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DirtyDigz

Speed camera ticket from MD - can it affect a NJ registration?

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Just received a speed camera ticket in the mail from Maryland when I was down visiting family over Christmas.

 

It's a civil citation, not moving violation, so I believe it can't be reported to insurance, and as far as I can tell the only real penalty for not paying is a hold placed on vehicle registration when you go to renew. 

 

Anyone know if their "reach" extends to NJ registrations, or just MD registrations?

 

I'd really enjoy telling them to go pound if I can.

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I got one a few yrs ago, 2AM thru a non working construction zone the pricks. I thought about blowing it off too but I make a handful of runs thru MD during the yr and did not want to risk getting pulled over with a outstanding ticket, especially witha gun in the car. I just payed it and let it go.

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Just received a speed camera ticket in the mail from Maryland when I was down visiting family over Christmas.

Anyone know if their "reach" extends to NJ registrations, or just MD registrations?

 

 

I wouldn't put it past them. Remember that MD has MCAC.  I'm sure that means that Info. goes *both* ways. 

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So after more research elsewhere, it appears that MD cannot prevent me from renewing a NJ vehicle registration.

 

It's a civil complaint only, so if I ignore it it will not result in a warrant or show up on a criminal record.

 

However, failure to respond to it will result in a cascade of penalties and fees and eventually a civil judgement which can affect my credit rating.

 

Looks like I'm paying.

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MD put a hold on my drivers license renewal due to a regular speeding ticket there. They are really vindictive bastards.

 

Between the high EZ Pass tolls and speed traps, it's a big MD/DE tax collection scam for people driving through. Highway robbery by the state.

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My wife was in DE about 9 years ago with my son and one of these cameras caught them going through a red light.  They send me a ticket in the mail, to which I replied I had not be in DE in years.  They sent me the photo of the car plate and one showing it behind the stop line when the light was red and one in the middle of the intersection.  They told me if it was not me driving that I could get off by telling them who was the driver.  I replied that there were multiple drivers in the car and unless they could send me a picture of the driver I was not going to risk perjury by just picking which one it might have been and that the drivers had no recollection of going through a red light or who was driving at the time.  That was the last I heard from the company in MA that runs their system.

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My wife was in DE about 9 years ago with my son and one of these cameras caught them going through a red light.  They send me a ticket in the mail, to which I replied I had not be in DE in years.  They sent me the photo of the car plate and one showing it behind the stop line when the light was red and one in the middle of the intersection.  They told me if it was not me driving that I could get off by telling them who was the driver.  I replied that there were multiple drivers in the car and unless they could send me a picture of the driver I was not going to risk perjury by just picking which one it might have been and that the drivers had no recollection of going through a red light or who was driving at the time.  That was the last I heard from the company in MA that runs their system.

 

Yeah,  that's been one of the issues regarding "cam" tickets... not knowing who was the driver, as the "violation" almost always goes against the driver's record, not the car owner.   I wonder if that's what's keeping the fruition of violation cameras.  BTW, I happen to know where there's a nasty little set of them in Warren County.

 

Intersection of Rt. 519 and US 22, near Phillipsburg Mall.

 

Y8nh60C.jpg

 

These, I believe are more "red light & improper turn" cams than speed, but... I've actually seen them work.  In evening (dark) hours, you can see the flashes pop off when someone "commits a violation."

 

I believe it's also true that (at least in re: true LEO stops) that out of state drivers get targeted more than in state... the logic being that out of state drivers are less likely to be available to challenge the violation in court.  Easier just to pay the fine, or so they believe.... but when one has points and insurance premiums on the line, it makes more sense to make the required effort to challenge the violation if possible.

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It's a civil complaint only, so if I ignore it it will not result in a warrant or show up on a criminal record.

Looks like I'm paying.

 

"Just because the photo enforced cameras take a picture does not mean it tells the whole story. For instance, you may not have been driving the car at the time or you may think the camera improperly recorded your speed that day. If so, you are allowed to challenge the citation, so long as you contest the ticket at least five days before the due date of the fine. Such challenges will be conducted din Maryland District Courts and specific details about how to challenge such tickets are listed on the back of each citation."

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The P'burg cameras went offline a couple of years ago.  Political hot spot between two towns over revenue from the cameras and lawyers killing them on freedom of information requests.  One of the few 'wins' for the people of NJ.

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"Just because the photo enforced cameras take a picture does not mean it tells the whole story. For instance, you may not have been driving the car at the time or you may think the camera improperly recorded your speed that day. If so, you are allowed to challenge the citation, so long as you contest the ticket at least five days before the due date of the fine. Such challenges will be conducted din Maryland District Courts and specific details about how to challenge such tickets are listed on the back of each citation."

