'I thought it was a joke': Woman receives 20-year-old fine for off-leash dog

Mitzy lived with the family for five years after her owner died. Photo / Stacy Majchrowski

A Toronto woman has been left stunned after she received a fine for an off-leash dog infringement that dated back more than 20 years.

The month Stacy Majchrowski received a letter in the post detailing a fine that dated back to the summer of 1998.

But the fine left Majchrowski shocked because not only was it 20 years late in arriving, the dog wasn't actually hers and the owner has since died.

"At first I thought it was a joke," Majchrowsk told CBC. "Well, no. No, it's real."

Stacy Majchrowski says her neighbour paid the ticket and she thought hers would have been nullified. https://t.co/s4deAwagb9 @nickjboisvert

— CBC News (@CBCNews) May 26, 2018

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Majchrowski recalls the day in question, revealing that her neighbour's dog Mitzy had followed her children to their property before a bylaw officer showed up and handed her a ticket for having the dog off a leash.

After explaining the situation the bylaw officer went over to dog owner Norm Nixon's house and issued another ticket.

"I assumed he took the ticket for the offence," she said. "I know he paid the ticket, that I know for sure."

For 20 years Majchrowski never had a reason to think back to the incident - having never received any letters or phone calls regarding the fine.

But just last week that changed when she received the $243.25 fine with a message threatening "further enforcement" if the fine wasn't paid.

CBC contacted the city of Barrie, which issued the fine, asking for an explanation, receiving a statement saying the city couldn't "speak to this specific individual's situation, however, there are no time limitations on provincial offences or court-ordered fines".

"Individuals should be aware that any outstanding fines they may have never ceased to exist and also survive bankruptcy."