RMOW has hired a debt collection company and given it a five-year contract to collect unpaid fines in Whistler. Last year, RMOW issued an RFP seeking a debt collection company for parking, bylaw notices, and other debts owed to the RMOW. The tickets’ values range from $35 to $500, and RMOW issues 25,000 tickets annually.
Sign up for local news alerts from Whistler Daily Post
In 2022, RMOW had $226,295 in unpaid parking citations. Approximately 16% of the tickets issued were outside of BC. In a recent report to the council, staff noted that it continues to work with the Province on other ways to collect debt that reduce staff time and money.
The debt collection agency will also collect outstanding tickets related to illegal nightly accommodation, which can be collected through the agency or processed in payment hearings. Payment hearings are handled in Small Claims Court, where disputes can be settled for matters worth up to $35,000.
These processes require the debtor to provide their income and assets to determine whether they can pay their debts. If the debtor does not attend the payment hearing, a warrant can be issued for arrest. In 2023, the RMOW initiated steps to collect outstanding tickets with payment hearings and collected $4,890 related to illegal accommodations. RMOW has forecasted $15,000 in revenue in 2024 through payment hearings.
The RMOW council also voted unanimously in a May 14 meeting to increase the fines for illegal tourist accommodation violations from $1,000 to $3,000 daily.