It’s no Halloween trick. Davenport is looking to collect some treats in the form of dollars from thousands of people who haven’t paid their parking tickets. On November First, the eastern Iowa city plans to turn violators’ names and personal information over to a Milwaukee-based collection agency. Tom Flaherty, Davenport’s parking manager, says the agency is well-versed in tracking down deadbeat drivers.
Flaherty says “Anybody with an outstanding parking ticket should expect a series of phone calls and letters from Citation Management Services, urging them to do the right thing and to pay their parking ticket.” The total owed is 130-thousand dollars. The collection agency gets to keep 25-percent. Most of the tickets were issued to local drivers but others are for drivers in almost every state. For motorists who ignore the calls and letters, Flaherty says there’s another step or two.
Flaherty says “The collection agency will continue down the process. They have many options available to them, depending on the number of tickets and the value of the outstanding tickets. They also have the option to return the tickets to the city.” If that happens, he says Davenport can issue arrest warrants for, or tow the cars of, those who haven’t paid up. Tickets can be paid in person at city hall, through the mail or on-line at “www.cityofdavenportiowa.com”.