Settlement Called Off in Parking Ticket Suit

It came close to a settlement, but the city is headed to court in a lawsuit filed last year over .

In the suit filed by Santa Monica residents Harriet and Stanley Epstein, the city and the contractor that processes its parking citations are accused of not complying with the California Vehicle Code, which requires agencies to explain why a ticket won't be overturned.

"We have no qualms in going to trial... we are confident we will win," said Harriet Epstein.

When the City Council voted in February to settle the case for $65,000, the Epsteins were furious—they said a draft agreement wasn't finalized. "There is no deal," Stanley Epstein .

They resumed negotiations, but those fell through Tuesday night when the City Council voted in closed session to end talks, the Epsteins said.

In addition to reimbursement for attorney fees, the Epsteins sought to force the city to provide written explanations to thousands of motorists who contested parking tickets after that section the vehicle code that it is accused of violating was adopted in January 2009.

City Attorney Marsha Moutrie estimated in February that the city would have to send about 11,500 notifications.The Epsteins said Wednesday that the number is closer to 20,000.

The case is set for trial Nov. 13.

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