Royal Oak Agrees To Throw Out More Than 100 Noise Violation Tickets

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - The city of Royal Oak has agreed to throw out more than 130 $140 citations written to drivers for revving their cars too loudly in recent weeks.

City attorney Dave Gillaim said this comes after it was determined that the local noise ordinance violates state law.

"We are trying to determine exactly which tickets were issued and how many there were and things like that, and we will take steps to have those dismissed," he told WWJ's Sandra McNeill on Wednesday. "I'm not sure how long it's going to take us to do that."

That's why, Gillaim said, those who received tickets should schedule a hearing so they don't get hit with any late fees or contempt of court. "Then if we haven't taken care of the tickets by the hearing date then we'll take care of the tickets on the day of the scheduled hearing," Gillaim said.

As for those who have already paid their tickets, Gillaim said it will be up to the courts to determine if they will get the money back as, he said, governmental immunity may apply.

Barton Morris, who protested the tickets, says he was informed that not all of these tickets would be tossed.

"Only to the extent that they were written for a driver that was actually traveling on the highway, because it was Dave Gillaim's...in his response he stated that he still has the ability to enforce it to those who were parked," said Morris. He disagrees with that interpretation.

Mike Payne, who got a noise ticket just before last Saturday's Woodward Dream Cruise, is suspicious of the entire situation. "Something just doesn't sound right. I just think they're trying to gouge people out of money," he said.