AUBURN - About 20 people have come forward to pay their outstanding parking tickets in the past week, city of Auburn officials reported.
The surge in payments followed a story in the Jan. 30 edition of The Citizen about the trouble the city has had getting parking violators to pay their fines. The city has reported more than 11,000 outstanding parking tickets in the past 18 years, totaling about $170,000 in unpaid fines.
Many of those tickets belong to repeat offenders. The city reported the number of companies and residents with five or more unpaid tickets at 658. The newspaper article included a list with all of the offenders.
"It's been a busy week here," said Auburn treasurer Marie Nellenback. "We've had quite a few people come in or call about paying their tickets. A lot of people are asking to get a printout of their violations."
The city also received a call from a representative from Snorac Inc., a subsidiary of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the worst offender on the list.
The official said the company was making plans to pay for 36 tickets ($1,170 worth) its customers racked up while renting its cars. The company requested a list detailing the dates and license plates connected to the offenses. The city and company have been at odds in the past over who is responsible for those infractions.
The Auburn City Council recently voted to take bids from collection agencies to track down the outstanding parking tickets that have gone unpaid in the last 18 years. Comptroller Lisa Green said the missing $170,000 damages the city's financial status in creditor's eyes.
Councilors hope the collection agencies - or even the threat that a collection agency might begin looking for violators - will spur people to pay. Nellenback said "people take the collection agencies more seriously because they can hurt their credit rating."
The 20 or so people who have cleaned up their outstanding ticket violations paid $2,400 this past week. But Nellenback said the top 10 individual offenders have still yet to contact the treasurer's office on the matter.
Staff writer Benning W. De La Mater can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or ben.delamater@lee.net
Many of those tickets belong to repeat offenders. The city reported the number of companies and residents with five or more unpaid tickets at 658. The newspaper article included a list with all of the offenders.
"It's been a busy week here," said Auburn treasurer Marie Nellenback. "We've had quite a few people come in or call about paying their tickets. A lot of people are asking to get a printout of their violations."
The city also received a call from a representative from Snorac Inc., a subsidiary of Enterprise Rent-A-Car and the worst offender on the list.
The official said the company was making plans to pay for 36 tickets ($1,170 worth) its customers racked up while renting its cars. The company requested a list detailing the dates and license plates connected to the offenses. The city and company have been at odds in the past over who is responsible for those infractions.
The Auburn City Council recently voted to take bids from collection agencies to track down the outstanding parking tickets that have gone unpaid in the last 18 years. Comptroller Lisa Green said the missing $170,000 damages the city's financial status in creditor's eyes.
Councilors hope the collection agencies - or even the threat that a collection agency might begin looking for violators - will spur people to pay. Nellenback said "people take the collection agencies more seriously because they can hurt their credit rating."
The 20 or so people who have cleaned up their outstanding ticket violations paid $2,400 this past week. But Nellenback said the top 10 individual offenders have still yet to contact the treasurer's office on the matter.
Staff writer Benning W. De La Mater can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or ben.delamater@lee.net
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