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Personal Narrative: John Doe (DC)

Because Tzedek DC’s client did not have private property to park his car on, he was forced to park in different spots around his neighborhood. As a result, he received several parking tickets.  Because he was unable to pay them, they quickly doubled.  Additionally, his car was towed as a result of the tickets, and he was charged towing fees and a $20 per day storage fee on top of the tickets themselves.  His debts to the D.C. Government currently amount to about $3,000.

He took affirmative steps to pay off his debts, setting up a payment plan and making regular payments.  However, he became seriously ill in 2012 and was unable to continue paying after that.  Since then, he has had multiple surgeries, and is currently battling cancer.  When he went to the DMV to renew his license approximately three years ago, he was told he could not do so because of his unpaid debts. On one occasion, he tried driving without a license because he had an important appointment and had no choice, but got pulled over in Maryland and slammed with $500 in tickets. When he explained his circumstances, the judge reduced this amount to $49, but he has been afraid to try driving without a license since then.  After that incident, he sold his car because he felt there was no point in keeping in.

He feels very strongly that the inability to renew his license has negatively affected his health, both directly and through the stress it has caused. There have been several occasions where he has not been able to get to needed medical appointments, and not being able to drive has also affected his relationship with his girlfriend−both because he cannot get to her easily and because he has had to rely on her a lot for things he can no longer do for himself. He has experienced depression due to this loss independence.

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