City of Chicago overcharged residents for city stickers, other parking violations for years: judge

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 in line for refunds totaling more than $100 million.

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This class action lawsuit involves more than 1 million tickets issued between 2012 and 2022, most of which involved city stickers. One of the two named plaintiffs says he was hit with four tickets within weeks in 2017 and 2018, totaling $1,600, debt he says cost him his job as a rideshare driver.

"One day, I went on the app, and it was just said, you can't, you can't drive until this this fee is paid, or you've resolved your city, your debt with the city of Chicago," said plaintiff Kyle Garchar.

Kyle Garchar is one of thousands of Chicago drivers that a judge ruled were systematically overcharged for city stickers and other parking violations.

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 ruled 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.