Elgin to reduce impound fees for minor driving offenses

Elgin is going to reduce vehicle impounding fees - currently $500 - for minor offenses after cases of impounding dropped by more than 50 percent in the last eight years.

The high fees also have deterred some officers from enforcing driver's license-related offenses, Interim Police Chief Bill Wolf said.

"There have been concerns from the community and concerns from officers," he said. "When it's an older car and (the person has) no valid driver's license, they felt bad for how much that affects the person. Especially if it's a person who is working hard and trying to make a living for themselves."

The $500 fee will be eliminated for drivers charged with simple marijuana offenses, although it will remain in place for felony marijuana and other drug offenses, Wolf said. It will be reduced to $250 for driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving without a valid license and driving with a license expired for more than one year.

The fee will remain $500 for more serious offenses, such as weapons and outstanding warrants.

The city council's committee of the whole unanimously approved the changes Wednesday night. The full council will need to give final approval.

Councilwoman Tish Powell credited Councilman Corey Dixon with taking an interest in the issue.

"I'm just glad we did that," Councilwoman Carol Rauschenberger said.

The high impound fees were introduced in 2009 to recover arrest-related costs and act as a deterrent for future offenses, officials said. There were 2,672 vehicles impounded in 2010; that number decreased steadily each year to 1,212 last year. Owners pay the $500 plus any towing and storage fees, which can add up to $1,000, officials said.

The fee has "a significant impact on low-income residents" and has resulted in 752 vehicles never being claimed, police said.

In the last eight years, a total of 12,086 vehicles were impounded, which would have resulted in about $6 million in fees to the city if everyone paid $500. Minus the 752 vehicles that were never claimed, that would be $5.6 million. The money goes into the city's general fund, not the police department specifically, police spokeswoman Kristie Hilton said.

If vehicles are more than seven years old, owners have 15 days after the final adjudication hearing to retrieve their vehicles, she said. Owners of vehicles less than seven years old have 30 days.

The towing company is issued a certificate of purchase for any vehicles not picked up and decides what to do with the vehicles, she said. If there is an outstanding administrative fee after adjudication, the amount is subject to collections, she added.