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FLORIDA - A lawsuit has been filed against the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, accusing the agency of turning a blind eye to widespread appointment reselling that allegedly created unsafe conditions for residents.
Attorney Mike Pizzi, who announced the legal action from his South Florida office, says the case stems from an alleged black-market scheme in which appointments for driver’s licenses were booked through official channels and later sold to desperate customers.
Some spots reportedly went for as much as $250.
The lawsuit claims these sales happened in full view of DMV staff who did nothing to stop them.
One mother said a DMV employee laughed and told her daughter, who was trying to get her first license, to return at midnight.
Expecting a secure process, she was shocked to find no oversight and crowds waiting overnight outside.
The lawsuit starts with one plaintiff but aims to cover incidents going back ten years.
It seeks class action status and at least $10,000,000 in damages.
Miami-Dade and Broward County tax collectors, who manage DMV branches in their areas, are also named as defendants.
In March, authorities said they uncovered a network of scalpers profiting from the free online booking system.
In response, Miami-Dade commissioners passed new rules in April.
A month later, Florida lawmakers approved legislation criminalizing the resale of appointments.
Broward County followed in June with a similar ordinance banning advertising or selling DMV time slots.
State and county agencies have not publicly responded to the lawsuit.