Free Parking is a major factor in making America Great.
I think its just as likely that a Texas car that was tan and not yours got a ticket, and the written ticket was illegible, so the wrong license plate number was written.
Mistakes happen.
But the collection apparatus doesn’t give a crap, even when you send them your registration, proving that the ticket is incorrect.
Once they have a license number, even if out of state, today’s connected computers make it easy for them to track you down.
The collection apparatus counts on most people being unable (distance, work, etc) to show up in Court with evidence. And, it otherwise ignores you once a collection demand has been made.
I think its that way in a lot of states.
“But my vehicle with that license plate number is not a black Volkswagen, but rather a tan Hyundai.”
That’s it. If you could prove that in documentation, the better. Here in L.A, accident and traffic ticket lawyers are cheap and you just pay them a small amount. I’ve been ticketed 7 times this year alone (so far), and I’ve beaten every one of them (well, my lawyer did LOL). The LA Traffic office is full of crooks too...
I used to think collection agencies were legitimate businesses. In receent years learned that collection agencies are rife with criminals. For the 1st 10 years of having my phone number I kept getting calls from collection agencies for someone who presumably had the number before me. If I bothered to tell them that they either hung up and sold it down the food chain to creepier firms, or didn’t believe me and kept calling. They kept calling for ‘maria’. I was always tempted to tell them I go by ‘mario’ now and if they want their parts back they should repossess them. I’d be happy to see the whole industry sued out of existence and all participants given a singapore style caning.
If they sent you anything in the mail, report it in writing to the post office as mail fraud - and send a copy to the city (county?) attorney and to the collection agency. While you are at it, why not contact the Texas attorney general, as well. After all, the crime against you occurred in Texas.
It’s extortion, pure and simple.
Had a similar situation with a bridge toll fee from the San Mateo Bridge in SF. A car that had its license plate cover obscuring its true identity. The cover hid the bottom of the I so they ticketed my husband because his license plate was the same one only with the letter T.
We tried everything, DMV, CHP, the bridge toll company. My husband even changed out his license plate for a new one. That did not help because the former plate was still in their system and it was still connected to his name.
After 4-5 months and more than 20 violations, I had finally had enough. We contacted our local CA Assemblyman. I went in with the stack of violations, all the letters I had written, the picture of his former license plate (different type of car as well) the picture of the offending car with its license plate, along with documentation of phone calls and correspondence connected with my attempts to resolve the issue. The staff was mortified what we were going through. They contacted the Toll Bridge Company and we have not had any issues since then.
I recommend that you contact the Miami City Council or Mayors office. If you can get someone to listen to your situation perhaps that will get your situation resolved. If that falls on deaf ears, then go to your Senator or House member and see if they can resolve it.
you’re wasting time with little people. Contact your state representative. They’re always looking for stuff to investigate to make political points.
Are you able to say where you live, roughly?
Florida - America’s Banana Republic
Never respond to a collection agency. They are trolls. Respond, and they will keep coming back—every time you talk to them, you are resetting the clock—literally.
Ignore them and they will go away.
Probably a mail scam and not even from Florida.
Not quite as deceptive, but, in October of 2012 I traded in my Altima for a Ford C-Max and transferred the tag. Toward the end of the year I got a letter from Miami Dade regarding two parking tickets I had received on 11/11 and noted my tag number.
I sent them an email explaining that, on that date, I was not in Miami but Gainesville attending a football game. Three months later I hear from a collection agency. I sent them documentation concerning the car purchase and transfer of my tag to the new car. I also explained to them I was not in Miami that day.I heard nothing more from them.
This April I received a postcard from Miami Dade informing me that I still owed fines for the two parking tickets and a penalty for late payment. This time I went on their website and researched the fine and found it was for the Altima I had traded in a month earlier. They must have gotten the tag number from the vin number that had not been switched over yet.
I contacted them again and had to jump through hoops to prove that the Altima was no longer owned by me on the day of the parking fines. After two notarized documents on the trade in of my Altima, they finally informed me the fines were dismissed.
You need to send a letter citing the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). I had a similar situation a decade ago regarding a debt that was not mine. Debt collectors harassed me for weeks. I sent one letter and never heard from them again. There are severe penalties if they contact you after receipt of your letter and are unable to provide the evidence requested. There are sample FDCPA cease and desist letters on the internet.
You are doing it wrong. Immediately file an Official Complaint of MAIL FRAUD to the US Postmaster.
The term mail fraud refers to any scheme carried out in a fraudulent manner, with the intent of depriving another person of his or her property, or “honest services,” via the U.S. Postal Service, or any other interstate mail carrier. Since 1872, the crime of mail fraud has been classified as a federal offense in the United States, and carries serious penalties. To explore this concept, consider the following mail fraud definition.
https://legaldictionary.net/mail-fraud/