Investigative Voice, 29 Mar 2009 (Stephen Janis).
Budget deficits and falling tax revenues have forced local governments across the country to find new ways to raise cash, but Prince George's County officials are willing to go the extra yard – literally onto your yard – to pay the bills.
That’s what Clinton resident Mary Kay Calefati discovered when she happened upon a P.G. County revenue agent standing next to her home on March 23 issuing a ticket for her daughter's car – which was parked in the yard, parallel to the driveway.
“I see this man in a black uniform, no identification, standing 60 feet up my driveway, and I was like, 'What are you doing?' ” recalls the 50-year-old unemployed network engineer. “He said, 'I’m writing you a ticket for parking on the grass,' ” she says. “I said, 'What? Here?' And he got real smart and repeated it slowly, 'Parking...on...the...grass.' ”
“Then he got angry and wrote me another ticket,” she says, pointing to the spot where she had parked her car halfway on the narrow street and halfway on her front lawn, another apparent violation.
The total take for Prince George's County? A quick $100.
Stunned, Calefati learned the tickets were the result of a county law passed in 1978 prohibiting parking on grass, even if you own it. Calefati's mother, Nancy Lowery, 71, said the law has never been enforced – until now. “I’ve lived here for 44 years and I’ve never had this happen before. I think it's all about money."
Calefati soon learned she was not the only resident of this suburban community of compact single- family homes a few miles from Andrews Air Force Base who got cited; about 20 of her neighbors got tickets too. "Nobody was happy about it."
Complicating matters for Calefati and her family is the fact that Lowery’s car has been stolen twice, so parking on the street is not an option.
“I don’t want my daughter parking on the street at night,” Calefati says of her 24-year-old daughter, who works in Washington, D.C.
“You’ve had two recent murders in this area. I tell my daughter to park near the house because it’s safer, not because she’s lazy,” she said, referring to the series of shocking slayings of two sets of mothers and daughters that county police said last week may be related.
Not willing to simply pay the fines, Calefati complained to county officials, arguing the revenue authority was overreaching by ticketing a car parked near a driveway. But her pleas fell on deaf ears.
P.G. Revenue Authority Operations Director Troy Thompson said the tickets were part of a new and well-publicized county beautification program.
"Our "stepped-up" enforcement of parking violations is but one component of the County Executive's "Livable Communities Initiative,” Thompson wrote to Calefati in a March 24 e-mail. “In many instances, we combine forces with the Police Department, Housing Department and Permit Department in a task force designed to address all violations of County law in a particular community.”
Thompson did not respond to e-mails sent over the week-end for comment, but Calefati and her family are skeptical of his explanation.
“If they were serious about beautifying the county, they would have held a community meeting and explained the law to us.”
Indeed, P.G. County officials have been scrambling for cash to make up for a growing budget deficit. A push to raise the homestead property income tax cap recently failed during the General Assembly, leaving county officials to fill a $132 million budget gap for the next fiscal year – and Calefati skeptical.
(Posted 30 Mar 2009)
If P.G. County Government is serious about a beautification initiative then why has it been over 9 years since they have even patched the cracks (grass growing in the cracks) in the roads along Queens Lane and Park Terrace in Fort Washington, MD? I was told by the county that there was no money in the budget to make the necessary repairs. This parking on lawn enforcement is about collecting money for other purposes and not to improve the quality of life in P.G. County. I agree that there has been many vehicle breakins and thefts in the county, epecially cars parked along curbs in front of single family homes. There has also been gas stolen from cars parked along curbs in front of single family homes in my neighborhood of Fort Washington. What we need is more police patrols and presence in Fort Washington and other areas in P.G. County were the preception is "there is no crime".
ReplyDeletejust today on 1/19/2015 received a ticket on parking my vehicle in my own yard not bothering anyone. The ticket said that no pavement is not a driveway. this is crazy is pg county that broke that they need to come on personal property to ticket cars. this is sad that they can do this. This neighbor hood is so bad as it is they have to take the time to ticket instead of cleaning up the crime in Hyattsville.
DeleteIs anyone following up with this!?!? My father just received a ticket for the exact same thing on his lawn.....this is b.s. and we need to stop it or get it repealed. Please someone post some links here about any further protests....I am going to be going to court with this one as it is clearly a violation of individual property rights. My dad has owned his home for years now and it is ridiculous this initiative has been enacted. Does anyone know of any legislation behind this "initiative"....please we need to organize this type of thing is the top of a very slippery slope!!! Didnt you notice the guide to home maintenance offered by the county has guidelines for INSIDE your home!!?! PLEASE SOMEONE GIVE ME SOME MORE INFO HERE!!!! I wil help in return, we've got to organize against this.
