The next time you get a parking ticket with a rental car, pay it. If you don't, you could incur some hefty charges -- charges that your business may not be so willing to reimburse.

Rental car companies have recently started cracking down on drivers who scoot before paying their parking tickets. Although technically these fees have been in effect since the mid-1990s, recent advancements in computer systems and better record keeping have spurred a new, assertive effort to track down the thousands of culprits each month.

Most companies charge decent fines - add that on top of the original ticket charge and late fees, and you could have a ten-fold increase in your original ticket cost!

Here's what some leading rental car agencies are charging:

Budget: $25
Alamo: $10-$25
Avis: $15
Dollar: $25
Hertz: $10.65
National: $10-$25

How you'll be billed depends on the company. Either you'll receive an invoice in the mail or have the charge applied to the credit card you used at the time of rental.

Check out the fine print in your rental agreement to see just how your rental company will handle this type of situation.

The best advice: pay your parking tickets and avoid this very expensive mess.