Penalty Order Options
Please be advised that abusive language and bullying or threatening behaviour towards our staff will not be tolerated. Such behaviour will result in termination of the interaction.
Penalty Order Options
Option 1 - Make Payment
You can pay your penalty order using one of the following methods:
- pay online - the payment portal used for secure online payments is PayPal. If you do not have a PayPal account, you can select "Checkout as Guest" to proceed with your payment.
- pay in person by attending Township of Essa Administration Centre located at 5786 County Road 21, Utopia (acceptable payment methods - cash, debit, cheque, Visa/Mastercard)
- pay by mail - you can mail your payment to the Township of Essa Administration Centre located at 5786 County Road 21, Utopia, L0M 1T0
You are required to provide your Penalty Order Number as well as the registered license plate in order to make payment.
If you do not pay your penalty order by the due date, then it will be sent to Service Ontario for plate denial.
Once your penalty order has proceeded to plate denial, you will have to attend a Service Ontario location to make payment. Your license plate will not be renewed until all fines have been paid in full.
Option 2 - Appeal
Administrative Penalty System (APS)
Penalty Orders issued under Essa's ASE Program do not proceed through the traditional court system. Rather the Township of Essa has complemented its ASE Program utilizing the provincial Administrative Penalty System ("APS") which is permitted under O. Regulation 355/22. All reviews are conducted virtually through the Microsoft Teams platform.
Under the APS regime, registered owners are permitted to appeal their Penalty Order within 30 days after the date on which service of the order is deemed to have been effected.
There are 2 stages to an appeal of your Penalty Order.
Stage 1 - Request Review of Penalty Order by Screening Officer
Stage 1 of the appeal allows for a Screening Officer to review the Penalty Order, and to make a decision as to :
- Confirm the Penalty Order
- Vary the Penalty Order
- Cancel the Penalty Order
You can appeal your Penalty Order by requesting a review of the Penalty Order by a Screening Officer. You have 30 days from the time the Penalty Order is issued to request a meeting. Screening Officer reviews are held on pre-determined dates and are held virtually.
As the Screening Officers are conducting reviews prior to your appointment, it is essential that you are in the virtual meeting room for the entirety of your scheduled appointment. If you have not connected with the Screening Officer, and decide to leave the meeting room early, you may be subject to a "No Show" fee of $60.00, without having the ability to re-book your appointment.
Please Note:
- Witnesses are not permitted to be in attendance at the screening/hearing appointment in accordance with O. Regulation 355/22.
- If an interpreter is required, it is the responsibility of the person attending the meeting to provide.
- Screenings and Hearings are conducted in the English language only.
Additional Resources
- Authorization to Act as Agent Form - Required to be submitted by the registered owner if anyone other than the registered owner is attending in the absence of the registered owner.
- Request for Documents Form - Required to be submitted if you would like a copy of the Penalty Order and/or the Certified Statement of the Provincial Offences Officer. This CANNOT be submitted until you have booked your screening/hearing appointment
Stage 2 - Request Review of Screening Officer's Decision by Hearing Officer
Stage 2 of the appeal allows for a Hearing Officer to review the decision of Screening Officer, and to make a decision as to:
- Confirm the Penalty Order
- Vary the Penalty Order
- Cancel the Penalty Order
If you are not satisfied with the decision of the Screening Officer, you can request a review of the Screening Officer's decision by a Hearing Officer. Hearing reviews are held on pre-determined dates and are held virtually.
As the Hearing Officers are conducting reviews prior to your appointment, it is essential that you are in the virtual meeting room for the entirety of your scheduled appointment. If you have not connected with the Hearing Officer, and decide to leave the meeting room early, you may be subject to a "No Show" fee of $60.00, without having the ability to re-book your appointment.
Please Note:
- Witnesses are not permitted to be in attendance at the screening/hearing appointment in accordance with O. Regulation 355/22.
- If an interpreter is required, it is the responsibility of the person attending the meeting to provide.
- Screenings and Hearings are conducted in the English language only.
Additional Resources
- Authorization to Act as Agent Form - Required to be submitted by the registered owner if anyone other than the registered owner is attending in the absence of the registered owner.
- Request for Documents Form - Required to be submitted if you would like a copy of the Penalty Order and/or the Certified Statement of the Provincial Offences Officer. This CANNOT be submitted until you have booked your screening/hearing appointment
Screening Review Appointment
The Screening Officer will conduct a review of the Penalty Order and all supplementary documentation as submitted by the registered owner, and will make a decision to either confirm, vary or set aside the Penalty Order. (Please refer to "Supplementary Documentation Required to be Submitted Prior to Review" on this page. Failure to submit your evidence prior to your screening review may result in affirmation of your Penalty Order.)
Once a decision has been made, the Screening Officer will send the Notice of Decision to the appellant as soon as practical after the decision is made.
If you disagree with the decision of the Screening Officer, you can proceed to Stage 2 of the Appeals Process by scheduling a review of the Screening Officer's Decision by a Hearing Officer.
Please Note: the onus is on the registered owner of the vehicle to provide credible evidence to support their claim.
