April 15, 2022 – Ordinary New Yorkers are effectively deputized to report idling commercial vehicles under a law called the Citizens Air Complaint Program – and those who successfully prove an offense occurred get a cut of the fines levied on the offenders.
The fines start at $250, and the citizen reporting the violation gets a quarter of the fine—at least $87.50. That’s not chump change, but the real eye opener is how some intrepid New Yorkers are making these bounties add up. $125,000 for a single guy.
You may be surprised to hear about who’s NOT paying the fines. Namely, Amazon – which has $250,000 in unpaid violations – is the biggest culprit. There are $8 million in other unpaid fines, including from UPS and FedEx. The city is apparently working on getting better about collecting unpaid fines, even floating the idea of impounding vehicles until payment is made.
