RogerN wrote:

If it wasn't automated, why didn't they just write the ticket and stick it
on the car like they used to?

Do you have any evidence that they didn't do that?

Did you consider:
somebody may have got the physical paper ticket on that car
and didn't pay in time
(perhaps didn't pay because they noticed the lic# was incorrect)

the letter and picture you received may be SOP for non-payers
Taking a picture of each infraction may help with enforcement
It also may help correct errors.

By the way, what exactly is this parking infraction. It wouldn't happen
to be parking too far from the curb?