Hamilton waiting on at least $80K in unpaid COVID-19 fines
CBC
Hamilton is waiting on at least $80,700 in unpaid tickets from people and businesses that broke COVID-19 rules.
Ava van Heerden, a public information associate with the city, told CBC Hamilton bylaw officers laid 466 charges against businesses and individuals who violated masking and physical distancing rules since they came into effect in 2020.
Of those tickets, 195 — about 42 per cent — still haven't been paid.
These specific fines fall under Administrative Penalty Systems (APS). These are local bylaws and fines that don't go through the courts and are handled by the ctiy instead.
That amount in unpaid fees doesn't take into account the 863 charges laid in Hamilton under the Reopening Ontario Act and 326 charges under the Emergency Measures and Civil Protection Act — those are both provincial orders and it's unclear how many of those fees have gone unpaid. The province has not replied to a request for comment on those charges.
Ontario and the city continue to relax COVID-19 measures, but many of those who broke local COVID-19 bylaws under APS still haven't paid their fees.
Of the 466 APS charges, van Heerden said 221 — $73,009.68 — have been paid. That's about 47 per cent of the tickets.
Bylaw issued 248 tickets to businesses and 218 against individuals. She said 139 businesses have paid a sum of $39,082.53 but 86 still need to pay a sum of $27,400, plus late fees.
She added 82 individuals have paid a sum of nearly $34,000 but 109 still need to pay a sum of $53,300, plus late fees.
Van Heerden said 48 tickets were cancelled at hearings. That could've netted the city an extra $20,700.
The data also shows people and businesses in the city's downtown area and Upper Stoney Creek area received the most tickets.
Bad & Boujee owner Ken Saburn said he's facing more than $10,000 in fines and won't pay them. Saburn said he can't afford the fines because the business isn't making enough money.
In October, the downtown bar received nine tickets for COVID-19 violations — the most in a single day.
Most of those are under the Reopening Ontario Act. Saburn said he owes roughly $880 in APS fines.
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