Cook County Judge Rules Chicago Systematically Overcharged Drivers for City Stickers and Parking Violations
CHICAGO (WLS) – A Cook County judge has ruled that the city of Chicago systematically overcharged residents for city stickers and other parking violations for more than a decade. Thousands of Chicago drivers could be eligible for refunds totaling more than $100 million.
This class action lawsuit involves more than 1 million tickets issued between 2012 and 2022, the majority of which involved city stickers. One of the two named plaintiffs, Kyle Garchar, revealed he was hit with four tickets within weeks in 2017 and 2018, totaling $1,600. He says the debt cost him his job as a rideshare driver.
“One day, I went on the app, and it just said, you can’t drive until this fee is paid or you’ve resolved your debt with the city of Chicago,” said Garchar.
The lawsuit stems from an Illinois law that prohibits the city from assessing more than $250 in fines and penalties for standing, parking, or compliance violations. According to the suit, the city assessed as much as $400 for city sticker violations, which is in direct violation of this law.
“The problem with the city of Chicago is it can’t help itself when it comes to ticketing revenue,” said Jacie Zolna, attorney for the plaintiffs.
Zolna described the case as an eight-year battle in court. “At no point did the city of Chicago try to settle or compromise on this lawsuit,” he said. “The law department literally gambled with taxpayers’ money, and they lost. As a Chicago resident and taxpayer myself, I find it outrageous that they would be so careless handling such a significant financial liability for the city.”
Zolna also pointed to a November 2022 City Council Finance Committee meeting where a city attorney appeared to admit the city’s ticketing practices violated the state-imposed $250 limit.
“It would be illegal for us to issue these fines under the court’s ruling. So, if we did issue them, we would expose ourselves to litigation,” said City Attorney Mark Siegel.
Garchar says the fines and penalties accumulated so quickly that he immediately questioned the legality of the city’s practices. Years later, a judge ruled in his favor and on behalf of the class.
“$1,600 in tickets is, I think, insane for anyone to experience. When I looked at it, I said, ‘This is something worth fighting for,'” Garchar said.
The City of Chicago’s Law Department says it is currently evaluating all legal options, including an appeal. However, attorneys for the plaintiffs point out that an appellate court ruled against the city three years ago, making a successful appeal unlikely.
Chicago drivers affected by these overcharges are encouraged to stay informed about potential refunds and next steps in the litigation.
