A class action lawsuit is being filed against the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles after appointment scalping led to overnight linesan attorney said Wednesday.
Attorney Mike Pizzi is alleging people were exposed to a dangerous environment as they waited for an appointment at DMV offices.
He said they have video showing poof of scalpers selling DMV spots.
“They’re doing it full view of the DMV staff, they’re well aware of it and have been allowed to do it forever,” Pizzi said Wednesday while announcing the lawsuit at his South Florida office.
Jennifer Sassone, the mother of one plaintiff, claims that when her teenage daughter tried to get her very first driver’s license, a DMV employee laughed and told them to come back at midnight.
“I then was under the assumption there would be security or this would be a set up thing,” Sassone said.
The suit was filed beginning with out plaintiff, but seeks to go back 10 years and asks the court to certify it as a class-action to allow every resident a chance to join.
The suit seeks at least $10 million in damages.
Along with the state, the suit names the Miami-Dade and Broward tax collectors, which have taken over DMV offices, as defendants.
NBC6 has reached out to the DMV and local offices for a response, but haven’t heard back.
Back in March, officials said they uncovered a network of scalpers who booked up appointments for free and then sold them for anywhere between $25 and $250.
The next month, Miami-Dade commissioners passed legislation to try to stop them. Then in May, the state legislature unanimously passed HB 0961which made it illegal to sell DMV appointments.
In June, the Broward County Tax Collector’s Office followed up with Ordinance 2015-20which makes it unlawful to advertise, market or sell appointments.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.