A Tilbury couple is refusing to pay a $330 parking ticket, arguing the incident was an honest mistake, but the City of Windsor said the decision is final.
Joe Peters and his wife rushed from Tilbury to Windsor Regional Hospital, where they parked in a designated accessible parking spot.
“Got a phone call, my son got into a car accident, and he was in ICU,” said Peters. “We come out 6 o clock and boom, $450 ticket on the dash. It says expired tag.”
Peters says his wife mistakenly placed the expired pass instead of their current one.
“I called them and next day. They’re like, ‘Oh, just fax us the new one and no problem,’” he said.
Instead of cancelling the ticket, Peters says the hearing officer would only reduce it by $100.
“Everybody makes mistakes like we’re humans. He’s like, yeah, yeah, I know you got to pay $330.”
The couple is shocked.
“I said, ‘Listen, man, if I parked in front of a fire hydrant or in the ambulance parking with the tag, I agree with you 110%, but it was a handicap, but it was the expired one.’”
Bill Kralovensky, the coordinator of parking services at the City of Windsor says as soon as you get your new one, destroy your old one.
“You look at your record. If you have this 3 or 4 times before, you’re not getting away with nothing. it’s up to the hearing officer, the hearing officer’s decision is final. That’s for the parking bylaw. So after that there is nothing his decision is that
Peters admits he has had a previous ticket for parking in a non-handicap spot for too long.
The city says they are starting to crack down on accessible parking infractions.
In 2023, 833 accessible parking tickets were issued and the fine was $350.
In 2024, the city bumped up the fine to $440. The number of tickets dropped slightly to 601.
This year the fine has risen to $448.40.
Starting March 1, the city is launching a 90-day pilot project in accessible spots.
“What you’re going to see in the future is a nice bright yellow sign with a gavel because of the court and what you’re going to pay if you choose to park there, you legally,” said Kralovensky.
As for Peters, he says he refuses to pay for his ticket and hopes the city will reconsider.
“I did not break the law. It was a stupid mistake,” said Peters.