Hearing Review Appointment
The Hearing Officer will review the decision Screening Officer, in addition to supplementary documentation submitted by the appellant, and make a decision to either confirm, vary or set aside the Penalty Order. (Please refer to "Supplementary Documentation Required to be Submitted Prior to Review" on this page. Failure to submit your evidence prior to your hearing may result in affirmation of the Screening Officer's Decision.)
Once the decision has been made, the decision will be sent to the appellant as soon as practical after the review is complete.
The decision of the Hearing Officer is final.
Please Note: the onus is on the registered owner of the vehicle to provide credible evidence to support their claim.
If you don't show up for your scheduled appointment, a "No Show" fee in the amount of $60.00 will be added to your Penalty Order (see subsection 14(2) para 3 of O. Regulation 355/22).
Supplementary Documentation Required to be Submitted PRIOR to review
All supplementary documentation to support your claim is required to be submitted, at minimum, 7 days PRIOR to your scheduled review date.
The onus is on the registered owner of the vehicle to provide credible evidence.
Failure to submit the supplementary documentation prior to your screening/hearing review may result in your Penalty Order being affirmed.
To support any of the following claims, you will be required to submit the following to the Screening/Hearing Officer at least 7 days PRIOR to your scheduled appointment:
Medical emergency
- hospital/doctor report (with the same date)
- accident report
Financial Hardship
- ROE
- Notice of Assessment
- Government document (EI, CPP, parental leave documentation)
- Current student timetable, proof of enrollment, share student portal.
- Termination letters.
Fraud/Theft
- Police incident report
Plate does not match vehicle
- Ownership with the same plate on PO, but different vehicle.
- An image of the BACK of the vehicle with the plate in view
These documents can be submitted online at the time that you book your Screening and/or Hearing appointment. Alternatively you can email your documentation to be considered by the Screening/Hearing Officer to ase@ojpc.ca.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cancellation/Rescheduling of Screening/Hearing:
- An RO may only cancel or reschedule their scheduled screening once.
- An RO may only cancel or reschedule their scheduled hearing once.
Cancellation/Rescheduling Window: Cancellations or rescheduling of your appointment must be made at least 72 hours before the scheduled Review. Any cancellation or request for rescheduling made within 72 hours of the scheduled Review will not be accepted.
Late Cancellation/Rescheduling Procedure: Should an RO need to cancel or reschedule within 72 hours of their appointment due to an emergency or unforeseen circumstance, please contact us immediately by phone at 1-877-748-1025 or email at ase@essatownship.on.ca. Be advised that cancellations made within this time frame may still be subject to our cancellation policy.
No-Show and Late Cancellations/Rescheduling: Failure to attend a scheduled review or cancel within the required time frame may result in additional penalties and/or loss of your appeal privileges.
At any stage of the appeal process, the SO/HO shall deem the RO as failing to attend should the cancellation/rescheduling window not be met. Should this occur:
- the PO will be subject to applicable fees as outlined in O. Reg .355/22, and
- the RO will lose the ability to reschedule their review, and
- the RO will be required to pay their PO within the required timeline as indicated on the PO.
If you are submitting documentation to support your request, please be advised that it is required to be received at least 7 days PRIOR to your scheduled appointment.
Your documents can be submitted online at the time that you book your Screening and/or Hearing appointment. Alternatively you can email your documentation to be considered by the Screening/Hearing Officer to ase@ojpc.ca.
To support any of the following claims, you will be required to submit the following to the Screening/Hearing Officer at least 7 business days PRIOR to your scheduled appointment:
Medical emergency
- hospital/doctor report (with the same date)
- accident report
Financial Hardship
- ROE
- Notice of Assessment
- Government document (EI, CPP, parental leave documentation)
- Current student timetable, proof of enrollment, share student portal.
- Termination letters.
Fraud/Theft
- Police incident report
Plate does not match vehicle
- Ownership with the same plate on PO, but different vehicle.
- An image of the BACK of the vehicle with the plate in view
Screening and Hearing Reviews will only be conducted with the registered owner of the vehicle UNLESS the registered owner has submitted the Authorization to Act as an Agent form 7 days prior to your scheduled appointment.
If this form has not been submitted, then the Screening/Hearing Officer will not conduct the requested review.
All reviews conducted by Screening and Hearing Officers are done virtually, so you do not need to attend in person.
Once you have booked your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email that is sent to the email address that you provided when booking your appointment. Prioritize this email as you will not receive another one. The confirmation email will provide you with the meeting link to attend your scheduled appointment via the Microsoft Teams platform.
Alternatively on the day of your review, you can also call in to attend your meeting instead of attending the virtual platform - the phone number for you to call is available when you open your meeting link.
If you would like to speak to a staff member with respect to a Penalty Order or you have questions about Essa's Automated Speed Enforcement Program please contact us at 1-877-748-1025. Alternatively you can email ase@ojpc.ca.
Township of Essa
Joint Data Processing - Automated Speed Enforcement
Phone: 1-877-748-1025
Email: ase@ojpc.ca