A CITY is looking to claw back $5 million in unpaid tickets - they've launched a new program that targets "scofflaws." The Texas city passed a new road law that will prevent drivers from accessing a helpful internet tool until they pay. The Bryan City Council quietly passed a measure at their August meeting that will prevent thousands of drivers from renewing their vehicle registrations online, according to local radio station WTAW .
Car owners will regain online access once they settle up on outstanding municipal court fines. The council approved the "scofflaw" program without any public discussion. In a June meeting, Bryan’s Municipal Court's administrator, Chad Eixmann, presented findings around unpaid fines.
Read More on Road Laws Eixmann revealed that 10,000 individuals hadn't paid their infractions. He said that drivers in the city owe more than $5 million in unpaid fines. The program allows a third-party contractor to flag vehicles through the Texas DMV.
The contractor the city hires will not charge the city or the vehicle owners for this service. Most read in Motors Bryan joins dozens of US cities grappling with millions of dollars worth of unpaid tickets. TICKET FRENZY Washington DC , New York City, and San Francisco have all launched programs hoping to reign in fares from unpaid tickets.
Drivers in San Francisco owed as much as $1.6 billion in ticket fees. Multiple car owners said their fees continued to compound and led to thousands of dollars in fines they couldn't pay.
But the cities said they need the revenue from the fines. Multiple officials held off charging drivers for infractions during the pandemic. Millions of Americans, fraught with financial instability during the early stages of the pandemic and massive job losses, had limited capacity to pay.
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made. Suddenly there's a ticket you weren't prepared to pay for.
If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket. Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc.
Errors would then make the ticket invalid. Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren't cited for performing the same parking job.
If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren't "obvious" are great things to photograph, too.
Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid. Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket.
All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees. When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument: "I didn’t know the law.
" "I was on my way to move my car." "I can’t afford this ticket." "I’ve been doing this for years.
" "I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK." Contact a lawyer. If you're running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area.
Many have free case consultations. Source: Reader's Digest But as the US economy rebooted, drivers have seen a rapid increase in fines placed under their windshield wipers. San Francisco has led the way in reticketing programs.
"In many San Francisco neighborhoods, given the scarcity of parking control officers that we have faced for several years, there are people who think that the rules don’t exist," Tumlin said during a SFMTA board meeting, according to The San Francisco Standard . "We want to get the word out that we are finally able to start enforcing the rules." New York officials have also worked to fight back against potential scofflaws.
Read More on The US Sun The city launched a $200 fine for drivers caught without a license plate attached to their car. Officials said they have already seized luxury cars from drivers who have repeatedly flouted the rules..
