So can they steal my car at anytime if I refuse to pay the fine?

[ridefree]

What is the name of your state? IL



I already contested. And they want me to pay the $100 anyway.

I thought about doing an appeal to the Circuit Court which they said I could do. That's more than the fine , like $366. Plus there is a suggestion on the Illinois legal aid website to ask judge for the refund of the filing fees but no guarantee of that.

I even wrote a state official that agrees the red light cameras" have nothing to do with safety but everything to do with revenue". I read about federal cases in Texas and Iowa of federal lawsuits in favor of the plaintiff over the municipal governments.

I have done my research on this issue for years and had refused to pay. Nothing has happened to me. My DL, etc has renewed with no problem. I don't get any other fines or tickets. I am a safe driver. I found that the law firm in Chicago that handles the fines gives donations to the democrat party. I thought democrats were about freedom and fairness. Seems totally opposite of what they promise and do. Plus the FBI I read in many newspaper front page headlines in past years had raided public official offices that took these funds for themselves.

 

[Zigner]

To address the (rhetorical) question you posed in the title of your thread: If your car is impounded by the government, it is not "stealing."

Did you have a legal matter that you need assistance with, or are you simply here to vent?

 

[zddoodah]

Not only did you not ask a question, you didn't coherently describe your situation, so I'm not sure what the purpose of your post is.

I already contested.

Contested what? What was the outcome of the contest?

And they want me to pay the $100 anyway.

"They"? Does this mean your contest was unsuccessful?

I even wrote a state official that agrees the red light cameras" have nothing to do with safety but everything to do with revenue".

The personal opinion of some random "state official" doesn't mean anything. For which of these Illinois state agencies does this person work, and what is his/her position?

I found that the law firm in Chicago that handles the fines gives donations to the democrat party. I thought democrats were about freedom and fairness. Seems totally opposite of what they promise and do. Plus the FBI I read in many newspaper front page headlines in past years had raided public official offices that took these funds for themselves.

What does any of this have to do with your situation?

 

[Zigner]

... Texas state agencies ...

OP is in Illinois

 

[Taxing Matters]

When you don't pay the ticket on time and run of time to appeal, the fine goes up to $200. Moreover, the police may boot your car (which is an attachment to a car wheel that prevents you from driving it) and will have to pay the full fine plus the charges for removing the boot. Let it go long enough, they may legally seize the car and sell it to pay the fine and sales costs, with any excess proceeds going back to you. Of course, a car sale at governement auction is typically at way below the actual market value of the car. It's not stealing your car because it's authorized by law.

You are obviously indigent at getting a ticket you feel you don't deserve. But IMO you are tilting at windmills in your continual refusal to pay the fine. The sooner you pay it, the less you'll end paying for this. I was recently cited in my city (which is in a different state) for a photo radar speeding ticket. The fine for that was $40. Even if I could have won the challenge to the ticket, it would literally not have been worth my time to do it. So I paid it, and it's done.

Furthermore, had I wanted to contest the ticket anyway it would be a real challenge. Challenges to the accuracy of photo radar have gone nowhere and challenges to my state's law on state and federal constitutional grounds have failed. That would leave me having to prove I wasn't speeding. There is no way I can do that as I have no evidence besides my own testimony, and that doesn't carry much weight against the measurements taken by a speed measuring device.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? IL



I already contested. And they want me to pay the $100 anyway.

I thought about doing an appeal to the Circuit Court which they said I could do. That's more than the fine , like $366. Plus there is a suggestion on the Illinois legal aid website to ask judge for the refund of the filing fees but no guarantee of that.

I even wrote a state official that agrees the red light cameras" have nothing to do with safety but everything to do with revenue". I read about federal cases in Texas and Iowa of federal lawsuits in favor of the plaintiff over the municipal governments.

I have done my research on this issue for years and had refused to pay. Nothing has happened to me. My DL, etc has renewed with no problem. I don't get any other fines or tickets. I am a safe driver. I found that the law firm in Chicago that handles the fines gives donations to the democrat party. I thought democrats were about freedom and fairness. Seems totally opposite of what they promise and do. Plus the FBI I read in many newspaper front page headlines in past years had raided public official offices that took these funds for themselves.

A car is generally not impounded over a delinquent red-light ticket. You apparently challenged the ticket once already without success. An appeal doesn’t seem worth the time, effort or money to me but it is certainly one of your options.

 

[ridefree]

That's good. I wrote up some legal letters of my own to

A law firm paralegal told me Chicago can boot your car after 3 unpaid fines.

