Milwaukee man faces foreclosure because he didn’t pay parking fine

[Psephos]

Source: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Peter Tubic ignored a $50 parking fine in 2004, and on Monday, it cost him his $245,000 house. In what city officials believe is the first case of its kind, the city foreclosed on Tubic's house on W. Verona Court after repeated attempts to collect the fine - which over the years had escalated to $2,600 - had failed.

"Our goal isn't to acquire parcels," said Jim Klajbor, special deputy city treasurer. "Our goal is to just collect taxes. . . . It is only as a last resort that we would pursue . . . foreclosure."

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Richard Sankovitz technically stayed the judgment to give Tubic one last chance to explain why he hasn't paid or even responded, but Sankovitz ruled in favor of the city's foreclosure. "The city was entitled to a judgment," Sankovitz told Public Investigator on Thursday. "There hadn't been an answer to the complaint."

<snip>

According to the Social Security Administration, Tubic, 62, has been disabled since 2001. He has been diagnosed with psychological disorders that limit his "ability to understand, remember and carry out detailed instructions," according to documents from the administration. In addition he suffers from chronic pain caused by degenerative diseases of the knees and spine, as well as chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and obesity, among other ailments.

In several lengthy conversations with the P.I. Team spanning two weeks, Tubic frequently grunted in pain and broke down in tears. "They're trying to take my house away for a parking violation," Tubic said. "I know it was my own fault for letting it drag on, I've been under mental duress. I haven't been able to handle this."

<snip>

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=779234

[Lance_Boyle]

1. well dude, you're under more duress now.

Disability does not exempt one from paying civil fines or penalties. It's been 4 years.

[JAYJDF]

5. Nice compassion for the little guy!

There are hundreds of companies out there that owe plenty more in taxes and are not being penalized anything close to this case.
I suggest you put some of that compassion you've expressed to getting those dollars.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

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[marshall]

12. Why does this guy have a drivers' license???

It sounds like he is falling apart mentally and physically. The city would better serve its population by taking somebody like this out from behind the wheel of a car.

[tridim]

2. A $50 ticket should never escalate to $2,600

WTF? That's a crime IMO.

[HereSince1628]

11. No kidding.

And it seems very odd for no one to realize that he was mentally ill before it escalated to this point.

[MessiahRp]

21. I live in Milwaukee and I'm not sure what parking violation warrants a $50 ticket to begin with

They all start at $15 here so I'm not sure what his original violation was to get ticketed $50. Even so this was a case of the city going way, way overboard in pursuit of this guy.

Rp

[Wickerman]

3. Seems a tad draconian

First, a $40.00 ticket. Then, a $40.00 ticket escalating to a $2,600 fine! Then...foreclosure!

On top of their skewed collection policies, he doesn't need legal action, he needs a guardian.

[Gormy Cuss]

6. The tickets were for a unregistered vehicle sitting in the driveway --even more absurd.

One fine, sure, because it's part of the NIMBY code. Repeated fines over something as trivial as that leading to foreclosure? I'd be embarrassed to work for that city.

It does sound like the man needs a legal guardian. I hope that some advocate will step up and work for him through this foreclosure mess at least.

[Ellipsis]

18. IN HIS OWN DRIVE WAY!??? What the fuck?

This will go away before the end of the week.

[AndyA]

4. There is NO EXCUSE for an unpaid parking ticket to escalate in this manner.

Milwaukee should be ashamed of itself for abusing its residents in this manner. This should not be legal, and the fact that it apparently is legal is a disgrace.

A parking ticket is a parking ticket. Big deal. Maybe the space wasn't marked well, the meter was broken, or who knows.

Just another example of how screwed up America is today, thanks to the Republicans.

[Lance_Boyle]

8. so appeal the ticket if it was flawed.

you can't just ignore it, like this guy did.

I see nothing disgraceful in the city's action, whereas there is some small disgrace in being a civil fine deadbeat.

[1monster]

10. What part of this quote don't you understand? The man isn't competent to

take care of this matter and apparently hasn't been since 2001.

