In a move aimed at enhancing fairness, transparency, and efficiency in its parking enforcement process, the City of Wilmington is making a significant change to its parking ticket appeal system. Starting Monday, August 14, Mayor Mike Purzycki announced that parking ticket appeals will no longer be subject to courtesy administrative reviews by the City but will instead be submitted directly to the State Justice of the Peace Court. This transition aligns Wilmington with the practices of other cities and towns in Delaware.
The decision to move the parking ticket appeals to the State Justice of the Peace Court signifies a fundamental shift towards a fairer and more efficient process. Mayor Purzycki emphasized that the goal is to ensure that appeals are heard and decided within the framework of the law, rather than being addressed within the confines of City Hall. This change not only provides a more impartial and unbiased review of parking violation appeals but also relieves City staff from the additional burden of reviewing appeals, enabling them to focus on their designated tasks.
“Ticket appeals should be heard and decided in a court of law, not in the offices of City Hall,” Mayor Purzycki remarked. “Moving appeals to the court is a fair process for constituents and less taxing on City staff who are regularly pulled from their assigned duties to review an appeal request. Many times, appeals are clearly unwarranted, which could be because ticket holders know the City offers an administrative appeal process during which time fines and additional penalties are frozen. We have taken many steps over the past year to provide a better parking enforcement system, and now we’ll continue that effort by having all appeals go directly to the court. This is a change for the better for both constituents and City government.”
The new appeal process will involve ticket recipients completing an online appeal form, available on the City’s website. This form will then be submitted to the Justice of the Peace Court for review. The court will subsequently assign a hearing date and notify the appellant. This streamlined procedure ensures that appeals are handled promptly and fairly, under the oversight of a judicial body.
For individuals who lack internet access, alternative avenues for appeal are available. They can choose to mail their written appeal to the City of Wilmington at a designated address or physically submit their appeal at the Department of Finance Customer Service Office located on the first floor of the Redding Government Building.
As of Monday, August 14, the citizens of Wilmington can expect a more robust and impartial process for addressing parking ticket appeals.