Chicago Must Repay $163 Million After Overcharging for Parking Tickets
I have good news for drivers in Chicago. You may be eligible for a refund for an annoying parking fine. A judge ordered the city to repay $163 million for overcharging residents for parking tickets. Plus, $93.8 million in uncollected fines and fees is being wiped out.
Judge orders Chicago to refund $163 million in parking tickets
Chicago has been in court due to a class-action lawsuit! It alleges the city has been overcharging drivers for parking tickets for the past decade. Cook County Circuit Court Judge William Sullivian rules in favor of the plaintiff.
This means that the city must refund $163 million for roughly two million parking tickets. Plus, the ruling clears $93.8 million in fines and fines that haven’t been collected yet.
The judge ordered the city to come up with a payment plan system after the appeal process occurs. Chicago Police are considering making an appeal.
According to News Nation Now, Illinois State Law has a $250 cap on fines and penalties that the city can place on parking tickets. But the city has a history of enjoying ticket revenue as it has been jacking up prices and exceeding the cap for years.
An Uber driver shares that he received $1,600 in fees from four tickets. Then his car was impounded for expired city sticker violations. The tickets occurred in rapid succession over two weeks.
Chicago resident Shirley Lucky shares that she takes public transportation to avoid getting tickets after her friends and family members have been aggressively hit by them.
She explained, “Some people owe over $1,000, up in the thousands because some people don’t have that money, and can’t pay it. Then all of a sudden, they get hit with interest, and it constantly adds up.”
