City collected a 18 year old, $31 failure to register bicycle fine!!

[speedracing944]

I just received notice that the city I lived in as a kid collected on a 18 year old $31 ( plus $5 fee) failure to register bicycle fine through my tax rebate. The fine was given way back in 1993 when I was 17 years of age. I didn't pay it along with the 5 $100 skateboarding fines I received in my youth. The skateboarding fines were a collection from when I was 12-15 years old. At the time I lived in a household which survived on about $300 a month and had no income generation. The state took away my drivers license for about 2 years, which I had none, in exchange for the failure to pay the forfeiture. I thought that wiped out all obligations.

I am trying to look into Wisconsin code for a statute of limitations of fine forfeiture but have not found one as of yet. I would love to shove it in their face as they made my life hell growing up.

I remember the stop which resulted in the fine. I was just ridding my Bianchi road bike I just purchased to get to school and back, 5 mile round trip, when I was pulled over. He gave a BS excuse and proceeded to interrogate me just looking for something to pin on me. All he could find was the bicycle registration which resulted in the $31 fine. Keep in mind I wasn't the normal looking kid and was a little punked out.

They must be hard up to make up for the budget shortfall.

Speedy

[masraum]

Wow, pretty whacky.

[onlycafe]

lucky for you that they don't want compound interest.

[speedracing944]

I read there was a 12% a year interest so yes I am lucky in that respect.

I just got off the phone with the lady who handled the case and I guess there is many people being surprised this year.

Speedy

[legion]

Municipalities are digging up anything they can right now for money.

[The Gaijin]

They have a better database than the Feds:

Verification System Seen Failing to Catch Illegal Hires - WSJ.com

[GG Allin]

I have an unpaid parking ticket from at least 15 years ago on my conscience. It's the fact that it's from Stone Park IL. that worries me. That town is a corrupt shi****thole.

[legion]

My sister was arrested in the city of Chicago (where she lives) after a BS traffic stop.......because the County Clerk in Coles County, IL, didn't record properly that she had paid a fine 10 years ago. The county has issued bench warrants for EVERYONE who owes the county money. She had to pay the $50 fine AGAIN to clear up the matter.

[Schrup]

I would go to the local media with your story.

[anotherblack944]

Originally Posted by speedracing944

I just received notice that the city I lived in as a kid

Where was that Speedy? It might help put it in a proper perspective. Some towns in this state have been pulling crap like this for years.

[Aerkuld]

Register a bicycle? Seriously?

[The Gaijin]

Mandatory even..

[speedracing944]

Originally Posted by anotherblack944

Where was that Speedy? It might help put it in a proper perspective. Some towns in this state have been pulling crap like this for years.

Good old West Bend, Wisconsin.

What gets me is the selective enforcement of the law. How many kids and adults do they hand out tickets for failure to register a bicycle?

What was great was I registered the bike the next day and still have the decal on my Bianchi from 1993.

Speedy

[speedracing944]

Here is the 1993 - 1994 registration sticker.

Speedy

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by speedracing944

I just received notice that the city I lived in as a kid collected on a 18 year old $31 ( plus $5 fee) failure to register bicycle fine through my tax rebate. The fine was given way back in 1993 when I was 17 years of age. I didn't pay it along with the 5 $100 skateboarding fines I received in my youth. The skateboarding fines were a collection from when I was 12-15 years old. At the time I lived in a household which survived on about $300 a month and had no income generation. The state took away my drivers license for about 2 years, which I had none, in exchange for the failure to pay the forfeiture. I thought that wiped out all obligations.

I am trying to look into Wisconsin code for a statute of limitations of fine forfeiture but have not found one as of yet. I would love to shove it in their face as they made my life hell growing up.

I remember the stop which resulted in the fine. I was just ridding my Bianchi road bike I just purchased to get to school and back, 5 mile round trip, when I was pulled over. He gave a BS excuse and proceeded to interrogate me just looking for something to pin on me. All he could find was the bicycle registration which resulted in the $31 fine. Keep in mind I wasn't the normal looking kid and was a little punked out.

They must be hard up to make up for the budget shortfall.

Speedy

People ask me why i "hate" cops.

This is why i "hate" cops. I've heard variations of this same story 10,000 times before, and lived through variations of it myself a few times too.

Registration....on a bike. Dude, why even live there? Seriously. I do not, and will never understand why Americans willingly live in gestapo locales.

[GH85Carrera]

The cop did not make the law, he just found a way to bother a "punked out kid"

[anotherblack944]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The cop did not make the law, he just found a way to bother a "punked out kid"

Bingo! I searched this over lunch out of curiosity. That's a real common response. It's also obvious that MANY municipalities across the country still have and enforce the ordinance. ..Madison too..

As a kid in Shorewood I remember that they'd usually only fine you if you reported a bike stolen and it wasn't registered. Double whammy there!

Looks like you are SOL Speedy. No statute of limitations on unpaid fines. Garnishing a tax rebate is really scraping the bottom though! I expect we'll be seeing more and more of this type of "creative budgeting"?

Look on the bright side. It could have been like this one I found for a 22yr old fine.. "Ticket in NY, but they suspended my license, and I had to pay $3227.00 in penalties. along with the $22.00 for the expired parking meter violation."

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

People ask me why i "hate" cops.

This is why i "hate" cops. I've heard variations of this same story 10,000 times before, and lived through variations of it myself a few times too.

Registration....on a bike. Dude, why even live there? Seriously. I do not, and will never understand why Americans willingly live in gestapo locales.

While I see your point, The city of Portland, OR is going to spend a bundle...hundreds of million$, for more bicycle lanes. The bicyclists up there are screaming for it. How much of the tab are they paying? Zilch!

[Looking_for_911]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

People ask me why i "hate" cops.

This is why i "hate" cops. I've heard variations of this same story 10,000 times before, and lived through variations of it myself a few times too.

Registration....on a bike. Dude, why even live there? Seriously. I do not, and will never understand why Americans willingly live in gestapo locales.

+100000.
Happy I live down here where bicycles are only targets for motorists!

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

While I see your point, The city of Portland, OR is going to spend a bundle...hundreds of million$, for more bicycle lanes. The bicyclists up there are screaming for it. How much of the tab are they paying? Zilch!

Honestly how the hell do you spend hundreds of millions for bicycle lanes?

It's paint.