DRIVERS can get their hands on part of a $800,000 settlement over a series of unfair parking tickets.
Potentially thousands of vehicle owners who were wrongfully fined can now claim the cash – after they were unable to contest the tickets over a near two-year period.
Drivers can get their hands on part of a $800,000 settlement over a series of unfair parking tickets[/caption]
Potentially thousands of vehicle owners who were wrongfully fined can now claim the cash[/caption]
The huge settlement, which was proposed in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, began as a longstanding parking ticket fiasco and eventually spurred a federal class action lawsuit.
The suit was first filed by Mary G. Candido, of Clifton Heights, in April 2023 after it was revealed around 18,000 parking tickets failed to reach the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts between April 2021 and early 2023.
Candido claimed that possibly thousands of people who received parking tickets during this period weren’t notified on how to pay or contest them – leaving them in legal limbo and fearing prosecution while fees continued to rise.
The complaint said: “Due to these uncertainties and risks, numerous individuals simply plead guilty and pay the parking tickets, even if they believe they have good grounds to contest them, because they are never afforded any notice or opportunity to contest the tickets in court.”
In one example, a barber shop owner reportedly had his car towed due to violations he never received summons or hearing dates for, but that he “absolutely” wanted to contest.
This debacle later resulted in Upper Darby hiring Brinker Stinson acting Director of Finance Donna Stilwell to audit the ticket issue.
This led to the unrelated arrest of former township Councilwoman and then-parking enforcement Director Sekela Coles in July 2023 for creating an alleged “slush fund” with the money collected from local parking kiosks.
Coles later resigned as Upper Darby’s parking enforcement director after she was charged with diverting coinage from kiosks into the so-called slush fund.
Stilwell also found multiple oversights and IT issues from the parking enforcement office – which affected the issue around parking tickets.
Later, officials valued the missing tickets at approximately $1.5 million in lost revenue.
As part of the ruling, Upper Darby would also have to cancel all remaining unpaid tickets for the class period and return or credit payments made on at-issue parking tickets after the execution date of the settlement.
The proposal also sets out a schedule to hit various milestones in approving the terms – this includes notifying members, applying for fees, and similar actions.
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Vehicle owners were unable to contest the tickets over a near two-year period[/caption]
All remaining unpaid tickets for the class period have also been cancelled[/caption]
