A HOMEOWNER was left fuming after he was slapped with a $108 fine for parking on his own driveway.
Larry Reed of the Mission District of San Francisco, California, along with his neighbors, suspects someone in the area is “trolling” them by repeatedly filing complaints through the city’s 311 system.
Residents in Mission District of San Francisco, California have been receiving a barrage of penalties for small-time infractions[/caption]
According to NBC Bay Area, the residents have been receiving numerous tickets for infractions like parking on driveways or sidewalks.
In Reed’s case, he was hit with a penalty because his BMW EV was ever so slightly over the sidewalk while parked on his home’s driveway.
Numerous locals who’ve been hit with fines for similar infractions even suspect the complainant is using old or altered photographs.
Reed said: “One-hundred-and-eight dollars for parking on my driveway.”
And another homeowner, Yolanda Francisco, added: “We don’t know what the deal is. It’s just, when we park on the driveway, we get a notice
“It’s been reported to 311 multiple times. But one picture, multiple times.”
Yolanda’s son-in-law has noticed an interesting pattern about the 311 complaints.
“So, I don’t know when these photos were taken, but somebody obviously has a collection of these and is just re-posting them,” said David Chen.
Chen was also there when his neighbor Reed received his citation.
He added: “There’s like 10 feet of open space. It’s not causing a problem for anyone with accessibility issues.
“It’s literally somebody making themselves feel good by submitting it, trolling us, getting us tickets.”
“The thing is, it’s never happened until this year. So it seems to be somebody who’s newly moved in,” Reed added.
Reed claimed he has even attempted to resolve the matter by posting a letter asking the complainer to contact him directly instead of filing complaints.
According to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), in San Francisco, it is illegal to park on or block any portion of a sidewalk.
This includes situations where the vehicle is partially blocking the sidewalk or even if the vehicle is entirely in a driveway but extends over the sidewalk.
Violations can result in citations and/or towing, even if the pedestrian travel path is partially clear.
That means the complainant is within their rights by the law.
How to fight a parking ticket
You can avoid being ticketed by following all posted laws and ordinances, but sometimes mistakes are made
Like any form of citation, parking tickets are preventable by reading and obeying posted signage. However, when visiting a new city, or state, or in a hurry, things can be missed and mistakes are made.
Suddenly there’s a ticket you weren’t prepared to pay for. If the ticket is a surprise to you, there are a few things you can do to help your case when appealing a parking ticket.
- Carefully read the ticket. Look for errors like incorrect street names, license plate numbers, vehicle make and model, time and date, etc. Errors would then make the ticket invalid.
- Take photos. Of the vehicle in the parking space, lack of signage, or other vehicles that weren’t cited for performing the same parking job. If the ticket involves parking too close to something like a fire hydrant, a photo showing a reasonable distance would help your case. Make sure metadata with the time and date are accessible. Signs that are obstructed by trees, or are on bent posts, or aren’t “obvious” are great things to photograph, too.
- Make sure the statute that was violated is listed on the ticket. If not listed, the ticket is not valid.
- Promptly follow the appeal instructions on the ticket. All legitimate tickets will have directions for appeal. Waiting until the very last moment weakens your argument and can result in late fees.
- When in court, avoid these phrases as they reduce your credibility and weaken your argument:
- “I didn’t know the law.”
- “I was on my way to move my car.”
- “I can’t afford this ticket.”
- “I’ve been doing this for years.”
- “I checked with the parking officer, who said it was OK.”
- Contact a lawyer. If you’re running into roadblocks and feel stuck, it may be best to reach out to a traffic lawyer in your area. Many have free case consultations.
Source: Reader’s Digest
