“Got a ticket after having my window smashed. Can I challenge?”

Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80

“Dear PoPville,

Last week I had my driver’s window smashed and my car rummaged through. Mine was one of three cars that got hit. Unfortunate, but I’m resigned to the fact that this is a reality of having a car in the city.

I was parked overnight in a different zone than I am registered in. I came to my car to move it early in the morning, well within the allowed time. However finding my car as it was, I couldn’t move it and arranged for a glass repair company to come and fix it early that afternoon. When I returned to my car to meet the repair man, I had a parking ticket.

I certainly was parked in that zone beyond when other zones are allowed to park there. I thought, surely if parking enforcement saw a car broken into with a smashed window, they’d give some sort of grace period. Or at least find it in their heart to give me a break. No such luck! Any potential I can challenge this? Any idea if there’s some sort of exception to the zoned rules considering extenuating circumstances?”