Red-light camera administrative fees illegal in Nassau, Suffolk counties: court ruling
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York State appellate division court ruled that the administrative fees that Nassau and Suffolk counties have been charging for red-light camera tickets are illegal, which began in 2010.
The appellate division sent both court cases back to the counties' State Supreme Courts to determine how much money the counties owe.
The base fee for a red-light camera violation is $50, but Nassau charges red-light runners an extra $100 in "driver responsibility" and "public safety" fees, for a total cost of $150 per ticket.
"It's like everywhere I go, it's like flash, flash, flash. It's really annoying. It is. I'm kind of in debt," said West Hempstead resident Sue Ellen Nunez.
Suffolk had charged a $30 administrative fee but stopped in 2023.
Both Nassau and Suffolk Appellate Division decisions said: "...the defendants' imposition of a monetary liability for a red light camera violation in excess of $50, or $75 with a late fee, is ultra vires, unconstitutional, preempted, void, or otherwise illegal..."
Some drivers like Nunez says some red-light turn lanes, like one near a busy Roosevelt Field Mall during the holiday season, is hard to avoid.
"It's kind of silly because it tells you that you can turn but you have to fully stop, you know I'm not going to stop for 10 seconds," Nunez said. "I'm going to stop for maybe three and then I'm going to go, and then sometimes you still get a ticket."
Driver Rosaria Anninos of Lynbrook believes the cameras cause crashes.
"They know that there is a light right there and they try to stop ahead of time and the person behind it, is not aware of it and smashes right in the back," Anninos said.
Attorney David Raimondo, who represents the cases that won on behalf of drivers against Nassau and Suffolk counties, says the camera systems are rigged.
"There is a concept called the 'dilemma zone' and that is the area upstream from the intersection... where, should I stay, or should I go, and they shorten the yellow light times, that does not give you the opportunity to get through the intersection in time," he said.
But not everyone agrees with dropping the county fees.
"There are too many accidents on Long Island so there's got to be some kind of enforcement. Police can't be everywhere," said Stony Brook resident Susan Pascale.
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