In 2008, Jennifer Fitzgerald’s ex-boyfriend, Brandon Preveau, purchased a 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for $600 and registered the vehicle under her name without her knowledge. Following their breakup, Preveau drove the car to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and abandoned it in an employee parking lot. Because the car sat untouched for nearly three years, Chicago parking authorities continuously slapped citations onto the windshield instead of towing it right away. Fitzgerald was caught in a bureaucratic nightmare, she didn't have the keys or paperwork to legally access or remove the car, yet she was held entirely responsible for the tickets. By the time the story made headlines, the vehicle had racked up 678 tickets, ballooning her debt to an astounding $105,761.80. The massive bill led to her driver’s license being suspended and her state tax refunds being seized. After a lengthy court battle, a settlement was finally reached in 2013. The city towed the abandoned Chevy, dismissed the overwhelming majority of the debt, and ordered Preveau to pay a reduced fine of $4,470, finally clearing Fitzgerald’s name and bringing the saga to an end. #Parking #thehistoriansden

In 2008, Jennifer Fitzgerald’s ex-boyfriend, Brandon Preveau, purchased a 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for $600 and registered the vehicle under her name without her knowledge. Following their breakup, Preveau drove the car to Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and abandoned it in an employee parking lot. Because the car sat untouched for nearly three years, Chicago parking authorities continuously slapped citations onto the windshield instead of towing it right away. Fitzgerald was caught in a bureaucratic nightmare, she didn't have the keys or paperwork to legally access or remove the car, yet she was held entirely responsible for the tickets. By the time the story made headlines, the vehicle had racked up 678 tickets, ballooning her debt to an astounding $105,761.80. The massive bill led to her driver’s license being suspended and her state tax refunds being seized. After a lengthy court battle, a settlement was finally reached in 2013. The city towed the abandoned Chevy, dismissed the overwhelming majority of the debt, and ordered Preveau to pay a reduced fine of $4,470, finally clearing Fitzgerald’s name and bringing the saga to an end. #Parking #thehistoriansden