New Bill Would Wipe Out Older Parking Fines

iStockphoto/hidesy

Have you gotten a ticket for parking in a loading zone or overstaying the two-hour parking restrictions? Did you do it more than three years ago and never pay the ticket? And have the specters of the fines and late fees been hanging in the back of your mind like a dark cloud? Well, there’s hope: If one councilwoman has her way, those old fines could be erased.

City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell has introduced a bill in City Council which would give Philadelphians amnesty for old parking fines. “Any person owing fines, fees or penalties for parking violations issued three or more years ago, shall be eligible for a one-time forgiveness of said fines, fees and penalties,” reads the councilwoman’s proposed amendment to the Philadelphia Code‘s section on parking violations.

Under the proposed bill, applicants would need to pay their last three years’ worth of fines, fees and penalties; then, everything older than that would be cleared from their record.

Blackwell said she believes the bill will be an incentive for those with very large outstanding debts to pay off recent tickets and start with clean records.

“I think it will bring in money to the city and [subsequently] the School District,” said Blackwell, referring to fines that might otherwise go unpaid.

The amnesty as proposed would be administered sometime before the close of the year and would be offered for anywhere from 45 to 60 days. Citizens would be eligible for the forgiveness once and cannot already have been given amnesty.

Blackwell’s bill has been referred to committee for a hearing. The councilwoman said she has plans to speak with the Philadelphia Parking Authority about the potential implementation of her bill. The PPA declined to comment.

Follow @MariamDembele on Twitter.