post naturalization doubt

[newlyweds2010 208]

Last night I received the documents from the DMV to renew my and my wife's car tags. To my shock and surprise, I found out that there was $145 to be paid for a parking ticket that we allegedly got in October 2013. I have no idea what that is, I am 100% sure that I did not get a ticket, which I would have paid right away. I didn't find any notices of violation or the like on my car. My wife, who is the one who occasionally gets stupid parking tickets, also doesn't recall leaving tickets unpaid. Her comment was "I always make sure to pay them in time". I paid this ticket immediately, as soon as I was made aware that we had one. Now I became a US Citizen in January 2014, 3 months after the ticket was allegedly issued. I did not disclose it (not that I had to, but I had no idea this ticked was even there). The IO asked me if we have any back taxes, to which I responded "no" (I personally take care of our taxes and I know we don't owe any tax money), if I had any traffic tickets (two that I got abroad, all paid). Fine, approved. Do you think that this could cause issues with my naturalization, such as "lack of good moral character for not paying a parking ticket", or "misrepresentation"? Let me add that the car is under my wife's and my name. Thank you for your input, although I probably worry too much I spent a mostly sleepless night thinking about this absurd thing.

[JimmyHou 611]

Last night I received the documents from the DMV to renew my and my wife's car tags. To my shock and surprise, I found out that there was $145 to be paid for a parking ticket that we allegedly got in October 2013. I have no idea what that is, I am 100% sure that I did not get a ticket, which I would have paid right away. I didn't find any notices of violation or the like on my car. My wife, who is the one who occasionally gets stupid parking tickets, also doesn't recall leaving tickets unpaid. Her comment was "I always make sure to pay them in time". I paid this ticket immediately, as soon as I was made aware that we had one. Now I became a US Citizen in January 2014, 3 months after the ticket was allegedly issued. I did not disclose it (not that I had to, but I had no idea this ticked was even there). The IO asked me if we have any back taxes, to which I responded "no" (I personally take care of our taxes and I know we don't owe any tax money), if I had any traffic tickets (two that I got abroad, all paid). Fine, approved. Do you think that this could cause issues with my naturalization, such as "lack of good moral character for not paying a parking ticket", or "misrepresentation"? Let me add that the car is under my wife's and my name. Thank you for your input, although I probably worry too much I spent a mostly sleepless night thinking about this absurd thing.

You are already a US citizen, so there's no Naturalization process for you to worry about.

Technically, yes, you failed to disclose an item on the form, but you didn't know about it, so you couldn't have disclosed it.

Can you get in trouble for this, technically, yes, but only if your case is reopened for some reason in the future, which is incredibly unlikely.

Have you noticed how there are some incredibly vague questions on the form? Like what clubs have you belonged to?

There are certain crimes for which you can be de-naturalized, but they are all hard to prove (like treason) so the government leaves themselves an easy way out... if you lie on your immigration application you they can take away your citizenship relatively easily. This is only an issue if you get involved in terrorist activities or get the government really mad at you for some other reason... all they have to say is, "oh, we found your name on this social organization you were a member of in high-school and you didn't list it, so you lied on your form." Should I list the reading group I was a member of in 8th grade? Who knows?

So what I'm trying to say is, you don't need to worry about it; this will never come up unless the government wants to de-naturalize you and if they did, then this would probably be only one of several things they could use.

Pay your fine, enjoy your citizenship, and don't worry about it.

[Amor Verdadero 33]

I agree with the above post and also Parking tickets are not important in the grand scheme of things. They dont go against your license they only go against the car. I dont think they care much about parking tickets. Plus as soon as you found out about them you paid them. Not a big deal

[newlyweds2010 208]

I went back to the version of the N-400 that I submitted (now outdated), and nowhere it asks "have you ever failed to pay a parking ticket or any other fine issued by local, state or federal law enforcement", or anything close to it. So I should be fine. I did not misrepresent anything. Also, I literally learned about this thing last night, and since the car is also under my wife's name, she must have gotten the ticket and forgotten to pay for it, so it would be hard to say that I lack good moral character. I agree that this should not be an issue going forward. Thanks

[JimmyHou 611]

I went back to the version of the N-400 that I submitted (now outdated), and nowhere it asks "have you ever failed to pay a parking ticket or any other fine issued by local, state or federal law enforcement", or anything close to it. So I should be fine. I did not misrepresent anything. Also, I literally learned about this thing last night, and since the car is also under my wife's name, she must have gotten the ticket and forgotten to pay for it, so it would be hard to say that I lack good moral character. I agree that this should not be an issue going forward. Thanks

It asks if you have ever been cited by an officer. Receiving a citation is an example of being cited. Weather that applies to parking citations or just moving violations, I don't know, but the form doesn't specify.

[newlyweds2010 208]

It asks if you have ever been cited by an officer. Receiving a citation is an example of being cited. Weather that applies to parking citations or just moving violations, I don't know, but the form doesn't specify.

By reading the various threads on this site the consensus is that parking violations do not classify as "citations" and need not be disclosed. Aside from this one, of which I had no idea, I got a couple other parking tickets, which I paid immediately. None of those was disclosed.