Calgarian Hannah Smith doesn’t pay her parking tickets because she doesn’t technically have to, as she’s discovered through a little-known loophole.
Smith (not her real last name) has her vehicle registered in Quebec, where she lives part-time. When she receives Alberta parking tickets, she doesn’t pay them.
“I end up not having to pay them when I register my car there, because there are no rules that force you to like if I were to register my car here,” she said, adding she has avoided six tickets.
And the Calgary Parking Authority’s Dale Fraser says she’s not the only one.
According to the CPA, about 95 per cent of 294,000 tickets issued in 2009 were paid, which left 12,635 tickets unpaid either due to a person being deceased or living out of province.
Unpaid tickets amounted to $531,022 in 2009, for which the CPA has to budget.
“Sometimes people are visiting and receive a ticket but don’t live here, so the tickets are not enforceable when they register their vehicle,” Fraser said.
“There is no interprovincial law, but it’s something we would like to see.”
Fraser said if motorists owe outstanding fees and continue to park, they can be towed and have to pay the fines at the impound lot to get their car back.
Mayoral candidate Ald. Ric McIver said he was unaware of the rules and expressed interest in future options to improve enforcement. “I think it would definitely be worth a cup of coffee with the province to see how we can enforce it,” he said.
