date will not be considered and full payment will be required.

Initial Review Requests that were rendered a decision will not be conducted a second time on the same ticket.

The request for an initial review is free of charge.

City of Willits

Police Department

125 E. Commercial St, Suite 150

Willits, CA 95490

(707) 459-6122

Office Hours: Monday – Friday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

Closed Weekends and Holidays

2) Administrative Hearing

If you are dissatisfied with the initial review results, you may further contest the ticket by requesting an Administrative Hearing. Unlike the initial review request, State Law requires that you pay in advance all fines that are owed on the ticket before you can request an Administrative Hearing. Administrative Hearings must be requested within 21 days of the date the decision was reached on your Initial Review Request. If you fail to request the Administrative Hearing within the prescribed time you will lose the opportunity to further contest the parking ticket.

To request an Administrative Hearing, please complete the Administrative Hearing request form that is located at the bottom of your initial review request results form and mail it to the Parking Citation Section along with the applicable payment. Please be sure to check the applicable box indicating that you are requesting a hearing. You can also download a Hearing Request Form. You will receive written notification regarding the date and time scheduled for your hearing. Click here to download form.

If you cannot attend an in-person Administrative Hearing you may submit a Written Declaration or request that the Hearing Officer render a decision based on the statement you submitted on your Initial Review Request form. You may also use the Written Declaration form to add additional information not included on your original Initial Review Request form. Click here to download form.

If the Hearing Officer makes a decision in your favor, the Parking Citation Section will refund your payment, if you have no other outstanding parking tickets. If you have outstanding parking tickets the refund will be applied to the unpaid balance.

What Takes Place At An Administrative Hearing

The Administrative Review Investigator will provide the Hearing Officer with all relevant information associated with your case. Information provided may contain the following items:

1. Copy of the ticket you were issued.

2. All correspondence that the Parking Citation Section has on file that you submitted.

3. Investigation results that were conducted associated with your ticket.

4. Computer system notes on phone calls made to the Administrative Review Investigator relevant to your ticket.

5. Correspondence and notices that were sent to you by the Parking Citation Section.

The Hearing Officer will review all information, and listen to your explanation as to why you feel the parking ticket should be dismissed. The Hearing Officer will end the hearing once he/she has enough information to render a decision. The results of the hearing will be mailed to you within 15 days from the date of your hearing. The Hearing Officer will render one of the following decisions:

1. The parking ticket is upheld and/or the late fees are warranted.

2. The parking ticket is upheld and the late fees are waived.

3. The parking ticket is dismissed.

If you are unable to attend the Administrative Hearing on the scheduled date you may reschedule your hearing. Administrative Hearings can only be rescheduled one time. If you are not in attendance on the date of your rescheduled hearing you will lose the opportunity to contest your parking ticket. To reschedule a hearing please call (707) 459-6122.

3) Appealing the Administrative Hearing

If you are not satisfied with the Hearing Officers decision you may further contest the parking ticket by appeal through the Mendocino County Superior Court. You cannot appeal a parking ticket if you have not first obtained the results from your Initial Review Request and your Administrative Hearing. Both must be performed before you can appeal the parking ticket. Furthermore, appeals must be requested within 30 days from the date of the Hearing Officer’s decision. To file for an appeal, you must do so in person at the Mendocino County Superior Court. The Mendocino County Superior Court is located at 125 E. Commercial St., Willits, CA 95490. A filing fee must be submitted to the court for each ticket that you are appealing. If your appeal is granted the Mendocino County Superior Court will obtain your case file from the Administrative Review Investigator and will schedule your Appeal Hearing.

The case file is used by the presiding judge at the Mendocino County Superior Court for use in rendering a decision on your parking ticket. If the Judge presiding over your case renders a decision to dismiss your ticket, the filing fee along with your parking fine will be refunded to you.