Judge Uncovers Decade-Long Overcharging Scandal: Chicago Residents Reimbursed for City Sticker and Parking Ticket Errors

A Cook County judge has determined that the city of Chicago has been systematically overcharging its residents for city stickers and various parking violations for over ten years.

This ruling could potentially result in thousands of Chicago motorists receiving refunds amounting to more than $100 million.

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The class action lawsuit in question covers over a million citations issued between 2012 and 2022, with the majority related to city stickers. Among the plaintiffs, one individual reported receiving four citations within a span of weeks during 2017 and 2018, totaling $1,600. He claims this financial burden led to the loss of his job as a rideshare driver.

“One day, I logged onto the app, and it simply said, you can’t drive until this fee is paid, or you’ve resolved your debt with the city of Chicago,” recounted plaintiff Kyle Garchar.

Garchar represents just one of the many Chicago drivers that the court found to have been overcharged for city stickers and parking infractions.

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.

“The problem with the city of Chicago is… it can’t help itself when it comes to ticketing revenue,” said Zolna Swetland Attorney Jacie Zolna.

Zolna, the plaintiffs’ attorney, says it has been an eight-year battle in court, and at no point, he says, did the city of Chicago try to settle or compromise on this lawsuit.

“The law department literally gambled with taxpayers’ money, and they lost. And I, just as a taxpayer myself, I’m a Chicago resident, I just find that to be outrageous, that that they would be so careless in handling a financial liability like this for the city, so carelessly?” Zolna said.

Zolna pointed to a November 2022 City Council Finance Committee meeting when a city attorney appears to admit that its ticketing practices were found to be in violation of the state imposed $250 limit.

“It would be illegal for us to fine… 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 his fines and penalties racked up so quickly, he immediately questioned the legality of the city’s practices. Years later, a judge ruling in his and the class’ favor.

Garchar said, “$1,600 in tickets is… I think, insane, for anyone to experience, and you know, when looking at it, I think I just looked at myself and said, ‘Well this is something worth fighting for.’”

The city of Chicago’s Law Department says it’s evaluating all legal options, including an appeal. However, as attorneys for the plaintiffs point out, an appeal would just go up to the appellate court that ruled against the city three years ago.