19K in parking tickets

http://www.whnt.com/news/whnt-19k-dollar-parking-fines,0,6745766.story



Huntsville - A Huntsville man is issued close to 100 parking tickets totaling nearly $19,000. The fines stem from his vanity license plate. The tickets come from the city of Birmingham after police say the man improperly parked all over their city. There's just one problem, Birmingham is demanding the cash from the wrong guy. Does it add up?

WHNT NEWS 19 talked exclusively with Scottie Roberson's.

Scottie Roberson lives in Huntsville. He's a business owner and musician. He is also a financial burden to the city of Birmingham.

"I'm that guy. It started about a year and a half ago. They kept sending me tickets because of the tag here," said Scottie Roberson.

Roberson's vanity plate features XXXXXXX which is a tribute to his love of racing.

The grouping of letters is exactly what police in Birmingham use when they can't get license plate information while filling out a parking ticket.

Roberson says he hasn't driven in Birmingham in over five years and says he's gotten plenty of tickets for improper parking in that city. The fines total $19,000.

"I talked to everyone from the meter maid, the Birmingham Mayor's Office, and no one was willing to do anything about it," added Roberson.

Roberson says he has never gotten a ticket he's deserved. He's also finding it hard to get an answer

"I got everything from, I don't know why you are worried about it because we don't have the resources to arrest you any way, to a a gentleman whose name I won't mention, that told me I would be arrested on site," added Roberson.

The father of two says he knows the folks in Birmingham are working on this problem. He says it's just not happening fast enough.

"They're making it out like it is not a big deal, but it is a big deal. it's been going on for a year and a half. it's not like they don't know about it. they've been told, and told, and told."

Roberson showed WHNT NEWS 19 just some of the tickets issued to him. He says he's received twice as many more. Together, they total close to $19,000. He says all of them are a waste of taxpayer's money and time.

"The problem I have with it is, here's $19,000 worth of revenue Birmingham could have, and now they are not going to get it because they have no idea who deserves these tickets," added Roberson.

Roberson says he carries the tickets in his car in case there's a need for show and tell.

He knows that may be a lost cause.

"The officers are not going to know the story. I'm going to jail," added Roberson.

Roberson says, that is his worst fear.

Scottie Roberson told WHNT NEWS 19 he has no intention of paying Birmingham the $19,000 the city say he owes.

Birmingham's traffic engineer says the city may change the system to keep Roberson from receiving more tickets. He says, "maybe we just need to leave that part blank altogether."
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