# Colonie hurting for money **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Off Topic\ **Created:** [June 1, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500 "2009-06-01T08:06:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JRubino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jrubino/32/6285_2.png) [@JRubino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JRubino)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:06am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/1 "2009-06-01T08:06:26Z")
They must really be getting desprite if its coming down to this. Old tickets get a new airing in Colonie Frustration looms among those who are on hook for old, allegedly unpaid fines By TIM O’BRIEN, Staff writer First published in print: Monday, June 1, 2009 COLONIE – James Zimmer doesn’t remember getting the speeding ticket in 1983. But rather than risk losing his license, he paid it last month in Colonie Town Court. Mobile AlertsGet weather alerts, sports scores and more. The outcome was different for Mary Harding, who got a notice for an 11-year-old speeding ticket from the same court: She was able to find her old check register to show she paid the fine in 1999. Zimmer and Harding are not the only ones warned by the state Department of Motor Vehicles that they could lose their licenses if they did not pay old tickets in Colonie. They shared their experiences after a story ran in the Times Union in which an Albany woman, Connie Van Houter, told how she was warned her license would be suspended over a ticket written in 1984. Van Houter mailed in a not guilty plea and is awaiting her day in court. Zimmer said he was stunned when he got the news his license would be suspended in June unless he paid the 1983 ticket. While watching traffic court in session, the North Greenbush resident said he realized cases were being taken in alphabetical order. “With the last name Zimmer, I didn’t want to be there all night,” he said. So he gave up and paid the $75 fine, figuring he could not prove he paid it previously. “Back then, everything was in cash so how can you prove you paid them?” he said. Mary Harding’s ticket wasn’t quite so old. She had received it in 1998 but got a notice in December that the fine was never paid. “I still had my check register,” the self-described pack rat said. She found the entry that the ticket had been paid in 1999, though her bank could not find a copy of the check. Her attorney, Jack Casey, managed to get it dismissed. “I know they have a tough financial situation, but really,” Harding said. Town Court Clerk Julie Gansle said the town gets an annual list of outstanding tickets from the state DMV, and workers compare the list with their files. “Our tickets go back until at least 1980,” she said. “It became noticeable that the suspensions we had asked motor vehicles to do in 1983, 1984, never made the abstracts. It came to our attention that the suspension was not processed back then.” The town has hundreds of back tickets, including dozens a year from the 1980s, she said. State DMV officials have said they will send out notices if informed by a town court, though going back 20 years or more is unusual. Eileen Dean, chief court clerk in Guilderland, said she never goes back that far. “We try to stay on top of our paperwork,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve gone back 25 years.” There are no statutes of limitations on unpaid traffic tickets, but attorney David Gruenberg of Troy said it can be hard to prove if a driver takes the case to court. “You’re going to have trouble prosecuting it unless the police officer is still active,” he said. At a traffic court trial, the officer must testify. He or she does not have to remember writing a ticket, Gruenberg said, and they are allowed to review it to confirm they wrote it. Without that testimony, he said, the ticket will be dismissed. Staff writer Tim O’Brien can be reached at 454-5092 or by e-mail at [tobrien@timesunion.com](mailto:tobrien@timesunion.com) ---
**Author:** ![99FRC](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/99frc/32/6335_2.png) [@99FRC](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/99FRC)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:10am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/2 "2009-06-01T08:10:11Z")
Yea, that is a very desperate attempt IMO. How many officers are seriously still going to be active from the tickets writtten in the 80’s? ---
**Author:** ![Singh1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba8739/32.png) [@Singh1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Singh1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/3 "2009-06-01T08:16:35Z")
uhhhhhh thank god i havent had a license and wasnt even born back then… damn… i got a speeding ticket i have to face when i get back to NY, and im gonna assume they wont let me off seeing as how desperate they are now… sucks colonie sucks colonie does def suck ---
**Author:** ![McBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@McBitchin](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/McBitchin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 10:23am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/4 "2009-06-01T10:23:40Z")
fuck colonie. ---
**Author:** ![Z28LT1Rocket](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/z28lt1rocket/32/6436_2.png) [@Z28LT1Rocket](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Z28LT1Rocket)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/5 "2009-06-01T11:18:30Z")
> [@Maybe newman wont find this as lame as stunting?](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/maybe-newman-wont-find-this-as-lame-as-stunting/18800/39): > > fuck colonie. thats what I got to say!:shifty ---
