Home News Local News Southold offers ‘amnesty’ on old parking tickets during the month of June

Southold offers ‘amnesty’ on old parking tickets during the month of June

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Southold Town is about to launch its first parking fine amnesty program.

For the month of June, the town will reduce by half outstanding parking ticket fines and penalties assessed between January 2007 and February 2016.

This is a one-time opportunity to clear up old parking tickets and avoid enforcement and collection proceedings, said Southold Justice Court director Leanne Reilly.

The justice court currently has in its files 984 old, open unpaid parking tickets dating back to 2007, Reilly said, representing more than $170,000 in unpaid fines.

The 50 percent reduction will be taken off the highest penalty currently assessed on the ticket, Reilly noted. As per town code, parking ticket fine amounts increase after 30 days, 60 days and 90 days.

Reilly recommended the parking ticket amnesty program to the town board last month as part of her effort to get court records in order and up to date.

FBS Justice Solutions, the company already used by Southold Justice Court to administer its parking ticket program, will send out letters to the registered owners of vehicles that received the outstanding parking tickets, using registration records obtained from the N.Y. State Department of Motor Vehicles, Reilly said.

Violators who do not respond will be subject to further enforcement actions, Reilly said.

“A lot of municipalities offer a limited-time amnesty,” Reilly said. “It gives the court a chance to dispose of a lot of open tickets and also recovers past-due revenues.”

The one-time offer of 50-percent off outstanding old fines and penalties requires that the full amount of the reduced assessment in one shot, Reilly said. Payments may be made by bank check, money order, credit card or, if paying in person, cash.

Southold Justice Court officeFile photo: Denise Civiletti
Southold Justice Court office  File photo: Denise Civiletti

The justice court director has been working with court staff to clean up and organize justice court files since she was appointed to the director position by the town board in January 2015. She is charged with oversight and management of the court’s operations.

The town board created the position last year following the criminal prosecution of longtime Southold Town Justice Court senior clerk Christine Stulsky, who pleaded guilty in June 2015 to grand larceny charges. Prosecutors said Stulsky stole more than $231,000 in bail monies and other cash from the justice court’s coffers in a five-year embezzlement scheme, which went undetected due to a lack of checks and balances in administrative functions and money-handling.

Since her appointment, Reilly has overhauled the organization of the court office staff, segregating among different staff members all duties involving the handling of monies received, receipts issued and checkes disbursed.

She and staff members are conducting a complete file audit, poring over court records and files and making sure that all data is correctly entered in the court’s computer system. They have sent notices to bailors to pick up deposits in cases that have been resolved. Bail not claimed after six months is turned over to the town, which by law holds the money for six years. If it is unclaimed in that time, it is forfeited, Reilly said.

The town is now looking to rent office space for the court, whose office is currently housed in tiny, cramped quarters in a modular unit attached to the back of town hall, adjoining the meeting room that doubles as a courtroom when court is in session.

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Denise Civiletti
Denise is a veteran local reporter and editor, an attorney and former Riverhead Town councilwoman. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including a “writer of the year” award from the N.Y. Press Association in 2015. She is a founder, owner and co-publisher of this website.