Hector Colon works as a maintenance supervisor for a gated community in Ronkonkoma, New York. It’s a quiet, fairly secluded area that’s about 40 miles away from the Big Apple. He rarely makes his way into the city, largely because there isn’t a pressing need to—and to avoid parking tickets.
In May of 2024, he decided to sell his 1999 Ford F-150 and downsize to something smaller. He’d done everything write—he wrote up a bill of sale, kept copies of the release of liability to the DMV, surrendered his plates, and canceled his insurance for it.
A $127.72 parking ticket for downtown New York City in August left Colon shocked. Soon after, nearly 10 more tickets followed. Then, a notice came from the city saying he had an overdue balance of almost $1,000…