search

Village Court

STAFF

Jacob N. Schwartz, Village Justice
Eric B. Lee, Associate Village Justice
Ann M. Demeri, Court Clerk
Anne C. Buff, Deputy Court Clerk

CONTACT INFORMATION

Phone: 516-365-8857
Fax: 516-627-0703
nhillsvillagecourt@nycourts.gov

OFFICE HOURS:

Monday – Friday, 9AM – 5:00PM

The Court Office will be closed on most Federal holidays.  We suggest you call before visiting.

Court sessions are held in–person in the evening at 5:30 PM on certain Mondays each month. You must have a scheduled appointment for an appearance at court. All tickets designate a court date which is your due date. You must appear in court at the noted date and time or answer the ticket prior to that date.

ON COURT NIGHT

  • Doors reopen on court nights at 5:30 PM.
  • For a court appearance, you MUST have a scheduled appointment.
  • Bring a photo ID / driver’s license.
  • Appropriate attire is required.

PAYMENTS:

The Court does not accept personal or business checks.

  • If you come into the court office (between the hours of 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday), you can pay with cash or credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express with photo ID). A 2.99% service fee will be applied to all credit/debit card payments. This fee is paid to the payment processor, not the court or the village.
  • Payments can also be mailed to the court office located at One Shelter Rock Road, Roslyn, NY 11576.  All payments should be made payable to “North Hills Village Court”.  Money orders and certified checks are accepted.  The Court does not accept personal or business checks.

How To Respond To A Summons

The North Hills Village Justice Court is part of the Unified Court System of the State of New York. It hears all matters involving summonses for traffic and parking offenses, and other matters New York State has placed under Village jurisdiction including building and village ordinance violations.

You may respond to a summons in the following ways:

  • You may appear in person on the Court date that appears below the court address on the Summons and plead guilty or not guilty.
  • or, for most violations, you can make your plea by mail.

Pleas of Not Guilty

To plead Not Guilty by mail:
If you mail in a not guilty plea BEFORE the court date listed on your summons, you DO NOT HAVE to appear in court on that court date.

    • Complete and sign SECTION B – PLEA OF NOT GUILTY of your ticket.
    • Confirm the address on the summons as your current mailing address or provide a change of address.
    • Mail the ticket(s) to North Hills Village Court, One Shelter Rock Road, North Hills, NY 11576.
    • The Court will notify you by mail of a new court date.

To plead Not Guilty in person:
If you appear to make your plea in person, you must do so on the court date listed on your summons right below the court address.  At court, you will be afforded the opportunity of a conference with the Village Prosecutor and an appearance before the Judge.  Appropriate attire is required.

Pleas of Guilty

You may plead guilty by mail to most offenses, however, you may not plead guilty by mail AND MUST APPEAR IN PERSON IF:

    • You are charged with certain violations, including all misdemeanors.
    • And/or if your plea is not accepted and you are ordered to appear in person by the judge.

By pleading “Guilty” you waive your right to a trial. A Plea of Guilty will subject you to sentencing by the judge presiding. You may withdraw, with the court’s permission, your plea of guilty at any time prior to sentencing and exercise your right to a trial.

To plead Guilty by mail:
If you mail your guilty plea in, you do not have to appear in court.

    • Complete and sign SECTION A – PLEA OF GUILTY on your ticket(s).
    • Confirm the address on the summons as your current mailing address or provide a change of address.
    • Mail the ticket(s) to North Hills Village Court, One Shelter Rock Road, North Hills, NY 11576.
    • The Court will notify you of the fines due by mail.

 IF YOU RECEIVED A TICKET FOR OPERATION WITHOUT PROOF ON INSURANCE (VTL Sect.319-1)

THE ONLY PROOF OF INSURANCE THE COURT WILL ACCEPT IS A LETTER FROM YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY.

The letter must state the vehicle in question was insured, with no lapse in coverage, on the ticket issue date indicated on the summons.

The letter must also include the effective dates of coverage and a description of the vehicle.

AN INSURANCE CARD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS PROOF OF INSURANCE BY THE COURT.

If you have any questions, you may call (516) 365-8857.

 

FAQs for Vehicle and Traffic Tickets

CAN I RESOLVE MY MISDEMEANOR TICKET BY MAIL?
A misdemeanor is a crime and cannot be resolved by mail, your appearance is required.

CAN I RESOLVE MY TRAFFIC TICKET BY PHONE?
No, you must either appear or return your ticket with a plea by mail.

WHAT IF I DON’T ANSWER MY TRAFFIC TICKET OR PAY THE OUTSTANDING FINE?
If you fail to respond to a traffic ticket on or before the court date on your ticket or you failed to appear for this or any other scheduled appearance, the status of your license will be in jeopardy. The Court will notify the Department of Motor Vehicles to suspend your driving privileges.  If your license is suspended, you will be required to pay an additional fee to the court for EACH suspended ticket.

CAN MY DRIVER’S LICENSE BE SUSPENDED IF I AM AN OUT-OF-STATE DRIVER?
If you are a licensed driver from another state, be advised that the State of New York has reciprocity with most other states and can notify the state where you are licensed that you have unresolved tickets in New York State. Your home state may then proceed to suspend your driver’s license.

WHAT IS THE PENALTY FOR DRIVING WITH A SUSPENDED LICENSE?
Driving with a suspended license is a misdemeanor. A police officer can and will ticket you for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation which is punishable by a fine of up to $500 and possibly imprisonment. The vehicle can also be impounded and subject to fees by the towing facility. The Department of Motor Vehicles may apply up to eleven points to your driving record which can effect driving privileges.

WILL THE COURT KEEP ME INFORMED AS TO THE STATUS OF MY TICKET?
It is your responsibility to ensure that all tickets have been resolved. Generally, you will receive only one notification of your court date. This will be either written on your traffic ticket at issuance, given verbally in court during an appearance or mailed to you.  If you have retained an attorney, you should remain in contact with him/her to understand the status and be aware of court dates.  Once your tickets are resolved and fines and fees are paid, your case is disposed.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I MOVE?
It is your responsibility to notify the court of your mailing address.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TICKETS IF I WAS DRIVING SOMEONE ELSE’S CAR OR MY EMPLOYER’S VEHICLE?
You as the driver are responsible for tickets written to you in your name. When tickets are written to a business, the company is responsible. The registration of a vehicle will be jeopardized if the tickets are not dealt with properly.