SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio woman said she was surprised to receive notices for two unpaid civil citations last month that are more than a decade old.
Agapita Jaramillo received notices from the city for two separate unpaid citations on March 6 and March 30. Jaramillo said one of the citations dates back to Dec. 17, 2012.
Jaramillo said she remembers going to court for her dog being out without a leash and off of her property, but said she didn’t know there was a balance still owed.
“I wasn’t aware,” Jaramillo said. “That’s why I’ve been requesting like copies and support, and when I went to try and appeal it, they told me I couldn’t appeal these citations because they were already past 60 days or 90 days.”
She said she did not know about the second citation.
“One of them, it looks like, was parking near a water hydrant on Orchard Willow,” Jaramillo said. “I don’t even know where that is, and the license plate of the vehicle, I’m not even sure if that was my vehicle.”
Jaramillo said she paid a $97 fine for the citation she knew about, but said paying both is difficult because she is on a fixed income.
“I’m retired,” Jaramillo said. “I’ve been retired for 15 years. I’d like for them to work with me.”
Jaramillo said she has lived at her current home for 26 years, and the city would have been able to reach her by mail at her address prior to 2026.
It is unclear if there was mail sent to her on the citations previously, but the city said there are steps she can take to address the citations.
The court said judges hold “ability to pay” hearings for older adults and people on fixed incomes Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
These hearings are held on a walk-in basis at Municipal Court, 401 S. Frio Street.
“Every year, the San Antonio Municipal Court conducts citywide outreach to individuals with outstanding citations,” the Municipal Court wrote in an email to KSAT. “This outreach can include direct mailers, telephone calls, text messages, and email notifications.”
The City of San Antonio’s Municipal Court said citations do not expire and remain active until a judge clears them or the fine is paid.
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