If you've got an unpaid traffic ticket, York Region is coming after you

Yorkregion.com
May 26, 2016
By Lisa Queen

Wiggling out of a ticket just got a lot harder after the region approved a new tougher policy to collect unpaid fines.

If you’ve got an unpaid speeding ticket, fine for not wearing a seatbelt or any other penalty for a provincial offence, you can expect ramped up collection efforts from the Region of York, which has $46 million in unpaid fines on the books.

Regional council approved the new policy stepping up enforcement efforts to collect default fines at its meeting May 19.

The tough new approach to collect unpaid fines includes:

• Increasing the use of collection agencies;
• Partnering with local municipalities to collect fines through property tax bills;
• Enforcing payment through civil enforcement mechanisms such as property liens or garnishment of wages; and
• Adding additional administration charges to default fines for full collection cost recovery.

Full implementation of the updated policy is expected by the end of the year.