Bronx man fights parking violations after car registration was illegally copied

Vishnudutt Ramdass owes close to $2,000 in parking violations. The Bronx man was hit with more than 40 parking tickets, and it's stemming from an issue that started in the early months of 2022.

Asha McKenzie

Nov 15, 2023, 3:33 AM

Updated 351 days ago

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Vishnudutt Ramdass owes close to $2,000 in parking violations. The Bronx man was hit with more than 40 parking tickets, and it's stemming from an issue that started in the early months of 2022.
"Yes, I am frustrated with losing that money," says Ramdass. "I am more frustrated because I can't use my car because my car registration has been suspended, and I have to pay to park my car in someone's yard."
Ramdass says what was confusing for him is that he never saw the parking violations on his car. He would only receive the tickets in the mail. Ramdass tells News 12 he thought the wind was blowing it away each time.
After getting the initial five tickets in the mail, which he paid for, he started to get skeptical.
"I started to get skeptical because I was very careful of these tickets coming," says Ramdass.
Ramdass had his niece take a closer look at the violations and so did News 12. Someone was using illegally using his registration. After combing through the tickets, News 12 found that on two of them the traffic agent noted the registration and the plates do not match.
Ramdass became so frustrated and fed up with getting ticket after ticket in the mail that he decided to walk around his neighborhood to see if he could find the culprit who stole his registration. He ended up discovering the vehicle with his identical registration on Williamsbridge Road in Allerton. It was not far from his home on Barnes Avenue. The vehicle using the fraudulent registration has no obvious make or model markings. It is a nondescript, gray sedan.
News 12 took this investigation further and found one of plates using his registration had a violation for improper registration in May 2022.
"There were times that things went into my head. That I could damage this car, cut his tire, break his windshield to draw attention to my matter," says Ramdass.
After a few months, Ramdass ended up changing his plates and registration. He also filed a police report, but he says that led nowhere. He then went to court was able to get 33 tickets dismissed, but he's being told he is still on the hook for 11 violations equaling $1,805.35.
If Ramdass wants to fight the decision, he has to do an Article 78. It is a lawsuit to challenge action or inaction by agencies within New York state. And that costs money. Ramdass just wants this over with without more money coming out his pockets.
"I need my plates back, I need my registration back, and I just want to drive my car," says Ramdass.
News 12 reached out to the New York state Department of Motor Vehicles, which told News 12 it does not manage formal judgements of parking tickets and referred the case to the Department of Finance.
The New York City Department of Finance sent News 12 a statement that reads: "DOF dismissed multiple summonses and we are currently reviewing the remaining open summonses. We encourage anyone experiencing parking and camera violation issues to contact the office of the parking summons advocate for assistance."
"I feel like I was targeted because I am old, and they feel I can't do anything," says Ramdass.
Have you been dealing with issues regarding parking violations? News 12 wants to hear from you. Reach out by emailing News12BX@News12.com or News12BK@News12.com.