COLUMN: Richmond Hill moves to new system for parking bylaw infractions

YorkRegion.com
July 5, 2017
Dave Barrow

On July 1, Richmond Hill began a new system of administering parking bylaw infractions. We are changing to an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS).

An AMPS is a municipal alternative to the Provincial Court System. It will use screening and hearing officers to administer and adjudicate parking bylaw disputes within the municipality rather than the court system. With AMPS, the provincial courts will no longer be an option to dispute a parking ticket issued in Richmond Hill on or after July 1. The pre-AMPS system continues to apply for any tickets issued prior to July.

Why are we switching to AMPS? This system is more efficient for everyone. Most disputes will be resolved within 45 days, compared to the years it can take to dispute a ticket in court. AMPS will also ensure tickets are not written-off without a hearing, due to unreasonable delays in the courts. The province encourages municipalities to use AMPS to ensure provincial court time is saved for more serious matters. Many GTA neighbours, including Markham and Vaughan, already administer parking tickets using an AMPS.

Here’s how it works: If you receive a parking ticket (now called a penalty notice), you have 22 days to pay it (online or at Access Richmond Hill) or to request a Screening Review.

If you choose to have your penalty reviewed by a screening officer, we will schedule an appointment for you and after your defence your fine will either be upheld or adjusted. You are then able to request a Hearing Review if you require an additional review.

The Hearing Review is the step that is changing in our process. A Hearing Review will take place at the Richmond Hill municipal offices, rather than taking a ticket to the provincial courts. Hearings are conducted by hearing officers, who are legally-trained individuals appointed by council to act as neutral, independent decision makers for our AMPS process.

You can visit RichmondHill.ca/AMPS for more information and to find forms to request a Screening Review or an extension of time for your penalty notice. This is also an upgrade as previously we did not have online forms to request parking reviews.

Remember — you can always purchase a temporary parking permit at RichmondHill.ca/Parking when you need to park on the road longer than three hours or overnight.