Hank Investigates

Hank Investigates: Made up in Manhattan

Massachusetts residents hit with big fines for illegally parking in the Big Apple, but their cars were never there. Our investigation reveals a shocking parking ticket trap targeting Bay State drivers. Could these violations be made up in Manhattan? Hank Investigates.

Matthew Gray was baffled: he got this 115 dollar ticket for double parking here in Manhattan, but his car was not in New York, and his parking receipt proves it.

Matthew Gray, Townsend Resident
"I was definitely at work that day in Worcester."

Errol McDowall--two tickets-- four months apart say he parked in Big Apple bus stops. He says his car was in Boston.

Hank
"How could you prove you weren't there?"

Errol McDowall, Boston Resident
"Because I have notes from my doctor. I was home sick."

Bernard Ruberti, twelve Manhattan parking tickets, each issued on a different date. He insists his car was home in Fitchburg. Not in New York City.

Bernard Ruberti, Fitchburg Resident
"I could always prove I wasn't there."

In fact, our investigation found a pattern of mysterious parking tickets from the Big Apple, incorrect and inaccurate, bombarding Massachusetts drivers.

Errol McDowall, Boston Resident
"I think its a scam."

Did traffic officers get the plate numbers wrong? Or just mark the wrong state? Our comparison of multi-state registration records found they didn't--and the victims aren't lying.

Maureen Macleod, Manchester, MA Resident
"I thought it was ridiculous."

Maureen Macleod's ticket says her green Honda Accord, Mass plate 20HX28 was double parked on this New York City street.

Maureen once had a white Honda with that license number--however.

Maureen Macleod, Manchester, MA Resident
"It was in an accident and the car was totaled."

Registry records confirm, the plates were returned 3 months before the ticket date and were never reissued. Bottom line: the green Honda written up here--never existed.

Maureen Macleod, Manchester, MA Resident
"It's like, almost like a scam."

In fact, there was wrong info on every ticket we saw: Errol has a Dodge truck. His ticket is for a Toyota sedan.

Bernard has a Cadillac. His tickets say "van."

Carl from Norton drives a blue Volvo wagon--his ticket says black Volkswagen sedan.

Carl Dumont, Norton Resident
"It just doesn't make sense."

What's going on here? Glen Bolofsky runs a company that helps people fight tickets. He says he's received the "I wasn't in New York" complaint from a shocking number of Massachusetts drivers; and he has an explanation.

Glen Bolofsky, www.parkingticket.com
"They just want the money."

How much money? NYC officials would only give us stats for April and May of 2005. They reveal New York officers wrote more than three hundred tickets A DAY to Mass plates.

OK--some Bay Staters were in the wrong, but 300 a day?

Glen Bolofsky, www.parkingticket.com
"The city of New York is making stuff up."

So question for NYPD, how could this happen? We sent them our evidence they couldn't explain it. Nor did they want to discuss it on camera.

But this is the City's former traffic commissioner, a total insider. He says when he was on the job he actually caught officers sitting in coffee shops with lists of license plates creating "phantom" tickets.

Sam Schwartz, Former NYC Traffic Commissioner, "Gridlock Sam"
"They would write summonses to cars often out of state because they figure nobody will catch them."

He agreed these tickets are suspect and says officers are pressured to write violations, fill a quota, or face disciplinary action.

Hank
"These cars were definitely not in New York."

Sam Schwartz, Former NYC Traffic Commissioner, "Gridlock Sam"
"I would say this is worthy of an investigation."

This ticketgate has Massachusetts drivers demanding answers too. Tickets arrive with huge penalties and collection agency threats. Every victim complains it's impossible to get them dismissed.

Carl Dumont, Norton Resident
"I think they're trying to scam everyone, that's what I'm thinkin.

If you got a suspicious ticket we'd like to know about it. Just go to our website and click on Made up in Manhattan. In the newsroom, I'm Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Did you get a ticket you think was made up in Manhattan? Let us know!

(Copyright (c) 2005 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)