Chattanooga is owed more than $7.1 million in overdue parking fines, but $632,000 is uncollectable because no names are on the citations, city records show.
The Times Free Press reviewed city records that show more than 84,000 delinquent parking violations dating back decades. The database shows one citation from 1937 with a debt of $45.50.
Some fines are huge. Records show an Anna Brazzell owes more than $30,000 in outstanding fines and a Crystal Blevins hasn't paid fines totaling more than $19,000. Attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.
The city is looking for ways to raise revenue in a difficult economic environment. The City Council has increased stormwater and sewer rates and raised fees for dozens of permits. Mayor Ron Littlefield and the council also are considering a property tax increase.
City Attorney Mike McMahan said Friday the city could collect about $4.6 million in unpaid fines over the past 10 years, the statutory limit.
Councilwoman Carol Berz, chairwoman of the Budget, Personnel and Finance Committee, said the city needs the revenue that could come from pursuing those outstanding fines.
Councilman Peter Murphy, chairman of the Legal and Legislative Committee, said the city needs to do a "crackdown" on violators.
"They need to take our City Court judges' decisions more seriously," Mr. Murphy said.
Some of the delinquent fines aren't collectable because the tag registrations of some vehicles cannot be found in a state database in Nashville, City Court Clerk Jan Turner said.
She said about 20,000 of the 84,000 citations listed in the database have no names.
"There are some in-state, and out-of-state, that the state just can't match up," Ms. Turner said.
There are a number of reasons that some tag numbers don't match the state database, Sara Jo Houghland, spokeswoman for the Tennessee Department of Revenue, said.
"This could happen for a variety of reasons, most commonly, the plate number being taken down incorrectly," she said.
city takes action
City officials said they must decide whether pursuing court action to collect outstanding parking fines is worth the cost.
The city began filing lawsuits a few weeks ago against those who owe outstanding water quality, or stormwater, fees. More than $10 million is owed from outstanding water fees, but only about $5 million can be collected because of a six-year statute of limitations, city officials have said.
The city chose to pursue only those who owe more than $1,000 because of potential court costs and attorney fees, officials said.
Daisy Madison, the city's chief financial officer, said Friday the city's collection agency, Alliance One, is beginning to collect overdue parking fines.
"We are about to authorize them to litigate," Ms. Madison said.
Alliance One has a contract with the city to collect most outstanding fees, including water quality fees and parking citations, she said.
Usually, the agency sends out two letters to debtors, she said. After the second letter is sent, the credit bureau is notified, she said. A provision in the city's contract authorizes Alliance One to pursue debtors in court without City Council approval.
City officials have not been aggressive in the past because they have followed a step-by-step process that included making an effort to collect the money and then hiring a collection agency, Ms. Madison said.
"Now it's time to move to the next stage," she said.