Required to pay 1,300 shekels to the Tel Aviv Municipality - after the fine was sent to the wrong address
Mikey Levy, who changed his registered address six years ago, received a fine for not wearing a helmet at his old address with a six-month delay. This prevented him from filing an appeal and resulted in late fees. Levy has filed a lawsuit against the municipality, arguing that the fine system is flawed and that the penalty does not appear in his personal online account.
Mikey Levy discovered by chance that he is required to pay 1,300 shekels to the Tel Aviv Municipality: a fine of 1,000 shekels for riding a scooter without a helmet and an additional 300 shekels due to a late payment. He claims the fine was never delivered to him, as it was sent to an address where he has not lived for more than six years. Furthermore, the fine still does not appear in his personal area on the municipality's website.
After his inquiries to the municipality did not lead to the cancellation of the fine, he decided to take legal action. "They are counting on us being helpless. I will invest all the time needed and take this to the end," he says.
A history of errors
The story began with a fine issued in September 2025, reportedly via a camera without an inspector present. Levy states he was unaware of the fine in real time. Only last July did two letters arrive at his parents' house: one sent in January 2026 notifying him of the fine, and a second from June, which already included a 300-shekel late fee.
"I changed my address at the Ministry of Interior three years ago; I have the confirmation. I even pay my municipal tax (arnona) at my current address. Yet, the letter arrived at my parents' house. What if I wasn't in touch with them? How would I have found out—only through a bank attachment?" Levy asks. He also points out discrepancies in the wording of the offense between the two letters and insists that the quality of camera-generated photos is insufficient to determine if a helmet strap was properly fastened.
The municipality's response
Levy notes that even a proactive check on the municipality's 'Digitel' portal shows no record of the fine. With a court hearing set for May 2027, he is calling on other residents to challenge unjustified fines in court rather than paying them, arguing that if the municipality faces enough legal challenges, the current system will become economically unviable.
The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality responded:
"The municipality acts according to the law regarding the sending of fines, which are sent to official addresses from the population registry file. Pictures are not automatically attached to fines of this type but are provided to the resident upon request to the call center. Any claim regarding the delivery of fines is examined individually, and Mr. Levy's request will be checked accordingly. The municipality emphasizes that riders must follow the law and that those who break it are given the opportunity to appeal and be judged."
