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LOS ANGELES : New Law Cracks Down on Parking Scofflaws

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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.

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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.

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