Judge rules Chicago overcharged drivers tens of millions for parking tickets over 10-year period

Thousands of Chicago drivers who paid parking tickets or city sticker violations could soon get some of their money back, after a Cook County judge ruled the city illegally overcharged drivers for more than a decade.

The ruling could mean the city will be on the hook for millions of dollars in refunds, but the city has said it might appeal the judge's ruling.

Judge William Sullivan ruled the city "systematically overcharged" drivers for parking tickets in defiance of state law by charging more than $250 total in fines and penalties for a single violation.

Now thousands of drivers might be entitled to refunds.

Kyle Garchar, one of the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit, was charged $1,600 in fines for four city sticker violations.

He is now part of a ruling by Sullivan requiring the city to refund drivers who were overcharged for city sticker violations and parking tickets.

"It seems insane to me that the city can continue to give a ton of tickets in a very short timeframe, and target basically the poorest people that aren't able to afford this," Garchar said.

Garchar was driving for Lyft and Uber at the time he got tickets for city sticker violations. He not only racked up $1,600 in fines and penalties, but lost his job too.

"If you are indebted to the city of Chicago, you're unable to do Uber or Lyft rideshare driving," Garchar said.

In 2012, the city raised the fine for out-of-date city sticker violations from $100 to $200, with a $200 charge for late payment, but Garcher said the city makes it hard to get a vehicle ticker in the first place.

"One of the things that is still crazy to me is that you can't get the city sticker when you get your license and registration. So its maybe more intentionally more confusing," he said.

Under Illinois law, the total amount of fines and penalties for a single ordinance violation cannot exceed $250.

The lawsuit Garchar was part of accused the city of repeatedly ignoring that limit, sometimes charging drivers hundreds of dollars more than allowed when taking late fees into account.

"That violates Illinois law. That's about 80 percent of this case involves city sticker tickets," attorney Jacie Zolna said. "Make no mistake, this practice has harmed the most vulnerable people in this city, end of story, and it has spanned now three different administrations, and not a single one has done anything about it."

The attorneys who brought the lawsuit said the city suddenly stopped overcharging for parking tickets three years ago after the case was filed.

"If someone doesn't hold the city accountable when they break the law, what's going to stop them from doing this in the future?" Zolna said.

The judge ruled drivers might be owed refunds for the amount they paid over the $250 cap. The decision affects more than 1 million tickets issued over roughly a decade.

"Those totals amount to $163 million, and we hope to get that relief to the class as soon as we can," Zolna said.

If the ruling stands, Chicago could owe tens of millions in refunds and interest, while wiping out millions more in overcharged fines that have yet to be paid.

"The city, despite repeatedly losing this case and spending millions of dollars in outside counsel fees defending this suit, they have refused to cooperate in any way. They have refused to even offer a single penny to resolve the case," Zolna said.

This isn't the first victory Zolna's law firm has scored against the city in connection to late fees charged to drivers. In 2017, Zolna's firm reached a $38.75 million settlement with the city over late fees charged for red light camera and speed camera tickets.

City officials said they are reviewing their legal options following Judge Sullivan's ruling on overcharging for parking tickets, including a possible appeal.

A refund process hasn't been announced yet.

For now, attorneys said drivers who were overcharged for parking tickets or sticker violations should hold onto their ticket records and payment receipts in case they qualify for a refund.