Richmond’s New Bylaw Adjudication System Will Streamline Parking Disputes
30 March 2007Effective April 1, 2007 the City of Richmond will implement a new Bylaw Dispute Adjudication System. The new system will allow the City to process bylaw disputes at the local level rather than through the Provincial Court system.
This more efficient system will benefit both the community and the person involved in a dispute. Community benefits include reducing costs to the City and the Province, as well as freeing court time for other priorities. Benefits for disputants include eliminating the need to leave work or home during the day to attend hearings or wait several hours at the court house for hearings to begin.
For the initial phase, this new system will deal only with parking infractions and safety/liability infractions such as parking in no stopping zones or near fire hydrants.
Previously, anyone wishing to dispute a parking ticket had to appear in the local BC Provincial Court on Elmbridge Way, Richmond - an expensive and time-consuming process for the disputant, the Province and the City. In 2006, over 17,150 parking tickets were issued across Richmond; approximately 800 of which were disputed.
Under the new system, a provincially appointed adjudicator, centrally located at Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, will hear all disputes. The Bylaw Dispute Adjudication system will work as follows:
- If the ticket is paid within 28 days of issuance, a discount will apply to the penalty. If not paid within 60 days, a surcharge is added to the penalty and the ticket is forwarded for collection.
- Those electing to dispute their parking ticket must do so by first contacting the City by telephone, fax, email or in person within 28 days of ticket issue date.
- The disputant will be contacted by a Screening Officer who will review the case and, if appropriate, cancel the ticket. If this officer does not cancel the ticket, it will be forwarded to the adjudicator, or paid, whichever the client chooses.
- If proceeding to adjudication, the disputant will apply in writing for an adjudicator to hear the case. A date and specific time will be scheduled, and the adjudication hearing will be conducted at Richmond City Hall. It should be noted that the disputant would not be required to personally appear at the adjudication. Representation may alternatively be made in writing or over the phone.
- If the ticket is upheld by the adjudicator, the full ticket penalty and a $25 adjudication fee (to offset the cost of the process to the City) will be applicable and payable.
For more information on the new Bylaw Dispute Adjudication System, please contact:
Wayne Mercer
City of Richmond
Telephone: 604-247-4601
email: wayne.mercer@richmond.ca
