Myrtle Beach issues refunds for helmet fines
This is a shocker, and I am impressed - the City of Myrtle Beach is issuing refunds for all of the fines that were paid by motorcyclists ticketed under the helmet ordinance, with interest:
Myrtle Beach has sent refunds to those who paid fines when they received tickets for not wearing motorcycle helmets, and a second set of checks went out this week for interest on the fines.The city paid $13,964 in fine refunds for 141 tickets issued while the helmet law was in effect from February 2009 to this summer, when the state Supreme Court declared the law invalid.
City spokesman Mark Kruea said the city also sent an additional $869 in interest, figured at 7.25 percent and depending on how long ago the city collected the fines.
"The interest checks were between 50 cents and $10.50," he said.
Including mailing the checks, the city spent nearly $16,000 issuing the refunds and interest payments.
I wonder if it was in anticipation of a lawsuit to recover the fine money, but I prefer to think that it was a gesture of good faith in an attempt to restore public relations following a fiasco that the city has taken a lot of heat for. I didn't anticipate refunds would be sent out, but I think it was a great idea, from a public relations standpoint. Although the city still maintains that it will try to keep the rallies out of the city, I hope that some of the goodwill among motorcyclists can be restored and repaired.
