Department of Revenue

I moved to Illinois (Chicago) 13 months ago and in the process, brought 2 cars with me. I think the process of registering vehicles, getting plates, stickers and paying taxes is remarkably unclear, unnecessarily complicated and chock full of «not my job» people along the way. To be fair and objective, there were two (2) people along the way who helped me because they knew how to «game the system». Case and point, I bought a car in another state, but received a letter that said I owed Illinois sales tax. I thought «no, I don’t» and brought it into the office. They told me to ignore it and they’d fix it in the system. 8 months later, I received a «last notice before collections» letter (over a stupid $ 90, but that’s not the point). I called in again… confused…and this person (the 2^nd helpful person) told me that because I bought the car and brought it into Illinois within 3 months of purchase, I therefore, owed sales tax in IL, too. ??? Neither letter (even the last notice) said this, no one told me that and there’s no where to find this clearly on the IL dept of revenue website. I guess I’m just supposed to know that. So, I paid it… within a 10% penalty. Clearly, my fault.
Whatever your politics on the number of taxes and amount of tax in IL, it just needs to be clear… and it’s not. Further, it seems like they keep creating new processes and offices to support the craziness, as opposed to just simplifying things for everyone.
My POV as a new resident. Other than dealing with IL Dept of Revenue, we love living here!

I didn’t buy my window sticker until 11÷19÷14 because my car was in my garage had been down for a while,
I called downtown, rep said I had 2 wks 11÷19÷14 after that a late fee applies. If driving without I could get $ 200 ticket. Two days later I get a new sticker registration with the 19^th on it but the amount I needed to pay had gone up to 87.76? but doesn’t reflect a late fee. (I have Circuit Breaker)
So I finally got car fixed and on the 19^th I go to get the sticker, and have to pay the late fee, I’m not happy about it (rep didn’t say it was still considered late after 10÷31÷14
So how did I get a ticket 2 days later in the mail for being parked without a new sticker at a place I’ve never been to or parked at during the time the car was down? It said this happened 11÷2÷14, no officer signature, no vin #’ went to 3 hearing dates
and they weren’t hearing nothing, I had to pay the ticket!
I think they are pulling plates on line and sending out tickets, there’s no other way they could give a ticket to a garaged, inoperable vehicle. I’ve been in Chicago for 60 of my 63 years and I am hating this place!

City of Chicago Dept of Revenue = Goodfellas. You know, the guys who said «Blank you, pay me.»
Look says I, that ticket was from 13 years ago and you put down Volkswagen when it was really a Volvo. I don’t even OWN that car any more.
City of Chicago Dept of Revenue says «Blank you, pay me»
Look says I. those 3 tickets you gave me 3 days in a row for having a missing front plate, I was taking the train to work and saving the environment so I didn’t notice you were running a ticket train on my car.
City of Chicago Dept of Revenue says «Blank you, pay me»
They are a protection racket, pure and simple, with the combined frightening (and well-​abused) powers of boots, tow trucks and the law on their side. Blank you working class, we’re the City of Chicago Dept of Revenue, and we make a living off of bleeding you dry.
This would be negative 600 stars if that option were available.

Oh joy, on hold forever trying to get a booted car removed from in front of our oil bay door. I have no idea if this first time customer even knew he was on the boot list. He came in for an oil change, they followed him and booted him on the spot. He and my husband begged for it not to get booted in front of our door.
Of course some cop friends of ours in the neighborhood have stopped in and said, WTH and WTF, that’s not legal to do. The cops said they can’t help, the alderman’s office says it’s the Dept of Revenue’s deal, well they told me to call the cops. The CPD stopped back in and said they can’t touch a booted vehicle. Meanwhile, I’m still on hold with DOR which the first person couldn’t do anything, so they put me through to a manager, the manager is now waiting for her manager.
Firstly, don’t get on the boot list, they will follow you, secondly don’t think parking in front of a business service door, which is supposed to keep it from happening, it doesn’t. Furthermore, now I’m being told they won’t remove it for 24 hours or until the tickets are paid.
They acknowledged that it shouldn’t of been booted there, but since the customer, so they say, was threatening to the tow truck driver, they won’t send a truck. But it was the tow truck driver that copped the attitude. I explained to them that the customer is not here, just his lousy booted car.
Meanwhile, we sit here turning away people !@!!#.

renewing my city sticker this time around wasn’t so bad. last year was a damn mess. so apparently, they thought i was a senior citizen. yes, i take glucosamine for my joints. yes, i sometimes snack at 4p. yes, i was paying $ 30 for my city sticker.
no, i dont lie. my dad used to own the car and he is a citizen of seniors. so, when i changed the title at the DMV from him to me, they got it wrong. not. my. fault.
but ohhhhh, did they yell at me! «well. YOU’RE not a senior citizen.» «no shit, lady.»
so i forked up the rest of the $ 40 like 30-​year-​old, non-​seniors do. big whoop. but dont cop that attitude with me. i didnt do anything wrong.
fast forward to 2012. i moved again, so i needed yet another sticker with the address changed, as well as the zone. yeah — i waited til the last wk to renew. BALLS. bc the line was hella long. however, it moved pretty quickly. engaged in my book, it felt like the wait was 20 min. went up to a nice indian man and he took care of me.
i dont like you. but you do the job. bc, who else would?

