The Municipality of Meaford uses the Administrative Penalty System (APS) to process and adjudicate minor contraventions of designated by-laws, initially including those related to Yard and Boulevard Maintenance, Property Standards, Noise, Nuisance, Open-Air Burning, and Signage.
2026-47 Administrative Penalty System By-law
The APS system is designed to streamline the enforcement of, and assist compliance with municipally Designated by-laws. Under APS, Penalty Notice disputes are adjudicated by the Municipality through the use of Screening and Hearing Officers who are able to modify, cancel, or affirm penalties. This approach is designed to reduce congestion in the courts and to provide a local and efficient dispute resolution system for minor by-law offences.
Paying a Penalty Notice
Paying Online
Through your Bank: Pay at the teller or through online banking.
For your account number, use the last nine digits of the Customer Number which is found on your invoice.
Depending on your bank, we may be referred to as Meaford Accounts Receivable, or Meaford (Mun. of) Accounts Receivable.
Other Methods
Pay In Person
You can pay your penalty notice in person at the Municipality of Meaford Administration office at 21 Trowbridge Street West, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Cheque, debit, credit, or cash is accepted.
There is also a drop box available at the Administration office.
Pay By Mail
Please do not send cash.
You can pay your Penalty Notice by cheque or money order to:
Municipality of Meaford
21 Trowbridge Street West
Meaford, ON
N4L 1A1
Note: please ensure all payments by mail have enough time to be processed by the Municipality.
Dispute a Penalty Notice
Screening Review
Every person who is issued a Penalty Notice has the right to dispute the Penalty Notice by requesting a Screening Review within 30 days of the issuance of the Penalty Notice.
A screening review is undertaken by a screening officer. They will decide whether the penalty still applies as issued, is reduced, or cancelled. This process is done without court involvement.
After review of a Screening Review request, a Screening Officer may:
- Affirm the Administrative Penalty, including any administrative fee(s)
- Cancel or reduce the Administrative Penalty, including any administrative fee(s),
- Or extend the time for payment of the Administrative Monetary Penalty, including any administrative fee(s)
If you wish to dispute your Penalty Notice, fill out and submit the following “Request for Screening Review” form by following the included instructions.
Complete the Screening Review Request Form
If a third party will be representing you at a Screening Review, it is required that the owner of the Penalty Notice submit a completed Authorization to Act as Agent form. Please note that any future incident cases will require the completion of additional authorization forms.
PLEASE NOTE: All Screening Reviews will be conducted independently through email. A written notice of the Screening Officer’s decision will be provided by email.
Hearing Appeal
If a person wishes to dispute the screening decision, a person may request a Hearing Appeal no later than 30 days after the date of service of the Screening Decision.
A hearing appeal is a formal virtual meeting where a Penalty Notice may be further challenged after the screening review decision. A hearing officer listens to both sides and makes a final decision on whether to keep, change, or cancel the penalty.
After a Hearing Appeal request, a Hearing Officer may:
- Affirm the administrative penalty, including any administrative fee(s)
- Cancel or reduce the Administrative Penalty, including any administrative fee(s),
- Or extend the time for payment of the administrative penalty, including any administrative fee(s)
The Hearing Officer is not bound to the decision of the Screening Officer and the decision of the Hearing Officer is final and binding. If the Hearing Officer agrees with the decision of the Screening Officer, you will be required to pay an additional $250 Screening Decision Upheld Fee that will be added to your total amount due. If you fail to appear at your Hearing Review, an additional $100 Hearing Review Non-Appearance Fee will be charged.
If you wish to dispute your Screening Decision, fill out and submit the following “Request for a Hearing Review” form by following the included instructions.
Complete the Request for Hearing Review Form
If a third party will be representing you at a Hearing Review, it is required that the owner of the Penalty Notice to submit a completed Authorization to Act as Agent form. Please note that any future incident cases will require the completion of additional authorization forms.
PLEASE NOTE: All Hearing Reviews will be held virtually.
Request for Extension of Time
If you have been issued a Penalty Notice and are unable to meet the required timeframe to request a Screening Review, or if you have received a Screening Decision and are unable to meet the required timeframe to request a Hearing, you may submit a Request for an Extension of Time, setting out the reasons for the delay.
Complete the Request for Extension of Time Form
Authorization to Act as Agent
If you will be represented by a third party at a Screening Review or Hearing Appeal, you are required to complete an Authorization to Act as Agent form. Please note that any future incident cases will require the completion of additional authorization forms.
Complete the Authorization to Act as Agent Form
Frequently Asked Questions
Although they may look similar, a Provincial Offences Notice (PON) – Part I ticket and a Penalty Notice are executed in different ways.
Here’s how to tell the difference:
- Provincial Offence Notice (PON)- Part I ticket is issued by a Provincial Offences Officer under the Provincial Offences Act and is administered and managed by the Owen Sound Court House.
