DIX HILLS, New York – A couple who live and work on Long Island have received more than 100 criminal charges for violations in New York City. But they say they are not the ones collecting the fines.
Another day brings another batch of tickets to Joseph and Michele Maldari’s home in Dix Hills. The couple shared documented evidence with city officials that their license plate was stolen, but they are still being harassed, CBS2’s Jennifer McLogan reported Thursday.
“The violations keep coming. About 10 a day,” said Michele Maldari. “It says here that this is now going to a collection agency. You can confiscate any motor vehicle that belongs to us.
Michele is a teacher at the Long Island School. Joe is a conductor on the Long Island Rail Road. Her number plate was stolen from the train parking lot in Huntington, where the police filed a complaint. They got new plates, a new registration and an insurance update.
But this nightmare has been going on since August. Someone is speeding recklessly through New York City’s school districts with their stolen license plate.
“It’s not us. We don’t live here, we don’t work here,” Michele said.
“In this picture I can see it’s an Infinity car. But it’s a different model. It’s a black car and I have a tan car,” Joe said.
The Maldaris are inundated with dozens of expensive New York speed camera and toll tickets. They have repeatedly sent all documented evidence – police reports and DMV registration – to the Treasury as required.
So far they have 136 tickets totaling $8,400.
The new DMV registration includes their old license plate and their new license plate.
“So it doesn’t go into the system as a stolen license plate, which is a problem,” Michele said.
The burden of proof remains with the Maldaris, writes the most recent verdict.
“And they want us to file an NYPD report of theft or loss,” Michele said, although it was stolen in Huntington.
They call the experience a waste of government spending – it’s about the good guy, not the scoffer.
“The government is losing billions of dollars in uncollected fines, and that’s why I want to say to Mayor Adams, ‘Here’s $8,400 for you,'” Michele said.
The tickets are piling up now.
“He’s speeding through school zones, so that’s going to resolve if someone gets hurt,” Michele said.
We contacted the Ministry of Finance. They said they were investigating the Maldari case and hoped to solve it.
Jennifer McLogan