After living in Colorado for 10 years, I could not believe the incessant red tape we ran into just to get license plates for our leased vehicle. I mean, where does it say online that you’ll just help yourself to FULL SALES TAX on the PURCHASE PRICE of a car that I do not even own!!! Yes, that’s correct. I leased a car two years ago in Colorado, where the sane government does not discriminate against lessees. The whole point of leasing a car is so you don’t spend a sh*tload of money upfront and continue to keep the car under warranty for the entire duration of your lease. So I fail to understand how it is legal for IL to slap me with a $ 1K bill just to get a set of license plates? How is this state entitled to that money? What do they have against leased vehicles? And this is the best part– IF, at the end of my lease, I wanted to buy the car? Oh, yeah– IL would then collect a RESIDUAL TAX ON TOP OF THE FULL SALES TAX THAT THEY ALREADY COLLECTED. Yes, I am SHOUTING! WTF??? But as everyone here can atteast, the lovely, helpful and kind «help» at the desk there (hint: she’s a dour-​looking, unnatural blond) made it all the worse by saying that this is all «routine» after she informed me that I had to call the car company in order to obtain a power of attorney in order to have the privilege to pay the $ 1K that I didn’t even want to pay to this scumbag, money-​grubbing state. I had to come back and deal with her again the next day and it was all I could do not to punch her in her stupid face. Do IL employees make extra money for being such jerks? ARGH!

Seriously…
I was ticketed for not having front/​back plates mounted on my vehicle — when in fact it was mounted properly. I sent in a letter with pictures to show date/​time to contest the unfair ticket and all I received back was a «final notice» letter.
As a citizen, we should not have to be beaten down by unfair blood sucking money scheme just because it’s legal does not mean that it is right or fair. I’ve learned in the past 40 some years that the law is NOT perfect and neither is our government. If it was — we would not need them!
We need to stand up and fight for what is RIGHT and FAIR!
I am thoroughly disappointed in our first world government system… Makes me think twice about voting in the next person!

To Steve H. — outsourced the parking meter biz — it’s worse than that. Not only did the city low-​ball itself on this deal but attorney’s involved in the deal made millions — I think JP Morgan also made a bundle, and meanwhile the citizens who actually need to park there got screwed pretty royally when parking rates went outta-​sight. Wow. Note to the city, next time you oursource something do some basic research first.
Re towing: The most obnoxious thing now is towing you for parking during «street cleaning». That is nasty nasty, a ticket is enough! Instead of street cleaning, they should clean up these pirates. Emanuel, do your job.

Coming soon to a theater near you:
«Imma Git Chu Sucka Part Deux»
Starring the meter maids of the City of Chicago Department of Revenue and you. Based on a true story. Written by The Honorable Richard M. Daley. Produced and Directed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
A preview:
Meter maid: Aw, no parkin’ from fo tuh six, expiret pay box ticket, no City sticka. Dayum. Fiddy times three. Imma Git Chu Sucka. A hunnit fiddy awn orange.
You: Ay! What the?
Meter maid: No, baby.
You: But…
Meter maid: Contest it buh mail, pay it or appear up in cote. Yo choice.
You: But…
Meter maid: Don’t aks me fuh nuthin’ else. You have a goot one.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
A horrible meter «deal.» Regulations everywhere. Permit parking everywhere. Hard to see signs everywhere. Impossible to decipher regulations on signs everywhere. Impossible to decipher regulations on signs that can be interpreted 10 different ways by a Department of Revenue meter maid everywhere. And meter maids in florescent yellow vests everywhere enforcing it all like a swarm of killer bees.
You have three options: either empty your pockets and pay your de facto tax, don’t drive or move out of the City.
Zero stars.

Horrible, horrible people, the very worst people in the city. I’ve taken the policy of either avoiding meters and walking an extra couple blocks or overpaying for parking well beyond what I think I need. And don’t even dream of contesting any ticket. You’ll lose, no matter the evidence you have.

Not only did they boot and tow my car over a $ 100 ticket, but they towed it to a lot that wasn’t easily accessible UNLESS I HAD A CAR! Towing fee was $ 200 and they charged me $ 10 a day storage fee because I couldn’t get anyone to drive me to the lot until three days later. I take full responsibility for not paying my ticket, but they didn’t have to bend me over the hood of my car.

