The Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s Office has begun revoking disabled parking permits obtained fraudulently, officials announced Thursday.
County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez announced in December that his office was auditing every disabled parking permit and temporary permit application filed in the last 24 months in partnership with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
“Every disabled parking permit application is an official state document. The law is clear and unmistakable. Knowingly providing false information on an application or medical certification is a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable under sections 775.082 and 775.083, Florida Statutes, by up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. Any person who fraudulently obtains or unlawfully displays a disabled parking permit that does not belong to them, or who uses an unauthorized replica with intent to deceive, commits a second-degree misdemeanor. These are criminal acts, not technical errors,” Fernandez said in a December news release.
Fernandez added that widespread abuse of the system has hurt seniors, veterans, and residents with legitimate mobility disabilities. “A system created to protect the most vulnerable has been exploited for too long. That ends now,” he said last month.
Letters are now being sent to individuals whose permits have been revoked, Fernandez announced Thursday.
According to the Tax Collector’s Office, the letters make clear that permits are no longer valid and must be surrendered immediately. “In addition, you may also be prohibited from obtaining a disabled persons parking permit for a period of four (4) years. Continued use of the parking permit in your possession may result in up to one year in jail or a fine of $1,000, or both.”
Fernandez said audits are ongoing, and some cases may be referred for prosecution where appropriate
