Wrong Vehicle / Not Owner at Time of Violation
Under Indianapolis Rev. Code §431-403 and analogous ordinances statewide, parking liability follows ownership at the time of the violation. A registered owner who sold or transferred the vehicle before the violation — and filed an Indiana BMV Notice of Sale (Form 44237) — has a complete defense. Indiana also recognizes lessee liability for leased vehicles: if the lease was assigned or terminated before the violation date, the original lessee is not liable. Stolen-vehicle defense applies under IC §35-43-4 (theft) when a police report predates the violation.
Legal basis
Indianapolis Rev. Code §431-403; Indiana BMV Form 44237 (Notice of Sale); IC §35-43-4 (theft / stolen vehicle); IC §9-18-2-1
Sample appeal wording
TO: Indianapolis Parking Violations Bureau RE: Citation [TICKET_NUMBER] I am NOT liable for this citation. On [VIOLATION_DATE] I was not the owner of the vehicle ([PLATE], [YEAR/MAKE/MODEL]). I sold/transferred the vehicle to [BUYER] on [DATE_SOLD] and filed BMV Notice of Sale Form 44237 on [DATE_FILED] (copy attached). ORIf stolen: my vehicle was reported stolen on [DATE], IMPD report #[NUMBER]; it had not been recovered as of the violation date. Liability does not attach. The citation must be dismissed and any lien released. Signed, [FULL_NAME] Date: [DATE]
Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.
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- Indianapolis Rev. Code §431-403
- Indiana BMV Form 44237
- IC §9-18-2-1