Receiving a notice of a parking violation through the mail can trigger an immediate sense of dread – a quiet thud of anxiety landing in the pit of your stomach. As you read it, confusion or disbelief might set in: When did this happen? Was there a sign? Then comes the sinking feeling of powerlessness, the sense that a decision has been made without your input, and now you’re left holding the bill.
It’s fair to say that most people would want to see a notice of a parking violation disappear conveniently if one landed on their doormat.
Is parking enforcement a necessary evil?
Consider for a second, a city with no parking enforcement. Imagine the chaos on every curb and corner. Cars abandoned wherever drivers pleased—on sidewalks, crosswalks, fire lanes, and even in front of hospitals or school zones. Emergency vehicles are struggling to navigate blocked roads, public transit is paralyzed by illegally parked vehicles, and disabled individuals are unable to access reserved spaces. You’d see businesses losing customers and neighborhoods descending into daily disputes over space. Without any system of accountability, frustration could turn into aggression, and something as simple as having a spot by your home could become a daily battle between people who would otherwise be friends.
Notwithstanding, despite the chaos that a lack of parking enforcement could bring, many people still resent paying for parking and most resent paying for a parking violation. If there has not been a historical precedent of being charged in a specific place, it can feel like being charged for something that should be free, i.e., space!!
Why we feel wronged
An expectation of free parking, particularly in suburban and less dense areas, is reinforced by decades of development built around cars. If town planning has effectively encouraged us to bring our cars into certain areas, why should we be penalized for it? For this reason, meters, permits, or paid lots, rather than a reasonable exchange for land use, might be viewed as a nuisance or a cash grab.
There are also instances when someone googling “I received a notice of a parking violation” might feel like they have been given an unfair punishment. E.g. If the parking costs themselves felt unpredictable, arbitrary, or even punitive—or in an instance where signage was unclear or options limited.
Not the Worst-Case Scenario
All of this said, a notice of a parking violation is offering a chance to resolve a situation before it escalates. It’s a prompt—not a penalty. A reminder—not a judgment. Whoever owns the property has the right to ask for payment if a visitor chooses to park their vehicle on the owner’s private land. It’s fair to request payment for a service offered, and that’s one of the basic tenets of our free society in a nation built on free enterprise.
Let’s be clear: paying a parking violation is not the harshest consequence of violating parking rules. In fact, it’s one of the more lenient outcomes.
Many states permit immediate escalation to more serious enforcement actions—like towing or booting a vehicle. These are costly, stressful, and extremely disruptive events for drivers. Yet at PRRS, we actively choose a kinder, more proportional response whenever possible.
Issuing a notice allows us to open a conversation, not close a door.
It’s a way of saying: “Something went wrong, but let’s try to resolve it fairly.”
Fairness First: Our Commitment to Listening
Mistakes happen. We see them every day—drivers misreading signage, entering the wrong license plate in a mobile app, or simply misunderstanding a lot’s rules. While we also encounter deliberate non-compliance, we don’t treat every case the same way.
That’s why we’ve designed a system with fairness built in that has:
- A clear and accessible dispute process on our website.
- Trained, empathetic support agents who can explain the notice and listen to your side of the story.
- Accurate compliance technology that ensures notices are issued based on reliable, real-time data.
We take privacy and security seriously, too. As a SOC 2 certified organization, we protect your personal data and never sell it to third parties.
Learning and Evolving
We regularly review feedback from drivers and property managers to improve signage clarity, update enforcement guidelines, and ensure our systems reflect best practices—not just strict rule-following.
Our mission isn’t to penalize, but to encourage compliance that works for everyone—from lot owners to everyday drivers trying to find a place to park.
Fair Enforcement. Real People. Smarter Solutions.
If that’s you googling “I received a notice of a parking violation”, it isn’t the worst thing that can happen. In fact, it’s often the fairest and most reasonable way to handle a violation. It’s not about punishment—it’s about progress.
And if you ever feel there’s more to your story, we’re here to listen.
Visit our website to learn more about your options, file a dispute, or talk to someone who will treat your situation with the understanding it deserves.