 

Yes, I read the ticket closely and I have the right to contest it * * in person * * back in Maryland.  No "by mail" challenges entertained. 

 

8 hours of travel time round trip to contest it.  If I lose, I will still owe the fine, plus undetermined court costs.  Risk/reward ratio not favorable on this action.

 

Yet I did drive 4 hours round trip in the snow to attend the NJ2AS conference this past Saturday.  Priorities.

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The P'burg cameras went offline a couple of years ago.  Political hot spot between two towns over revenue from the cameras and lawyers killing them on freedom of information requests.  One of the few 'wins' for the people of NJ.

 

Interesting.  I think the last time I went through there was, roughly, late July, 2015, and I saw them "operating" (i.e. flashes in the dark when a violation was caught). Whether or not that means tickets were actually being issued or sent, I don't know.

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Yes, I read the ticket closely and I have the right to contest it * * in person * * back in Maryland.  No "by mail" challenges entertained. 

 

8 hours of travel time round trip to contest it.  If I lose, I will still owe the fine, plus undetermined court costs.  Risk/reward ratio not favorable on this action.

 

Yet I did drive 4 hours round trip in the snow to attend the NJ2AS conference this past Saturday.  Priorities.

they do that for exactly why you stated.........they make it so it's not worth your time to risk fighting it so you'll just mail in the money.

 

 on the other hand.....wonder what'd happen if one had ir led's strong enough to "blind" those cameras........

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Sucks.   Invest in a detector.  Contrary to common belief, they still work.    I use a Valentine 1 that I've had since 1994 and I've upgraded it twice.   

Do you think they'd work on high overhead pole mntd cameras/detecters vs the ones in patrol cars?

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Do you think they'd work on high overhead pole mntd cameras/detecters vs the ones in patrol cars?

 

The higher up, the better, it gives a longer over the horizon shot.  Too high and it won't be able to accurately get a speed, so there's a limit.

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5 month update, still haven't paid.

Around March-ish they sent me a notice that my vehicle registration privileges are suspended in Maryland.  Ok, knock yourselves out there Maryland Safe Speed....

Some time in April I renewed the NJ registrations of my car and motorcycle.  No issues.

I've received about 4 more "You really have to pay" letters since then.  I'm saving them - and ignoring them.  Haven't received any more since early May.

Recently applied for a mortgage, had a couple of hard credit pulls, my FICO score is over 800.  So no credit ding that I can see, at least not yet.

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7 minutes ago, DirtyDigz said:

6 month update, still haven't paid.

Around March-ish they sent me a notice that my vehicle registration privileges are suspended in Maryland.  Ok, knock yourselves out there Maryland Safe Speed....

Some time in April I renewed the NJ registrations of my car and motorcycle.  No issues.

I've received about 4 more "You really have to pay" letters since then.  I'm saving them - and ignoring them.  Haven't received any more since early May.

Recently applied for a mortgage, had a couple of hard credit pulls, my FICO score is over 800.  So no credit ding that I can see, at least not yet.

How much is the ticket for?

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Just now, JC_68Westy said:

... To me, $40 isn't worth fighting over for anything.

I'm sure a team of lawyers and psychologists worked together to come up with the $40 amount that evokes just that reaction.

Just enough to not be worth fighting, because this scheme probably wouldn't stand up to a concerted legal challenge.

Personally, I enjoy knowing that they've probably expended more than $40 in clerk time sending me the notices so far.

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A friend of mine got caught on a speed cam well over 100mph in new Mexico or maybe another southwestern state quite a few years ago. He has ignored it without any negative impact. He gets a letter every year about it. He got his FID 2 years ago and mortgage 6 years ago without any issues 

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33 minutes ago, Handyman said:

Why people do not vandalize and disable these cameras in large numbers escapes me. If there was one on the corner in front of my place I would introduce it to the thermite reaction.

Because destruction of State property is illegal. 

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On 1/10/2017 at 8:20 AM, DirtyDigz said:

So after more research elsewhere, it appears that MD cannot prevent me from renewing a NJ vehicle registration.

 

It's a civil complaint only, so if I ignore it it will not result in a warrant or show up on a criminal record.

 

However, failure to respond to it will result in a cascade of penalties and fees and eventually a civil judgement which can affect my credit rating.

 

Looks like I'm paying.

How much is the fine. The MD violations I have heard of are all only $40.

I'd recommend paying. I got a ticket in Yakima WA in the early 90s,  living in FL at the time so I  ignored it until I applied for a mortgage. It came up on their search so I had to pay up, plus extra fines.

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1 hour ago, Handyman said:

 


I guess I'm less than a model citizen.

Helping run away slaves used to be illegal too.

 

When those same cameras catch murderers and the like, it's a whole other story.

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