Raleigh going after unpaid parking tickets

Raleigh, N.C. — Hundreds of area residents are getting mail from Raleigh officials this week, but it's not holiday greetings.

The city sent 4,000 letters Monday to people who have unpaid parking citations, and officials said more mailings are planned.

The move is part of a new collection method approved last spring by the City Council.

Effective Dec. 15, the city can intercept the state income tax refund of anyone with more than $50 in unpaid parking citations that are more than six months delinquent in order to pay off the bill.

People will be given a 30-day notice before the city takes action to give them one final shot at paying off their debt and avoid having their tax refund intercepted, officials said.

Raleigh had more than $2 million in uncollected parking fines earlier this year. As of Wednesday, that number was down to $1.6 million.

There are 16,000 people with unpaid tickets in the city. The most money owed by one account is $1,568.

Payments can be made by check to Raleigh ParkLink Citation Processing Center, P.O. Box 6649, Rockville, MD 20849-6649 or online at Raleigh's website.

People also can pay off their tickets in person at the Avery C. Upchurch Government Complex, 222 W. Hargett St., or the City of Raleigh ParkLink Office, One Bank of America Plaza, 421 Fayetteville St., Suite S-002.

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As some people have said, and been criticized for saying, just another reason not to go downtown. As far as parking for museums, most on street parking is limited to an hour or two, not long enough to really cover the museums. Longer term lots or garages within a reasonable walking distance are generally full. My main concern would be with the boots. If you have several recent (last year or two) unpaid tickets, go ahead & boot them. If there is one ticket from 5 years ago that you thought had been settled (and may be a foul up on the city end), there is nothing to keep them from booting you. Just imagine walking out to your legally parked car at 5:30 on Friday only to find it immobilized by a boot. I know that some people say the enforcement agency can use discretion, but is that in the regulations? Even then, if there is a profit motive (additional fee for removing the boot), do you really think they won't boot anyone they can?

miseem
December 21, 2011 6:52 p.m.

Park your car downtown to conduct business or spend money? Pay or get a ticket. Park your tent and garbage strewn anti-business Marxist organization downtown? Raleigh's new Mayor will go out of her way to find a piece of real estate for you.

ifcdirector
December 21, 2011 6:24 p.m.

I just wish that when our elected stuck it to us we could garnish their pay.

wayneboyd
December 21, 2011 6:10 p.m.

Odd thought. If 16,000 owe $1.6 million = $100 per average, how much is being spent staffing, researching, processing, programming, investigating, notifying, prosecuting, and measuring the parking ticket collection problem?

Are we still money-ahead pursuing this issue? Is this someone's pet project for solving a budget deficit?

quaten
December 21, 2011 5:55 p.m.

There are a TON of places to park in downtown, and parking is free after 5pm and on weekends. I go downtown ALL the time, and have never once received a parking ticket.

You have two options... park legally or pay the fine. Think you'll be a while but don't know how long you'll be? Use a parking deck where you pay on the way out based on how long you were parked. Its a pretty simple concept.

Pepe Silvia
December 21, 2011 5:31 p.m.