THE SITE: Adams Avenue in San Diego's El Cerrito neighborhood. |
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THE PROBLEM: Al Myrick couldn't believe it when he was ticketed recently for parking a restored Oldsmobile in front of his home for more than 72 hours.
About the same time, a neighbor got a ticket on his infrequently driven SUV, and another was dinged for having a car in his driveway that stuck 6 inches into the sidewalk.
The tickets were written by the same San Diego traffic enforcement officer.
Myrick lives on Adams Avenue near El Cerrito Drive. The area is old, so garages are small and driveways are narrow. But there's ample street parking.
To the best of his knowledge, no one had complained to police. To add to his frustration, Myrick said a trailer with its wheels chained together has been parked on El Cerrito Drive for weeks without being moved or ticketed.
The neighbors paid their fines but question whether the officer followed the spirit of the law.
Just Fix It gets many inquiries from people who can't get police to ticket and tow vehicles that sit for weeks or months. Just yesterday, we spoke to Herman Zanders, who said he has called police at least six times in three months about an abandoned truck on Paseo Lucido in Rancho Bernardo.
We have reported the trailer near Myrick's home and the truck near Zanders' home and will keep you posted on what happens to them.
STATUS: Lt. Tim Saelens of the Police Department's parking enforcement section said officers respond to complaints but also seek out abandoned vehicles on their own. He said officers look for signs that a car has not been moved for a long time: cobwebs, a coat of dust or an accumulation of trash beneath it.
His advice: If you park on the street, move your car a reasonable distance every three days. The law says one-tenth of a mile.
Saelens said complaints are assigned to officers, who may take a few days to respond. A car is marked and left for three more days before being ticketed and possibly towed.
Our advice: Be persistent. If a car is not marked within a few days of your call, call again. If that fails, feel free to call us.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Lt. Tim Saelens, who can be reached at (858) 495-7800 or tsaelens@pd.sandiego.gov.
To report an abandoned vehicle, call (858) 495-7856. Other parking violations can be reported at (619) 685-1410.
NEED A PROBLEM SOLVED: Is there a problem government hasn't fixed despite your complaints? Just Fix It might be able to help.
Complaint forms are at justfixit.uniontrib.com, or call (800) 820-8714.
