More than 400 avoided collection fees and interest
Julie Happy, Communications Manager, BDS, 509.625.7773
Monday, July 7, 2014 at 11:24 a.m.
More than 400 people paid off more than 2,000 overdue parking citations during the 60-day Parking Amnesty Program, avoiding the potential for their cars to be booted and towed.
During May and June, 443 people paid 2,046 past due parking citations at a value of $89,445. Many waited until the last week when 948 of those tickets were paid. Paying those tickets during the Parking Amnesty Program saved those drivers more than $74,298 in collection fees and $22,000 in interest.
“We wanted to give people a chance to clear up their tickets before we turned to an enforcement option,” said Dave Steele, City economic development specialist.
Letters will be sent this week to people who still have four or more overdue parking tickets informing them that they are now eligible for the Boot-and-Tow Program, which begins this month. That group accounts for approximately 18,000 outstanding citations and $900,000 in citation fines, collection fees and interest.
Outstanding active parking citations going back 10 years totaled 76,000 past due citations and $3.9 million in fines, fees and interest. Fees and fines account for approximately half of both values.
