Milwaukee Crackdown Nets $1 Million in Unpaid Parking Fines

Milwaukee’s effort to crack down on unpaid parking tickets has already generated nearly $1 million in collected fines since a tougher enforcement ordinance took effect Jan. 1. The ordinance targets habitual violators, defined as drivers with five or more unpaid parking tickets that are at least 60 days overdue.

Under the updated rules, motorists who fail to pay outstanding citations or arrange a payment plan can have their vehicles towed and impounded. Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works reported that approximately 20,000 citations have been paid since the towing enforcement began. Nearly half of the violators identified have also scheduled court appearances to resolve their cases.

City officials said the goal is not only to recover unpaid fines but also to encourage drivers to address tickets before penalties escalate into towing and impound fees.

The ordinance also allows towing for illegally parked vehicles. Through May 15, nearly 2,200 vehicles had been towed. Last year, city officials estimated Milwaukee was owed more than $17 million in unpaid parking citations tied to roughly 39,000 vehicles. Source: https://www.fox6now.com