Hector Colon works as a maintenance supervisor at a gated community in Ronkonkoma, New York. It is a quiet, relatively secluded area about 40 miles from the Big Apple. He rarely visits the city, owing to a lack of urgency and the desire to avoid parking tickets.
In May 2024, he decided to sell his 1999 Ford F-150 and downsize to something smaller. He had done everything in writing—he had written a bill of sale, kept copies of the release of liability for the DMV, surrendered his plates, and canceled his insurance for it.
In August, Colon was shocked when he received a $127.72 parking ticket in downtown New York City. Soon after, nearly ten more tickets were issued. Then he received a notice from the city stating that he owed nearly $1,000.
Colon, a diabetic, claims $1,000 is prohibitively expensive, especially given the cost of his medication.
“I can not afford $1,000 that I could be using for my bills for something that I did not even do,” he shared with CBS.
So, Colon went to court to contest the tickets… And lost?
A judge denied his claim and said he was guilty, making him responsible for the tickets.
“They, basically, said that it was insufficient evidence,” he recalled. He and his wife felt defeated and decided for some of the tickets to avoid any additional fines or legal penalties.
“My wife paid about, I would say, about $600 worth of it,” he said. “She was like, ‘You know what, let me just pay some of them, so they don’t garnish his check.’ She was just scared it was going to be more of a hindrance for me.”
Someone connected him to an advocate who could help
A DMV spokesperson told reporters that the city does not use real-time registration data as required, instead relying on outdated information when issuing tickets.
Several city social media posts mentioned Anthony Tse, a Parking Summons Advocate, and claimed his office could assist.
A reporter introduced Colon to Tse, who was eager to assist. He is confident that he can not only have the charges dismissed, but also get Colon’s wife a refund.
“He says he is going to submit all the tickets, even the ones that I paid, and they should, once it is dismissed, I should receive a refund,” says Colon.