Not Handing Over the Cash! The Unpaid Parking Ticket Experiment (Part One)

Have you ever received a letter in the mail saying you owe money for something you can't remember. What did you do. Did you pay it because you often forget about things like this. We really need to be cautious about these sorts of things. There have been a lot of money scams around. I think this one is but you should always question things like this (especially if you can't remember them) or it could end up to cost you a lot of money

I don't know how this will work out on the financial side of things, but this little experiment should be entertaining by the time it's over...........There might even be a lesson in it too.

So my city is trying to collect money from me for two parking tickets which they said I didn't pay. Here's the funny thing. They are from 1995 and 1996 and they've never bothered to contact me until December of last year. Did I pay these tickets. To tell you the truth, I can't recall. As far as I know, I had payed all the tickets I'd ever received and that's what I told them when I sent the notice back to them. Well, sure enough they sent me a letter back, asking if I have proof of payment. Hmmmmm...........Proof of payment from 11 years ago?

Here is the letter I wrote them. I don't think they'll take it seriously but if they really want to be that ridiculous then two can play at that game. When it comes to being ridiculous, they have no idea who they're messing with (just ask my wife)!

Dear --------- ------------:

Re: Parking Tickets : xxxxxxx and xxxxxxxx

I received a notice in the mail that I apparently have two out standing parking tickets from 10 and 11 years ago. You stated that unpaid parking tickets prior to November 15, 2005 were transferred to you from the Winnipeg Police services. I replied back stating that I paid the parking tickets as per instructions on the tickets. You then replied, asking for proof of payment. Well, I don’t keep my receipts for 10 to 11 years and I can’t say that I know a single person who does. Do You? Ok. I’m not trying to be rude. It’s just a little ridiculous to expect that someone would keep a receipt of payment on a parking ticket for that long. You also sent me a “Statutory Declaration” in case I didn’t have proof of payment which needs to be signed in front of a commissioner of oaths. Unfortunately, I’m not able, or willing, to take time off work to come in and sign these papers, as this would cost me too much money in wages. I have enclosed the “Declaration” signed by me in hopes that this will suffice.

Now I have to ask, if I didn’t pay these parking tickets, why would it take 10 to 11 years to contact me. I have only had two other places of residence since then and I certainly haven’t been hiding. In fact, I’ve had a parking ticket or two since then (which I also paid in full) and received no correspondence stating that I owed money for previous parking tickets. I’m sure you can understand my frustration in this matter and my unwillingness to take this seriously enough to take time off work. I cannot pay (either by sending you money or by losing a day of wages) for something I believe I’ve already paid for. Especially without proof! Do you happen to have a physical copy of the tickets in question, or something more than just a letter stating that I owe you money from 10 years ago? If you do, I would gladly review them with you. I would be a fool to give someone money just because they said I owed it to them. I’m sure you can understand this as well.

Please don’t take this as a personal attack (insert name here), I’m sure you’re fantastic at your job. I just hope that you can look at this from my point of view and understand why I will not be making any payments toward this account. And So….

I Kevin Korol on this day of March 22, 2007, declare to the best of my knowledge, that I have voluntarily paid in full the two parking tickets in question (stated above) as per instructions on the actual tickets.

Sincerely,

Kevin Korol

A frustrated citizen!

So.........that's the letter. I really do wonder how they will respond. That's what the experiment is about I guess. I will be sure to post more about this when I hear back from them. I just wish I could see this persons face when she reads it. I wonder if they get a lot of these!

Just for the record. If I do get absolute proof that I didn't pay these tickets I'll pay them, but I sure won't just hand over my hard earned bucks because someone says I should!



Well that's all folks!!