http://theexpiredmeter.com/2012/10/city-grabs-20-million-in-parking-ticket-fines-using-new-law/

City Uses New Law To Grabs $20 Million In Parking Ticket Fines (and RLC Fines too)

October 9, 2012   Chicago Parking Tickets

It’s getting harder for parking ticket scofflaws to avoid the long arm of Mayor Rahm Emanuel these days.
 
Earlier this year, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law that allowed the City of Chicago, and other municipalities to grab the state tax refunds of residents who owe them money for any type of debt.
 
This, of course, includes unpaid parking tickets and red light camera tickets.
 
Mayor Emanuel convinced the City Council to get on board http://theexpiredmeter.com/2012/02/city-adding-new-tool-to-collect-unpaid-parking-tickets-red-light-camera-tickets/ with the idea in April, and in a matter of days, the State of Illinois Comptroller’s office was seizing tax refunds http://theexpiredmeter.com/2012/02/chicago-fast-tracks-recovering-parking-ticket-debt/ to offset fines for overdue parking and red light camera tickets.
 
According to the Chicago Sun-Times http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/15585915-418/rahms-hard-line-on-parking-traffic-tickets-pays-off-with-70m.html, the city has been able to use this tactic to collect nearly $20 million by year’s end.
 
This aggressive collection tool has angered many drivers, some who claim the city is going after debt over 20 years old.
 
“This money grab is a scam,” says a website reader named Richard S. “The State and City of Chicago need to be taken to court over this practice. It is not legal just to take people’s money like this.”
 
But this move has allowed for the city to collect from deadbeats who live outside the city, who’s vehicles are often out of reach of Chicago’s booting crews who can only immobilize a vehicle on the public way within the city limits. Half the collections came from non-residents.
 
Here’s the Sun-Times’ full report with the incorrect headline, “Rahm’s hard line on parking, traffic tickets pays off with $70M .”  http://www.suntimes.com/news/cityhall/15585915-418/rahms-hard-line-on-parking-traffic-tickets-pays-off-with-70m.html
 

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