City Of Boston Targets Old, Unpaid Parking Tickets To Raise $5 Million
BOSTON (CBS) - WBZ-TV has learned details about a move by the city of Boston to collect nearly $5 million from old parking tickets.
A Newton woman recently received a notice from a collection company which says she owes the city of Boston $46 for a $20 ticket she was given back in 2005.
Kate Walker remembers getting the ticket and she says she remembers paying the ticket, but can't prove it.
She says she doesn't even use the same bank today as she did way back then.
And she is not alone.
WBZ-TV's Joe Shortsleeve reports
Some 34,000 notices started going out last August for tickets dating all the way back to July 2004.
The city's Traffic Commissioner Tom Tinlin said there is no statute of limitations on tickets.
He confirms the city is moving aggressively to collect almost $5 million from tickets issued between 2004 and 2009.
Tinlin admits that most of these drivers haven't heard anything from the city in years.
But he says eight-year-old parking tickets need to be paid.
"Yes, I think they are fair game and in life we are all held accountable for our actions," he told WBZ.
"But to simply ignore your responsibility as a driver and vehicle owner. I would argue that is not fair."
The city says most of these drivers had only the one outstanding ticket and it didn't make sense to pay postage on multiple collection notices.
Until now, that is.
The city says mechanisms are in place through the Registry of Motor Vehicles to catch people who have unpaid parking tickets, but only if they owe two or more.
In that scenario, they will not be able to renew the registration on their car.
