An abandoned car in Chicago worth about $600 has been issued more than $100,000 in parking tickets over the past three years. Now Jennifer Fitzgerald, 31, is stuck with the bill but says the 1999 Chevy Monte Carlo actually belongs to an ex-boyfriend who registered the car in her name without informing her.
The Expired Meter reports that from May 23, 2009 to April 30, 2012, the Chicago Department of Finance (DOF) issued 678 tickets against the car, totaling $105,761.80. It set a Chicago record both for the total number and amount of parking fines issued. In fact, it blew past the previous record holder, which was $65,000 from about 400 tickets.
But Fitzgerald says she doesn’t owe the city a cent and has filed a lawsuit (诉讼) in Cook County circuit Court against the city of Chicago, United Airlines and the ex-boyfriend. Fitzgerald has two main arguments in her case. First, she says her ex-boyfriend, Brandon Preveau, is the actual owner of the car, having purchased it from her uncle for $600 in 2008. In fact, Preveau paid for the car’s title, registration and insurance, but it was registered in Fitzgerald’s name. “ Brandon used his 2007 income tax refund to pay Patrick $600 for the automobile,” reads Fitzgerald’s complaint. “ For reasons not recalled by Patrick, however, Patrick signed the title to the car over to Jennifer.”
Second, Fitzgerald’s lawyer is arguing that the city should have simply towed the vehicle after 30 days from O’Hare Airport, where it was parked and where Preveau worked at the time. According to Fitzgerald’s complaint, on or before November 17, 2009, Brandon drove the car into the parking lot and never drove it out again. And as the Expired Meter reports, Chicago law does specify that an abandoned vehicle is to be towed 30 days after being illegally parked.
32. After the Chicago Department of Finance noticed the car, it ______.
A. wanted to break a record
B. tried its best to find its owner
C. kept issuing tickets against the car
D. decided to play a joke on its owner
33. From Paragraph 3, we know that Jennifer Fitzgerald ______.
A. sold the car to her ex-boyfriend long ago
B. received the car from her ex-boyfriend
C. didn’t know anything about the car
D. wasn’t the real owner of the car
34. Jennifer Fitzgerald filed a lawsuit against the city of Chicago because the city ______.
A. didn’t inform her immediately it found the missing car
B. didn’t’ tow the vehicle after 30 days from O’Hare Airport
C. didn’t specify that an abandoned vehicle was to be towed
D. didn’t help her find the car when it was missing in the beginning
35. After reading the passage we learn that Jennifer Fitzgerald ______.
A. doesn’t’ want to pay any money B. thinks Patrick should pay the fines111]
C. isn’t trying to find her ex-boyfriend D. has never been to O’Hare Airport