City Of Chicago Suspends Non-Safety-Related Ticketing, Towing, Booting Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Wednesday announced that the City of Chicago will temporarily suspend debt collection practices, non-safety-related ticketing and towing, and penalties for late payment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the directive, late fees and defaults on payments will be temporarily suspended – including those related to city tickets, utility bills, parking and red-light tickets, booting, and other non-public-safety-related violations.

Interest will also be suspended on compliance plans.

The suspensions take effect immediately and will be in effect through April 30.

"This is a common sense way that we can help mitigate the burdens and pressures many are feeling. We know that these practices disproportionately impact the residents that are most in need during this crisis," Mayor Lightfoot said in a news release. "We realize that many of our residents that are strapped for cash right now as the effort to contain the coronavirus has created difficult economic circumstances for those who are unable to work. We don't want to further impact the people who can't afford to pay these penalties today and want to provide some breathing room to help them prioritize how to address their financial obligations."

The directive Wednesday also includes the temporary suspension of payment plan defaults on non-safety impounds, and an extended deadline for city debt checks on taxi and transportation network provider drivers.

The city provided the following breakdown of other financial efforts:

• Ticket Issuance
o Enforcement will be prioritized for safety-related violations.
o Enforcement on compliance-related violations will be suspended until April 30, 2020

• Parking, Red Light, Speed Camera Violation Collections
o Delay assessment of penalty (ticket doubling) until after April 30, 2020
o Delay driver's license suspension until after April 30, 2020
o No Booting until after April 30, 2020
o Delay referral of tickets to collection firms until after April 30, 2020
o No defaults of payment plans for until after April 30, 2020

• Utility Bills
o Extend due dates until after April 30, 2020 delaying assessment of penalties
o Delay referrals to collection firms until after April 30, 2020
o No defaults of payment plans until after April 30, 2020

• Administrative Hearing Collections
o Extend due dates until after April 30, 2020 (this will delay assessment of interest)
o Delay referrals to collection firms until after April 30, 2020
o No defaults of payment plans until after April 30, 2020

• Other Collection Efforts
o Extend deadline for TNP and taxi drivers to pay debt to April 30
o No debt holds on new licenses or permits
o Law firms and collection agencies will cease collection efforts.