- Penalty Notice is issued by a Provincial Offences Officer under the Municipal Act and is administered and managed by the Municipality of Meaford.
A Municipal Law Enforcement Officer (MLEO) also known as a By-law Enforcement Officer may issue a penalty notice by:
• personally delivering it to the person to whom it is addressed
• leaving/posting it at the property
• email
• regular or registered mail
If you receive a penalty notice, you may pay the penalty by following the instructions on the back. If you disagree with the penalty notice, you may complete the required form and request a screening review of the Penalty Notice.
A screening review is the first level of review available under APS. If a person disagrees with a penalty notice, they may request a review by a Screening Officer. The Screening Officer may confirm, cancel or reduce the penalty, or extend the time for payment, including any administrative fee(s) based on the information provided and the applicable rules.
If you disagree with a Screening Officer’s decision, you may request a hearing review by a Hearing Officer. A Hearing Officer may confirm, cancel or reduce the penalty, or extend the time for payment, including any administrative fee(s) based on the information provided and the applicable rules.
The Hearing Officer reviews the facts-in-issue and the Screening Officer’s review and adjudicates their decision of the Penalty Notice.
If the Hearing Officer agrees with the screening officer’s decision, a designated ‘hearing decision upheld’ fee will be added to your total amount due.
A Hearing Officer’s decision is final.
No. APS eliminates the need for court appearances for designated minor by-law offences.
No. The court system will still be used for serious offences or situations involving persistent non-compliance.
Yes. APS allows for escalating penalties for repeat violations to encourage compliance.
Ignoring your penalty notice can:
- lead to additional administrative fees
- prevent you from being able to request a screening review.
If payment is not received for your Penalty Notice or you do not request a review of the Penalty Notice by the allotted timeframe:
- after 30 days: a late payment notice will be issued, and additional fees may apply
- after 60 days: the amount owing, including any applicable fees, will be added to the property owner’s tax roll and collected as municipal property taxes.
- for non-residents, the Municipality may pursue other available collection options
We highly recommend either paying your Penalty Notice or requesting an appeal as early as possible to avoid any associated fees.
Specific administrative fees may apply to support the administration of the APS process, including costs associated with the administrative and adjudicative processes, such as an applicable late payment and failure-to-appear penalties.
These include:
Late Payment Fee $25.00
Screening Review Non-Appearance Fee $50.00
Hearing Review Non-Appearance Fee $100.00
Screening Decision Upheld Fee $250.00
NSF Fee $45.00
Land Registry Title Ownership Search Fee $35.00
Credit Card Processing and Transaction Fee Cost Recovery
Financial hardship
Financial hardship means being in a situation where paying an administrative penalty or administrative fee would cause serious financial hardship. Examples include personal circumstances, such as low income, unexpected expenses or limited resources.
Undue hardship
Undue hardship means a situation where paying an Administrative Penalty or Administrative Fee would cause serious difficulty due to financial hardship or other compassionate circumstances, such as illness, family emergencies or loss of income.
Documents to support financial hardship
If you are requesting relief from an administrative penalty or administrative fee due to financial hardship, you must submit documents no more than seven calendar days in advance of your screening review or hearing review that demonstrate your financial situation.
Examples of documents that may help support your request include:
- Old Age Security (OAS)
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
- Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS)
- disability or disability pension benefits
- Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
- any other form of social assistance or income support
You may also submit any other documents that show your income, expenses or financial circumstances.
Public Complaint Process
The Municipality of Meaford is committed to ensuring the Administrative Penalty System (APS) program is conducted in a fair and independent manner to ensure that the APS program remains an open, accessible, responsive, accountable, efficient, and effective system for enforcement in the Municipality.
All public complaints, informal or formal, regarding all aspects of the APS program, which applies to all administrative actions and functions of all Municipal employees and other persons responsible for the administration of the APS program. This does not include the validity of the law or the constitutional applicability of the by-law.
If you have a complaint, you must register your complaint by completing the Complaint Submission Form.
The Municipality keeps the identity of each complaint confidential unless the complainant has agreed to be identified.
Complaints will be investigated as soon as possible. For more information, please review the Public Complaint Policy.
Resources
- 2026-47 Administrative Penalty System By-law
- Authorization to Act as an Agent Form
- Hearing Request Form
- Screening Request Form
- Public Complaints Form
- Request for Extension of Time Form
- Authorization to Act as an Agent Form (PDF)
- Hearing Request Form (PDF)
- Screening Request Form (PDF)
- Public Complaints Form (PDF)
- Request for Extension of Time Form (PDF)
- Prevention of Political Interference Policy
- Financial Management and Reporting Policy
- Financial Hardship Policy
- Conflict of Interest Policy
- Appointment of Screening and Hearing Officers Policy
- Public Complaints Policy