Calgary woman forced to pay stranger's fine now getting refund

A Calgary woman who was forced to pay a stranger’s ticket so she could renew her vehicle registration says the province is now working on refunding her.

Alandra Williams went into her local Alberta Registry in late December after having trouble renewing her vehicle registration online.

At the counter, Williams found out she was on the hook for a lot more than just registration fees.

"(Registry staff) told me that it was going to cost $730," Williams said.

A closer look showed a man with the same birth date and last name as Williams had been ticketed for trespassing on April 2, 2022.

He didn't pay the ticket, and somehow the fine ended up attached to Williams' account.

"I have no idea who he is," she said.

In January, she was able to email the court to have the ticket removed from her name.

"But what about my money? I'm not willingly paying the ticket for this man," she said.

Five months later, Williams hadn't heard a word about getting a refund, until CTV News spoke with her about her predicament.

The day after CTV aired a report about the strange position Williams found herself in, she was contacted by the province.

She tells CTV News that officials are now working to process her refund as quickly as possible, and say she should have her $730 by the end of this week.