Overview
- Cook County Judge William B. Sullivan issued a Feb. 19 summary judgment finding Chicago systematically overcharged drivers on roughly one million standing, parking and compliance tickets from 2012 to 2022.
- The order makes the city liable for $69.6 million in overpayments plus $34 million in interest, and it voids about $93.8 million in uncollected ticket debt on the city’s books.
- Restitution is limited to amounts paid over $250 per violation, with collection fee refunds only for amounts paid above $55, according to the ruling.
- The city’s Law Department said it is actively evaluating legal options, including an appeal, while plaintiffs’ counsel Jacie Zolna called the decision a major win and plans to press for prompt payment.
- The case, filed in 2018 and certified as a class action in 2023, follows years of higher fines and stacked late fees, including a 2012 increase in city-sticker penalties, and a 2022 committee exchange where a city attorney acknowledged the $250 cap issue; details on refund distribution remain unclear.