So what happens if you get a red light camera ticket and you don’t pay it? HPD says your case could be sent to a collection agency:
It says, in fact, right on the citation that it’s a “civil penalty” and won’t affect your insurance rates and will not be reported or appear on your driving record.
So if they don’t pay?
“We’re asking the vendor to go with a collection agency if you will,” says HPD Asst. Chief Martha Montalvo.
[snip]
Don’t pay your parking tickets and, at least, the city can give you the boot. But with only a camera’s eye as testimony of your red light running, there may be nothing the city can do.
Interestingly, one person purposely ran a red light in Garland, TX, so he could challenge red light cameras in court:
“I’m against it enough that I want to file suit against it. I want to block it,” says Michael Kubosh who was caught running a red light in Garland, Texas, at 3:23 in the morning.
He did it intentionally, so he could go to court with a legal challenge.
“There’s all kinds of legal things they say could happen if I don’t pay it,” he says.
But it’s been a year and nothing’s happened.
