Cook County Found to Have Overcharged for Parking Tickets

- The ruling by Cook County Circuit Court Judge William B. Sullivan found that the city of Chicago "systematically overcharged" drivers by violating an Illinois state law that caps fines and penalties for single ordinance violations at $250. - This decision impacts over one million tickets issued over approximately a decade, with the city potentially owing as much as $163 million in refunds and interest. - The class-action lawsuit, first filed in 2018, was led by attorney Jacie Zolna on behalf of plaintiffs like Mike Blaha. - The overcharges stemmed from the city adding late fees and other penalties that pushed the total cost of violations, such as for parking or not having a city sticker, well beyond the legal $250 limit. For instance, the fine for an out-of-date city sticker was raised from $100 to $200 in 2012, with an additional $200 late payment charge. - One of the plaintiffs in the case, Kyle Garchar, was charged $1,600 for four city sticker violations, which also resulted in him losing his job as a rideshare driver. - Before Judge Sullivan's ruling, an earlier decision by Judge Anna Loftus had sided with the city, accepting the argument that the $250 cap was a "drafting error," but this was later overturned by an appellate court in 2022. - The city of Chicago has indicated that it is considering appealing the ruling. A process for how affected drivers can claim refunds has not yet been established. - This is not the first time the city has faced legal challenges over its ticketing practices; in 2017, the same law firm reached a $38.75 million settlement with the city regarding late fees on red light and speed camera tickets.