WAUSAU, Wis (WSAU) Wausau is owned more than $165,000 in unpaid parking tickets.

An investigation from WSAW-TV shows that nearly half that amount is from tickets more than five years old, with little chance of collecting the money.

Wausau does send data to the state DMV. People with unpaid parking tickets can't register new vehicles or renew their drivers licenses. But the only way the city can collect the money its owed is by intercepting state tax refunds, which is costly and time consuming,

Wausau police will issue more than 8,000 parking tickets this year. The city collected more than $162,000 in parking fines.