My question involves a traffic citation from the state of: IOWA
I work for a group home for persons with physical and intellectual disabilities. Each separate home in our company has a personal vehicle with a handicapped placard.
On this day, I transported a client from the home to church, then to Wal-Mart for grocery shopping. When we came out, there was a $100.00 handicapped parking violation ticket on our window. I looked in the van (A very large rear loading wheelchair accessible van) for our placard...and realized it was not in there. (keep in mind it is ALWAYS in there...and usually right on the rear view window)
I mention what type of vehicle because our company has to deal EVERYDAY with all the handicapped spots being taken up (amazing how there are 20 handicapped spots taken...and no on in Wal-Mart actually handicapped) and having to drive around and around to get one. I have NEVER seen a ticket on any of these vehicles...so why an officer would single out an obvious handicapped vehicle and write them a ticket is beyond me. Running the plates would have gone back to a group home. Sure...he doesn't have to waste time going into Wal-Mart to have the owner of this vehicle paged...but he sure as heck didn't have to automatically write a ticket for a person driving a wheelchair accessible van. Did he think a teenager was cruising in grandpa's vehicle? How about checking up on the mustang convertible that cut me off last month to get the handicapped spot before me...and had three teen boys get out, laugh at me, and walk inside??? They had a placard in the car...sure...but it OBVIOUSLY wasn't theirs!
I notified our company upon returning home (I found the placard at the home btw) of the infraction. I then went online and disputed the ticket...giving specifics such as I was transporting a client, the vehicle belongs to a group home (Mosaic) and our placard #.
Three weeks later I received a notice that the ticket was NOT waived, but was lessened to $25 because I was still in violation of not having it in the vehicle in plain sight. I gave this information and all my handling, copies, etc. to my supervisor.
Yesterday, I received the paperwork back from my company stating I would have to pay this ticket??? How is this fair???
Before you make a determination of fairness...please see below for details of situation...also, I would appreciate (all fairness aside) letting me know if I am legally liable for this ticket...or if the company is.
1. I was working (on the clock) and was transporting a client who lived in the home that the vehicle belonged to.
2. I legally parked in the handicapped spot. (aside from no placard of course)
3. I did not remove this placard from the van (Later found out it was another employee who removed it when the van was going into the shop that week...and did not return it. We do not need to remove this for any reason...it could have been placed in glove box)
4. I did not even notice the placard was not in there. With a group home...there is a lot going on. We have four clients who live in this home...my concern is for their safety...it would be nice to notice little things like this...but not always possible.
5. I checked our receipts...one for a client not with us who needed something, one for the client that was with me and one for the household shopping. (everything is paid for separately) The time of checkout on the last receipt was approximately THREE minutes before the time the officer wrote the ticket. We were parked in front of the doors. He had to have written that and then rushed out of the parking lot...because we were parked right in front and came right out. I noticed the ticket immediately..and first thing I did was look in the lot for him and he was already gone!
6. I gave all this information, including our van log that tracks mileage, gas, destination, etc....copies of receipts with clients cc#'s...etc for review and still have this ticket for $25.00.
7. My company is aware that it was not me who removed the placard from the vehicle...they actually know which employee it was. I am a one year employee, she is a 15 year...I recently requested a transfer because of this specific employee...and all the problems I have had with her for the past year. I was transferred to a home a week ago on the other side of town. This ticket was returned to me by the old supervisor...yesterday.
If they are to insist the employee has to pay for it...wouldn't you think they would AT LEAST have the employee who removed the placard pay half...and the other employee who did not notice it was not in the vehicle and parked in the handicapped spot without...pay the other half? Personally, I think that because this was not gross negligence on anyone's part..the company should eat this. I feel like I am being punished because I had requested this transfer...
What do you think?? I really need an outside....and legal...opinion on this. I know its only $25...but I am standing on principle.

