Parking fines rack up for ex
A US woman was issued with more than US$100,000 (about NZ$170,000) in parking fines after an ex-boyfriend abandoned a car registered in her name at an airport.
Jennifer Fitzgerald faced having to pay US$105,000 after a 1999 Chevy Monte Carlo accumulated 678 tickets over three years before finally being towed.
The vehicle was allegedly ditched in the employee car park at O’Hare Airport in Chicago, Illinois, in November 2009 by her disgruntled former partner, Brandon Preveau.
He reportedly bought the car in Fitzgerald’s name for US$600 while they were still together but at some point after breaking up he abandoned it at the international airport, pictured.
The tickets started to rack up for a frustrated Fitzgerald but she did not have the keys to move the car and pleas to her ex to help resolve the matter proved in vain, reports the US Sun.
After initially being ticketed for parking illegally, as time went on the Chevy deteriorated and attracted further infringements for being in a hazardous and dilapidated condition.
Fitzgerald took legal action against Preveau and the city of Chicago, saying she shouldn’t have to pay the tickets because she never used the vehicle and was initially unaware her name was on the ownership papers.
She eventually settled with the city out of court for US$4,500, reports the BBC. Under the terms of the settlement, Preveau reimbursed her US$1,600 and she was left paying the rest on a monthly plan.
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