See a defective parking meter in Philadelphia? Find out how to legally park there.

Ever get a ticket in Philadelphia even though the parking meter or kiosk was broken?  Here are some tips to get you out of a fine.

If a parking meter or kiosk is broken and it’s reported to the Parking Authority you shouldn’t get a ticket.   But if drivers do get one, Edward Thornton, head of on-street parking for the Parking Authority, says they should report the broken meter.

“They can either report it to our web address which is philapark.org or our telephone number 215-222-9100 to report a defective kiosk or meter,” said Thornton.

Thornton says if you have to contest at ticket with the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication, the hearing officer will note whether the meter was reported as defective.  But he adds you can’t park all day next to a busted meter.

“If you pull up to a space and the meter is defective you abide by what the posted regulation for the block is, so if a block is posted for two hour parking you are timed for two hours,” he said.

For out of order kiosks, Thornton says parkers need to look around. If there are two in a block and one is working, you need to use that one.  There is no free pass available in that situation.