Thread: $50 Parking Ticket Grows To $1/4M Home Foreclosure

Barrett promises help after parking ticket foreclosure
By RAQUEL RUTLEDGE
rrutledge@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 4, 2008

Mayor Tom Barrett promised Monday to try to help a disabled man after the city foreclosed on his house to collect fines that resulted from a $50 parking citation, but the mayor stopped short of saying the city would drop its pursuit of the $245,000 house.



"It's before the courts right now," Barrett said.

Barrett said he plans to contact leaders in the mental health community to see if they could help.

"Part of what has made this case more difficult is he wants to fight this, but the difficulty is he's never gotten in the ring," Barrett said of the homeowner.

Barrett said that while the punishment seemed extreme for the crime, the case was too unusual to warrant a change in policy.

"Do I think we should get a house if someone doesn't pay their (car) registration? No, but this is unusual," he said.

The city foreclosed last week on Peter Tubic's home on W. Verona Court after trying for more than four years to collect on the fine, which had escalated to $2,645 and turned into a tax lien.

Public Investigator reported the story in Sunday's Journal Sentinel.

Tubic said Monday he had not heard from Barrett or anyone else from the city aside from Ald. Joe Dudzik, who also offered to help.

"I'm wondering if this isn't like Tiananmen Square, where they told the dissenters help was on the way," he said. "For days they told them help was coming. I knew it wasn't."

In several follow-up conversations on Monday, Tubic struggled with his thoughts. At one point he told P.I. he wasn't sure if he wanted the city to dismiss the case because "what happens to the next guy? . . . It's the principle of the thing." He then said he needed to find a lawyer and would welcome an offer from the city.

Dudzik said he wasn't exactly sure what he could do to help but would return roughly $150 in campaign contributions Tubic had given him if it is legal and would help Tubic.

"I was nearly in tears when I read this," Dudzik said. "He's a nice guy. . . . If there's some way of helping him, I think the city will and should."

Tubic, 62, got the fine in 2004 for parking his van with no license plates in the driveway of his parents' home - a violation of city zoning codes. The radiator had broken, and Tubic couldn't renew the plates without passing the emissions test. He said he couldn't afford to fix it and was overwhelmed with caring for his sick parents.

Tubic's mother transferred the home to him before she died in 2006.

The Social Security Administration has deemed Tubic mentally and physically disabled since 2001. He has a host of physical diseases and a personality disorder that limits his cognitive functioning, according to documents from the administration.

Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Richard Sankovitz technically stayed the judgment to give Tubic one last chance to explain why he hasn't paid the fine or even responded to the city. Tubic has until Aug. 14 to file paperwork with the court.

A court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11. If the city retains ownership of the house, Tubic can remain there as a renter until the house is sold. After that, the new homeowners can decide if they want to continue renting out the house. Tubic can file a petition with the city to collect whatever money remains from the sale of the house after the city takes its cut.

On Sunday and Monday, Public Investigator received more than 100 e-mails about the foreclosure, a vast majority from people outraged at the city's action and offering to help Tubic pay his fine.

"Have the city pols gone crazy?!! Unbelievable," writes Claude Kellogg of North Carolina.

Reader Lisa Calhoun wrote a letter to Barrett and sent a copy to the P.I. Team. Calhoun told Barrett her family had scrapped a trip to Milwaukee next spring.

"I find the entire situation upsetting, and I'm disappointed in the way it's been handled," Calhoun writes. "We were going to visit your museums and breweries, but my desire to see the Harley-Davidson Museum, what caused us to choose Milwaukee as our destination, just doesn't seem important any more."

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=779632

I was nearly in tears when I read this," Dudzik said. "He's a nice guy. . . . If there's some way of helping him, I think the city will and should."

Tubic, 62, got the fine in 2004 for parking his van with no license plates in the driveway of his parents' home - a violation of city zoning codes. The radiator had broken, and Tubic couldn't renew the plates without passing the emissions test. He said he couldn't afford to fix it and was overwhelmed with caring for his sick parents.

Another American getting screwed while our government bends over backwards to help illegal invaders. Cities who refuse to impound the automobiles of illegal invaders that are caught driving without a licenses, AND YET THIS CITY WANTS TO TAKE THE HOME OF A DISABLED AMERICAN BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PAY A STUPID TICKET!

I'm not advocating special treatment for this guy, I just want him treated the same as would be an illegal invader who has no business being in this country. Can you imagine our government trying to take the home of an illegal invader who didn't pay a ticket! There would be outrage!!

Is this still the United States of America. Sometimes I wonder...

These people should be ashamed.I thought America was better then this,what a bunch of trash to foreclose on some ones home for such a small debt.But then again they need the 2k to furnish illegals with needed services.

This is really sad that this man is by himself and needs assistance. He needs a court ordered guardian and someone to oversee his financial situation.

He didn't have the good sense to sell the van to pay the fine. This is just a sad situation.

Dixie

Where is Bush and the World Court Now :[edit/mod]No where to be found...only if your a murdering thug does all the help come charging in...sheeez

The city foreclosed last week on Peter Tubic's home on W. Verona Court after trying for more than four years to collect on the fine, which had escalated to $2,645 and turned into a tax lien.

SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS. HOW DID A $50 PARKING TICKET END UP BEING $2,645 ????

THE TICKET IS JUST OVER 4 YEARS OLD. EVEN IF THE TICKET DOUBLED EVERY YEAR IT WOULD NOT END UP BEING THIS MUCH. WTF?

I THINK SOMETHING FISHY IS GOING ON HERE. THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS GUY AND GET HIS HOUSE. SOMEONE SAID THEY ARE HELPING.....BUT UM ....NO ONE IS ASKING HOW THE TICKET GOT TO BE THIS MUCH MONEY.

BY WHAT SYSTEM DOES A TICKET ESCALATE AT THIS RATE? EVEN THE IRS DOES NOT ABUSE PEOPLE LIKE THIS.

If the city feels compelled to take something, then why don't they take the truck that was originally ticketed! You don't take a man's home over a ticket! That's criminal!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

If the city feels compelled to take something, then why don't they take the truck that was originally ticketed! You don't take a man's home over a ticket! That's criminal!

IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MAN BECAUSE HE IS UNABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF. THEY ARE ROBBING HIM. YOU ARE RIGHT...THEY COULD JUST TAKE THE TRUCK. AND I QUESTION THE ESCALATION OF THE TICKET TO OVER TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. EVEN CREDIT CARD COMPANIES DONT ESCALATE A BILL LIKE THAT. HEC ...EVEN LOAN SHARKS DONT DO THAT. THIS IS ABUSE OF THE DISABLED.

They've gone insane in Milwaukee. He was parked in his parents driveway on private property.

Originally Posted by Judy

They've gone insane in Milwaukee. He was parked in his parents driveway on private property.

If it's on private property and it's not being used then I don't see how they were able to ticket it. Here in California there was a truck not being used and it was parked in front of the persons house for over a year next to my grandma's house taking up much needed parking space as it was partially in front of my grandma's house and we called and complained and they never ticketed it or warned him about his trucked or towed it. He's being targeted and should not have been given a ticket if in the driveway, how many people have cars they no longer use or that are broken down and need fixing? I don't see a $50 ticket turning in to over $2,000 in the span of only 4 years, it might be $200 and something, perhaps a clerical error??? I can dream can't I? 264.50 sounds about right I think.