I sincerely hope that you are simply playing devil's advocate for the sake of argument. That kind of attitude leads to Karma. I've lived long enough to know that Karma doesn't always wait until the next life time to even things up. And Karma IS a bitch.

According to the Social Security Administration, Tubic, 62, has been disabled since 2001. He has been diagnosed with psychological disorders that limit his "ability to understand, remember and carry out detailed instructions," according to documents from the administration. In addition he suffers from chronic pain caused by degenerative diseases of the knees and spine, as well as chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and obesity, among other ailments.

[PeaceNikki]

23. He was competent enough to sue Goodwill industries in 2005

http://wcca.wicourts.gov/pdfs/85E8AAAC0DCDF1AFA7152375425742B1.render5/civilCaseDetails349524.pdf

[Gormy Cuss]

13. Perhaps you missed this part of the article

According to the Social Security Administration, Tubic, 62, has been disabled since 2001. He has been diagnosed with psychological disorders that limit his "ability to understand, remember and carry out detailed instructions," according to documents from the administration.

Deadbeat? Unlikely.

[AndyA]

20. Losing your house because of an unpaid PARKING TICKET?

Give me a f*cking break!

The guy isn't all there, so to get from A to C, he doesn't necessarily understand you have to go to B. We need some more COMPASSION in this country.

Lack of compassion is why sh!t like this happens, and I believe it also has a lot to do with murder rates, violence, and a lot of other things.

No one should ever lose their home because of a parking ticket. And anyone who feels this is appropriate needs to exercise a little compassion for their fellow man.

It's a disgrace.

[peacetalksforall]

7. This is a window on our future - it will all be in a database and they will

write the rules in favor of the barons. Notice - no government agency WAS BROUGHT IN. They are going to claim they didn't know he was in stress. And most don't give a damn. Others will say that they pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and overcame an illness so why couldn't he.

If I had the money ....

[lumpy]

9. The USA= meanest country in the world

x

[LeftHander]

14. How screwed up Milwaukee is....how much did it cost to foreclose..

In terms of court time, worker man hours coping with volumes of unique forms and requests...

probably is something more sinister at work here....or if the man was homeless he might then get proper medical treatment.

[NBachers]

15. Let's see- Parking ticket in my left hand . . .

Home and property in my right hand . . .

Yup, they each weigh about the same. NOT

Cities are seeing parking tickets as an enhanced revenue source. They just keep running the clock and adding more and more juicy revenue. Municipalities at war with their own citizens.

This is an atrocity.

[Juneboarder]

17. Cities Fundings are Scarce...

As the cities fundings continue to decrease, the cities will continue to find ways to generate money... cops issuing minor/meaningless tickets are one prime example.

[timtom]

19. The proper thing for Milwaukee to do

is to accept the original fine from him -- no harm, no foul. If they can't do that, then, I can't even guess what horrors they will bring upon themselves. Karma is inescapable.

[slackmaster]

22. Or just leave a lien on the house

That way it has to be settled once and for all before the home can be sold. It may take decades to collect, but the city will eventually get everything it's owed.

[Connonym]

24. What's almost as shocking is that THE CAR WAS PARKED IN HIS OWN DRIVEWAY

Now wtf is that all about? I really don't understand how you can be issued a ticket for a car parked on your own property or not. Even if the car wasn't licensed, if it wasn't on a public street it shouldn't matter, should it? I can't believe the city was willing to make itself look this draconian over a $50 fine on something that shouldn't be illegal in the first place.

[slackmaster]

25. In my area police can tow an unlicensed car from your driveway, if it's visible from the street

It's not done very often because that kind of thing fosters resentment of the police (and they do have more important things to do).

[mojowork_n]

26. Not to mention that for every penny of the (inflated) fine

... a penalty of one dollar was assessed:

$ 2,500 fine as against loss of the $ 250,000 house.

(Not including whatever it is the city's going to charge him for "rent," every month.)

But it seems like par-for-the-course. The people who defend the city on this one are probably on the same side with those fighting against the "sick day" petition.