**Author:** ![big\_red](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/big_red/32/6328_2.png) [@big\_red](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/big_red)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 11:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/6 "2009-06-01T11:51:40Z")
thats pathetic ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@Alpine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 1:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/7 "2009-06-01T13:06:21Z")
Only in Colonie… ---
**Author:** ![Hank1](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/hank1/32/6329_2.png) [@Hank1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Hank1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/8 "2009-06-01T17:18:38Z")
i got one in the mail last year from a ticket in 1993. no statue on traffic ticket’s either. ---
**Author:** ![K20power](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/41988e/32.png) [@K20power](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/K20power)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 6:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/9 "2009-06-01T18:26:20Z")
It’s actually mainly DMV… ---
**Author:** ![Vovchandr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/vovchandr/32/6275_2.png) [@Vovchandr](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Vovchandr)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/10 "2009-06-01T20:20:45Z")
95% of my tickets were in Colonie. I don’t mind, they got a nice court house :lol ---
**Author:** ![Mk4\_30R\_Ban](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/mk4_30r_ban/32/6347_2.png) [@Mk4\_30R\_Ban](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Mk4_30R_Ban)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/11 "2009-06-01T20:23:57Z")
no colonie tickets for me, but all mine from elsewhere, i have the payment records for so im not sweating it ---
**Author:** ![Shawn96VR-4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Shawn96VR-4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shawn96VR-4)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/12 "2009-06-01T21:25:29Z")
What a bunch of bullshit. We all know Colonie is doing this to remind you that safety is first. The monetary gains are just a byproduct. ---
**Author:** ![underboosted](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/underboosted/32/6424_2.png) [@underboosted](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/underboosted)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/13 "2009-06-01T22:12:58Z")
I got a notice for two tickets from 2007.WTF?It was alot of BS. ---
**Author:** ![Alpine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@Alpine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Alpine)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/14 "2009-06-01T22:34:27Z")
Niskayuna is the worst and I’m surprised they aren’t doing this too. I have had surprisingly good experiences with Colonie (minus the asshole motorcycle cop) ---
**Author:** ![Fn\_Skanks](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/fn_skanks/32/6308_2.png) [@Fn\_Skanks](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Fn_Skanks)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2009, 11:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/15 "2009-06-02T23:41:55Z")
this is ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![JRubino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jrubino/32/6285_2.png) [@JRubino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JRubino)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 5:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/16 "2009-06-03T05:35:45Z")
Glad i’m not a TOC resident anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Shawn96VR-4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Shawn96VR-4](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Shawn96VR-4)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/17 "2009-06-03T08:12:41Z")
I just got out of traffic court. $180 for a UTURN. I had an attorney _AND_ a cop on my end. I’ll post a biased play-by-play when I get out of work tonight. ---
**Author:** ![deadbeatrec](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/deadbeatrec/32/6401_2.png) [@deadbeatrec](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/deadbeatrec)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:04am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/18 "2009-06-03T11:04:24Z")
> [@OCTOBER SNOW STORM OF 06 ALL SNOW RELATED POSTS GO HERE and ONLY here](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/october-snow-storm-of-06-all-snow-related-posts-go-here-and-only-here/18828/610): > > Glad i’m not a TOC resident anymore. u grew up in niskayuna. :Idiots ---
**Author:** ![JRubino](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/jrubino/32/6285_2.png) [@JRubino](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/JRubino)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/19 "2009-06-03T11:50:37Z")
> [@OCTOBER SNOW STORM OF 06 ALL SNOW RELATED POSTS GO HERE and ONLY here](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/october-snow-storm-of-06-all-snow-related-posts-go-here-and-only-here/18828/638): > > u grew up in niskayuna. :Idiots And my residency was Town of Colonie. ---
**Author:** ![deadbeatrec](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/deadbeatrec/32/6401_2.png) [@deadbeatrec](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/deadbeatrec)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500/20 "2009-06-03T12:59:51Z")
> [@Splinter Cell : Double Agent](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/splinter-cell-double-agent/18822/10): > > And my residency was Town of Colonie. you lie! [Next page](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/colonie-hurting-for-money/244500.md?page=2)