Eliminate Chicago traffic tickets with a current or former Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
New laws are in effect which help debtors to eliminate Chicago traffic tickets with a chapter 7 bankruptcy – new or old!
CLICK FOR CHICAGO TICKET ELIMINATION EVALUATION
Have you filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy? Do you still owe for Chicago traffic tickets?
I can help you eliminate old Chicago traffic tickets if you have filed chapter 7 bankruptcy. Recently, the City of Chicago passed a new law which allows people to eliminate their old traffic tickets with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Previously, tickets were not eliminated with a chapter 7 bankruptcy, but would only be discharged with a chapter 13 bankruptcy discharge. Chapter 13 cases were hard to complete, with approximately 75% of them failing. So, the City of Chicago passed a new ordinance which went into effect on January 1, 2019. This allows debtors who get a chapter 7 discharge to be able to eliminate Chicago traffic tickets.
Program Requirements
- First, tickets must be from the City of Chicago and traffic oriented. This includes parking tickets, red light camera tickets, speeding tickets and such. It does NOT cover property tickets and other code violations. It does not cover any tickets incurred after the date of the bankruptcy filing, those must be paid separately.
- Second, a debtor must have filed, and ultimately receive a discharge under chapter 7 bankruptcy. This is not for newly filed cases either. Any chapter 7 bankruptcy discharge can work with the program!! 1 year, 5 year or even a discharge from 10 years ago or more can qualify!
- Third, Tickets, fines, penalties from 3 years prior to the bankruptcy filing date will be waived and eliminated upon completion of the program.
- Fourth, Tickets from 3 years up to the date of filing will be placed into the City of Chicago’s Fresh Start Ticket Repayment program. They will require a small deposit (based on the amount of tickets included) and you can enter into a repayment plan for 3-5 years based on the amount owed, for just the actual ticket amount. They will waive and eliminate all of the fines/penalties associated with the tickets. This means all of the doubling is cleared.
- Finally, upon completion of the program and your bankruptcy discharge, you will have eliminated all of these traffic tickets and fines from the city of Chicago.
Booted or Impounded Vehicle
Eligible debtors will have a boot removed from their vehicle and returned you (once permitted by the chapter 7 trustee*) upon the filing of a chapter 7 bankruptcy, enrollment into the city’s ticket program, and payment of the initial deposit. The city will remove your vehicle from the boot list if they have not booted your car.
Impounded Vehicle – Suspended License
You can still enroll in the program if your vehicle is in the impound lot due to violations from driving on a suspended license. However, you will pay these penalties for these violations in full up front to able to enroll in the fresh start ticket plan. You must file the chapter 7 bankruptcy case. Finally, you will then enroll into the plan, pay the deposit and pay the suspension penalties up front.
Release of suspended license
The Illinois Secretary of State will release the hold on your drivers license by showing the Chapter 7 bankruptcy filing, and entry into the fresh start program and payment of the initial deposit. You may have to pay additional fees to reinstate your license with the Illinois Secretary of State.
Free Strategy Session
CLICK FOR CHICAGO TICKET ELIMINATION EVALUATION
I offer free strategy sessions to help assist you to clear these old Chicago traffic tickets. Please have the information below at your free consultation.
Information needed:
- Drivers License
- Debtor’s name and address
- All known license plate numbers (past and present)
- Ticket number or violation number
- Bankruptcy case number and copy of discharge (if available)
- Has the City of Chicago booted or impounded your vehicle?
*As always, consult your bankruptcy attorney regarding exemptions and possible equity in the vehicle that the trustee may be interested in.
Unfortunately, this fresh start program does not apply to cosigners. So, those cosigners can file a chapter 7 bankruptcy to be eligible to eliminate chicago traffic tickets.
In conclusion, this is great news for debtors. This can be a cheaper option than chapter 13 bankruptcy. Ultimately, The city hopes these payment plans will be more successful, and can help generate money for the city too, while helping those with lower income eliminate these traffic tickets.