LOS ANGELES : New Law Cracks Down on Parking Scofflaws

Los Angeles scofflaws who refuse to pay parking tickets could find the city attaching their salaries, income tax refunds or even hiring collection agencies to get the money.

Thanks to a state law that takes effect July 1, parking citations are no longer criminal offenses, giving local governments the ability to pursue them as civil debts in the same way a department store or contractor would.

“We have the full effect of procedures that can be used against anybody who has not responded to their creditors, “ said Robert Yates, parking administrator for the Los Angeles City Department of Transportation.

The city will also save about $3 million a year in Los Angeles County Municipal Court costs to adjudicate parking tickets contested by vehicle owners, Yates said. Under the new system, a city hearing examiner will determine whether a citation has been properly issued, and the owner can only go to Municipal Court on appeal.