ILLINOIS — A woman living nearly 150 miles from Chicago was shocked to receive two alarming letters from the city—one even certified mail—claiming her vehicle had been impounded. But there was a major issue: it wasn’t her car.
Letters Arrive With No Warning
Aly Marsh of Washington, Illinois, near Peoria, opened the two pieces of mail from Chicago’s Streets and Sanitation Department expecting something mundane—maybe a red-light ticket. Instead, the letters said her vehicle had been seized and was accruing $25-per-day storage fees.
Marsh immediately realized something was off.
“I’m like, I’m in my car. I wasn’t in Chicago on that date. I do not have a Ford,” she told reporters.
She received the notices on a Saturday and had to wait until Monday to contact City Hall. When she finally reached someone, the response was both dismissive and concerning. The employee reportedly told her, “If that’s not your car, throw the letter away. We get dozens of these calls every day.”
System Errors Blamed for Mistaken Notices
A Streets and Sanitation representative blamed outdated internal systems, admitting the department’s database is “full of errors.” This isn’t an isolated issue either.
Back in 2022, a man from DeKalb County received 12 notices in a single week for a car he had sold over a decade earlier. Despite the vehicle being legally transferred after storm damage, the city’s system still listed his name and address.
In Marsh’s case, a Chicago city spokesperson later clarified the letter was intended for a previous resident at her address.
“In this instance, two registered owners had a combined total of five addresses on file,” the department stated. “We send letters to all addresses to ensure we’re contacting the person(s) who are eligible to redeem the vehicle.”
Calls for System Modernization
Both cases highlight flaws in how Chicago manages vehicle ownership and notification. Experts say the city’s reliance on outdated address records leads to repeated miscommunication and unnecessary stress for residents not involved in these cases at all.
The Illinois Secretary of State’s Office is currently investigating how such outdated records remain in circulation and what steps can be taken to improve the system.
City officials have confirmed that the vehicle referenced in Marsh’s notice has been recovered by its actual owner.
Have you ever received a government notice for a vehicle or fine that wasn’t yours? Share your experience with ChicagoSuburbanFamily.com and help us uncover more about this widespread issue.