The City of Chicago’s Department of Revenue must be the biggest scam in the country. They issue thousands of bunk tickets, are rude to citizens/​drivers, don’t answer questions when you call to get help. NOBODY (except city officials) can get out of a parking or red-​light ticket no matter how you fight it, even if you are legitimately innocent.
Meanwhile, Hizzoner sold the rights to the parking meters to an offshore, Arab-​owned company??? How utterly un-​American! What’s more, the LAZ Parking company has screwed everything up so badly, angered more drivers than Hizzoner ever did before and the City is STILL in financial trouble. WTF?
Maybe the new mayor will at least try to be honest and try to fix this.

They are rude, unhelpful and yes I agree with everyone — want to drive people out of the city and into the suburbs this is the department that will do it.
And, heaven forbid you make a mistake — rude, arrogant and completely unhelpful. Thanks so much!

Evil. Just pure evil.
I’m not joking in the least.
Wanna drive all your citizens out of town with your idiocy and sulfur-​stink corruption, City of Chicago? You’re doing a GREAT job.

I am breaking out in a violent rage simultaneous with this red rash of frustration all over my chest. The city has said I haven’t paid a parking tickets from a time I wasn’t even in town and juuuuuust when the lady who’s put me on hold for 15 minutes comes back, she hangs up on me.
I look at my phone and see that it’s 5:01 p.m. on a Monday. Get the F*CK out. I knew there was a reason I took 5 days to get all of this bullsh*t done. A DMV employee gives me the wrong address in the first place, give me attitude when I ask for a number and tells me «what’s the point of callin’? You still need to have a receipt honeeeee.» I wanted to claw her greased up two toned face. But no…
Just today Chicago, I’m not a big fan. Just today.

You seriously gave up rights to the parking meters?!
This was the only thing you did well, and you’ve outsourced it.
Bollocks.

This review needs an update because the woman was actually true to her word, which sure was amazing. Right as I was getting ready to punch out for the day at 4:45pm, when I had given up hope, a fax from the City of Chicago: Department of Revenue comes through and it’s my renewal form. It was very exciting!
I was able to get this to accounts payable before I left and was able to have a check cut so that it’s in their hands now. I’m hoping we’ll receive the permits before we receive the tickets, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see on that one, since I’m not sure how long it takes to get these things processed with the holidays and all of that jazz.

This is the only thing I hate about the city. Why do we clean the streets when they’re not really getting clean? Why are city workers such assholes? Why do you stand on the corners hours after the street cleaners have come through just to write tickets?
I HATE you department of Revenue. I hate your corruption and ticket writing.

Great story Katarina! I think I might be able to top it (though I suspect few could «top» your photo! (add to that, the four inch heels and mini-​skirt — and these «agents/​GUYS» didn’t have a prayer!)
A couple of months ago, Chuck and me were headed out to a cheap BYOB spot (and to simplify serving it (corkscrew etc) — I had poured the wine into a plastic water bottle — hence opened — and had it in a bag on the floor in front of me — passenger side. We’d barely gotten a block from home when we got pulled over — just as I was starting to put on my seatbelt…
While they did immediately notice that both our plates and city sticker had expired, the final nail in our coffin was when they asked for the registration — we could find no current one — though we had them from the past 4 years. We were both imagining 3 – 4 tickets, suspended drivers’ licenses and possibly even jail time and large fines — and this was assuming they didn’t notice the «open bottle» of wine…
I got out of the car — and BTW we were in Evanston — and I’m not sure it’s a good idea to try this in Chicago — where for reasonable reasons Officer self-​defense might be a little more likely and/​or well — you know… Anyway — wearing shorts, a curve clinging halter-​top (the one guy didn’t seem to notice or mind the boob-​al mismatch!) and high open– toe sandals. I admit I had to supplement the «physical distraction» with my half hysterical /​half ditzy and also throw in the kitchen sink routine …
(PLEASE NOTE: This only works with MALE «officers») Meanwhile — the other guy seemed to be admiring Chuck’s highly muscular build and the tank/​muscle shirt he was wearing… Between the two of us — a miracle occurred: they let us go with just a warning! Not even one ticket… I was sure that NEVER happened — except maybe in a Seinfeld episode… (I mean I thought there was some unwritten rule that once they stopped you — they were compelled to write at least ONE ticket…
Meanwhile, Jenn and Colleen — it sounds like they REALLY socked it to you in Chicago! (Here in Evanston — they seem to focus more on giving Parking Tickets than anything else — as a supplement to the outrageous property taxes…)

Yo, If you see the Department of Revenue Van coming– Call me.
I discovered today that if I am wearing four inch (Michael Kors, thank you) heels and a miniskirt posing on the hood like a Whitesnake video remake– THEY DON’T NOTICE THE EXPIRED PLATES!!!
True story.
They didn’t see the outdated city sticker on the windshield either… go figure.
I LOVE this corrupt city!