Islip to offer parking ticket amnesty

Attention, Islip scofflaws -- if you haven't paid the one, two or handful of parking tickets from the town you've accumulated in the past seven years, you're in luck.

From Sept. 17 to Oct. 19, the town will hold an amnesty period during which delinquent parkers can pay off their violations from as early as 2005, at a 40 percent discount, including late fees. But be warned -- after the grace period, town authorities plan to come for their money.

The town board, absent Supervisor Tom Croci, who is on military reserve duty, voted Tuesday to enter into a contract with FBS Inc., a Hempstead-based company that works with municipalities across Long Island to collect on unpaid parking tickets.

Councilman Steven Flotteron, liaison to the Islip budget task force, said there are roughly 8,000 unpaid parking tickets issued in the past seven years the town hopes to collect on.

"A chunk of the tickets don't have a vehicle identification number because there's no plates on the car, or the plates were stolen, or there is no record of those plates," Flotteron said.

Officials hope to take in at least $100,000 from the amnesty program, but the town is considering more serious measures -- including a boot program for violators -- after that period, Flotteron said.

"I think this is easier for everyone," Flotteron said. "You had a violation. Pay it, or come to court. You have to deal with it. It's unacceptable to ignore ordinances."

Owners of cars that received parking tickets in town between Jan. 1, 2005, and July 2012 will receive a letter in the mail alerting them of the amnesty program several days before it starts, Flotteron said.

FBS will make between 30 and 40 percent on all the parking fines the town collects, officials said, but the town will not pay the agency a consulting fee.