Thank goodness I'm not in Chicago

 

[ridefree]

I sent Linebarger gentle letters telling them I don't owe anything to the city of RM. Just a turn on right on red which many often do on intersections when no cars or people are present. I never got a ticket for any moving violations in over 10 years.

When I lived down south. I paid $30- $50 for running a stop sign. Majority were dismissed or reduced to nothing in front of a judge.

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/red-light-cameras-take-another-500m-from-illinois-drivers-in-5-years/ted legal cases from Texas, etc proving what they do is illegal, etc,

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/lawsuit-claims-chicago-red-light-cameras-violate-state-law/

 

[ridefree]

Not only did you not ask a question, you didn't coherently describe your situation, so I'm not sure what the purpose of your post is.




Contested what? What was the outcome of the contest?




"They"? Does this mean your contest was unsuccessful?




The personal opinion of some random "state official" doesn't mean anything. For which of these Illinois state agencies does this person work, and what is his/her position?




What does any of this have to do with your situation?

When you don't pay the ticket on time and run of time to appeal, the fine goes up to $200. Moreover, the police may boot your car (which is an attachment to a car wheel that prevents you from driving it) and will have to pay the full fine plus the charges for removing the boot. Let it go long enough, they may legally seize the car and sell it to pay the fine and sales costs, with any excess proceeds going back to you. Of course, a car sale at governement auction is typically at way below the actual market value of the car. It's not stealing your car because it's authorized by law.

You are obviously indigent at getting a ticket you feel you don't deserve. But IMO you are tilting at windmills in your continual refusal to pay the fine. The sooner you pay it, the less you'll end paying for this. I was recently cited in my city (which is in a different state) for a photo radar speeding ticket. The fine for that was $40. Even if I could have won the challenge to the ticket, it would literally not have been worth my time to do it. So I paid it, and it's done.

Furthermore, had I wanted to contest the ticket anyway it would be a real challenge. Challenges to the accuracy of photo radar have gone nowhere and challenges to my state's law on state and federal constitutional grounds have failed. That would leave me having to prove I wasn't speeding. There is no way I can do that as I have no evidence besides my own testimony, and that doesn't carry much weight against the measurements taken by a speed measuring device.

That is theft. They can't do that. I would sue their ass if they do that.

They have videos how to remove a boot. It seems criminal what they can do to Americans. It's like they make us their slaves. We elect them to work for us not obey them.

 

[quincy]

That is theft. They can't do that. I would sue their ass if they do that.

They have videos how to remove a boot. It seems criminal what they can do to Americans. It's like they make us their slaves. We elect them to work for us not obey them.

You should not remove the boot on your own. You can pay the fine to prevent increasing the amount owed and then argue the ticket’s legitimacy. That’s if you value your money.

There can be legitimate arguments to make to have a ticket dismissed or to seek a refund. Arguing the unfairness of the law is unlikely to be a winning argument, however.

 

[stealth2]

That is theft. They can't do that. I would sue their ass if they do that.

It's not, they can, and you'd lose.

 

[quincy]

It's not, they can, and you'd lose.

I too have a problem with red light camera tickets but trying to fight the laws that make them legal is best done when your ability to drive and your car are not at risk.

In other words, when the fight is more costly than the fines that are accumulating, and when you have already been unsuccessful with an appeal once, there is a certain amount of common sense that should come into play.

 

[ridefree]

I get what you mean.

I'm not poor. But on fixed income. Anyone of us could be homeless with bad policies most states have . Just saying.

Not arguing just sharing thoughts here

Well I do see homeless people still driving around in their cars. Surprisingly.

It seems Illinois really loses because more people are leaving it . That might be my best option yet. A state that has banned the red program to move to.

I really wanted to take this to federal court.

Just a few interesting articles...

https://georgiastatesignal.com/predatory-illegal-exploited-booting-may-illegal-along/

https://news.speedsociety.com/police-put-the-brakes-on-the-infamous-boot-bandit/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/some-drivers-beat-the-boot-by-illegal-means/2015/03/03/ef792084-c1b8-11e4-ad5c-3b8ce89f1b89_story.html

"There can be no criminal intent in resisting injustice. " -- Lysander Spooner

 

[ridefree]

But judges let people off that shot someone. While a person with a car gets booted. The legal system is messed up. Some say it's taxation without representation

 

[ridefree]

It's not, they can, and you'd lose.

Seems like local or state government treats citizens like cattle.

So wouldn't I be able to sue them in small claims for $10,000 and for loss of my car?

Former cops on Quora admit it's about revenue , not safety. A state official agreed it's all revenue and not safety as well. Said he will continue to repeal.

How is America free if states continue to criminalize or take property we own without any accountability?

Seems like a third world country or communism at best