Fine for dumping a shopping cart on public property jumps from $5 to $150 in Carpentersville

Carpentersville officials hope that forcing people to pony up a $150 fine for abandoning a shopping cart on public property will stop them from removing them from stores and later dumping them.

While the village has an ordinance on carts being left in public places, which reads “it is unlawful to leave, abandon, discard, or place any wheeled shopping cart in, on, or near any highway, street, alley or traffic lane,” the $5 fine that came with a violation has been ineffective, Village Manager John O’Sullivan said.

Trustees unanimously approved the change imposing the much higher penalty Tuesday as part of their consent agenda. There was no discussion on it during the 12-minute meeting.

“What we’ve had in town is a recent spate of increasing numbers of stray shopping carts from Walmart and the Dollar store,” O’Sullivan said. “Walmart does their share of chasing them but can’t get to them all. Our code enforcement guys will occasionally pick them up and bring them back.”

People who live in apartments near stores will use the shopping carts to transport purchases home, but because apartment managers don’t allow the carts on their property, they’ll be abandoned a block or two away, he said.

“It’s kind of becoming a habit rather than an occasional thing,” O’Sullivan said. “We want to do more to discourage taking these things off the (store) property so we’ll increase the fine and step up our enforcement.”

The fee is not “there to be draconian, but to get folks to do the right thing,” he said.

While some stores, like Village Fresh Market on Lake Marian Road, have carts that require a 25-cent deposit, which is refunded when the cart is returned, it doesn’t necessarily help, O’Sullivan said.

“Their carts still show up,” he said. “People would rather lose the quarter. It’s not foolproof.

“I think people might be discouraged to do it if they have to reach (deeper) into their pocket,” O’Sullivan said.

Carpentersville code enforcement and police officers will likely give first-time offenders a warning, he said, but the village will be spreading the word about the increased fine through village publications, social media and stronger enforcement of the ordinance.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.