The Municipality of Hastings Highlands offers the convenience of scheduling an appointment with a Screening Officer to review your Penalty Notice under the Municipality’s Administrative Penalty System. Select the ‘Request for Screening Review’ button below for access to the application.
Bylaw Enforcement
The Municipality's Bylaw Enforcement Officer enforces the Municipality's Bylaws such as noise, clean yards, animal services, parking, open fires, fireworks and business licensing. The Bylaw Enforcement Officer responds to citizen complaints during the hours of operation.
The Municipal Bylaw Enforcement Policy governs the handling of Municipal Bylaw complaints by the Municipality and ensures standardized, thorough, prompt and courteous receipt, processing, investigation and resolution. This policy applies to both municipal bylaws and provincial statutes that the Municipality is responsible for enforcing.
Administrative Monetary Penalty System
The Administrative Monetary Penalties System (A.M.P.S.) is an emerging approach to dealing with minor bylaw infractions in a manner that is fair, effective and efficient. The Penalty Notice is issued by a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer to an individual when they have committed a bylaw infraction. A Penalty Notice is the same as a “ticket” except that it requires payment of a penalty instead of a fine.
A.M.P.S. transfers bylaw disputes from the courtroom to the municipality through the use of a Screening and a Hearing Officer. The Screening and Hearing Officer is able to modify, cancel, or affirm penalties. This approach aids in reducing congestion in the courts as well as providing a more local and accessible dispute resolution system for the public.
Penalty Notices issued under A.M.P.S does not cost more than traditional fines. However, in certain cases, additional administrative fees may be applied to the original penalty amount. For instance, additional administrative fees are applied to late payments, the failure to attend a scheduled review with a Screening or Hearing Officer, and Ministry of Transportation (M.T.O.) searches.
For a list of bylaws and related fines issued under the AMPS please refer to the Administrative Monetary Penalties System (A.M.P.S.)
Screening Request to Review a Penalty
On-line:
For further information on how to pay for your penalty notice on-line, call (613) 338-2811 or 1-877-338-2818.
By Mail:
Write the Penalty Notice number on the front of your cheque or money order, make payable to “The Municipality of Hastings Highlands” and mail to:
The Municipality of Hastings Highlands – Bylaw Enforcement Department
33011 Hwy 62 N - P.O. Box 130,
Maynooth, Ontario
K0L 2S0
DO NOT SEND CASH BY MAIL. Post-dated cheques or payments by installments will not be accepted. NSF cheques will be subject to an additional administrative fee.
In Person: Submit in Office Drop-off Box
The Municipality of Hastings Highlands
33011 Hwy 62 N
Maynooth, Ontario
K0L 2S0
The Provincial Offences Act (POA) sets out procedures for the administration and prosecution of offences under provincial statutes and regulations, and municipal bylaws. Designated municipalities are responsible for the administration of courts hearing POA matters and the prosecution of certain POA cases on behalf of the Attorney General. Examples of such cases include:
- Highway Traffic Act charges such as speeding and other traffic violations
- Charges laid under all other provincial legislation (such as the Liquor Licence Act, Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, Trespass to Property Act, etc.)
The Corporation of the County of Hastings is responsible for managing the administrative duties of the Provincial Offences Act on behalf of the Province of Ontario, Ministry of the Attorney General.
More information on the Provincial Offences Act can be found on the Hastings County website.
'Good Neighbour’ Tips
In many instances, issues that come up can be resolved before there’s a need to file a complaint. Here are a few tips to help you build positive relations with your neighbours.
• Get to know your neighbours.
• Talk to them. Establish lines of communication.
• In the course of your conversation, convey what is important to you, and invite them to convey what is important to them.
• If you have a concern, respectfully make your neighbours aware of it, and allow them the opportunity to correct or change what they have been doing. This keeps the lines of communication open. In many situations, once the other person is aware their actions are causing a concern, they work to correct it.
It is much nicer to live in a neighbourhood where people work at being good neighbours versus living in a neighbourhood where everyone just does their own thing without care for what effect it has on others.