ReplyDeleteI too was stunned after returning home from work and finding a ticket on my truck parked in the front of my house. Apparently the PG REVENUE authority thinks a neighborhood road with only the traffic of the residents you have to park in the direction of traffic, again this is a road with no lines and no traffic in the southern part of PG county. So while I was out working to keep making the mortgage on my home in PG county so PG county can collect my over priced property tax I get for being a life long PG resident a $50 ticket. If the county wants to clean up the county, pay these guys to go around reporting people who have trash mounds in the yard or homes falling apart or better yet how bout enforcing the fire lane parking violations at ALL shopping centers in PG county if you are going to get serious then lets get serious...thanks for letting me vent!!
ReplyDeleteParking in the direction of the flow of traffic is always standard procedure, if not law, everywhere. You should have learned this when getting your driver's license.
DeleteI too got a ticket for having 1/3 of one side of the tires touch the fake grass I have in my front yard. The ticket refers to code 26-127.04.18 but I cannot find anything that tells me the law about not parking on your lawn in the PG county site. I am too looking for information because I am going to fight this ticket.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it! It's your yard, It's your yard, It's your yard! This is defintely a dumb way for PG County to milk money out of PG residents. PG county has more of a suppliment of money than Montgomery County and YET...Montgomery County ranks within the top 50 public school systems nationwide and PG County can't even get on the rank list even after 200.
ReplyDeletePG County Government officials are living too fat off what we PG residents are being taxed on.
I tired of this poor management of our County Funds.
As long as you don't belong to a home association and it's not putting anyone to harm...I don't see why we can't do what we want to do in our own yard. This is just ridiculous!
I think that the law is a good idea. It may need a little modification; but it's a law that is needed in our community. I think the law should address vehicles that sit unmoved in lawns longer than a two week period. For too long residents and renters have had parked cars on their lawns which to me looks unsightly. Especially cars that are not in working condition that sit in the yard for months or years with grass, bushes and trees growing around them. These unslightly vehicles then become breeding grounds for all types of infestations. If there is a need for a resident to park a working vehicle on their lawn then that person should renovate their driveway (with gravel or concrete) and make large enough to fit their family of working vehicles. Many residents have rented out their properties, some that seem to have several renters that may park on the lawn. Then the lawn and home becomes unmanaged which makes the community look bad. Yes, PG County needs to address many ongoing issues (Schools, murder rate and drug dealers); but to me this is an issue that needs to be addressed and hopefully it will correct some beautification needs in the area.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see that there is still a discussion being held here, and am glad to see people are even remotely as ticked about this as I am. Id like to first respond to the people who share my sentiment. I AM FIGHTING THIS TICKET, AND WANT TO FIGHT THAT THIS LAW BE REMOVED, NOT MODIFIED, BUT REMOVED. I would like to coordinate with others who feel the same way to pool our knowledge and support one another in fighting this. I will come to your hearings, we can go to town hall meetings, we need to do something, and it makes me proud to see I am not alone. Please feel free to email me at muldible@gmail.com, I will respond and I honestly want to get something started with this. Lets please not let this die.....In regards to the individual whom agrees with the law....I think generally speaking people agree that disabled cars, and people using their lawns as parking lots or garages violates RESIDENTIAL ZONING laws, as the lawns are being used either as JUNK YARDS or MECHANICS GARAGES. This is COMPLETELY different than having a functioning, running, clean, maybe even ECO-friendly car on YOUR property. The car is hurting no one, and is affecting NOTHING, nothing except the sensibility/preference of someone else who thinks they know whats best for someone else. Lets say you park your car close to your house to vacuum out the inside, and you run in briefly to use the restroom....should you be ticketed!?!? I actually spoke with a county official on the phone who told me "it doesnt matter if its right its the law".....that might be the case for NOW, but I think it is wrong for the government to tell someone what to do with their property solely for aesthetic reasons. The county is LEGISLATING as a homeowners association, which I dont remember signing up for. Whats even more interesting is that this law has been on the books for years, and only now, DURING ECONOMIC SHORTFALLS, is it being enacted. This issue is also LARGER than this specific issue with parking, as the county now has a set of guidelines to which all homes MUST BE MAINTAINED or you will be fined.....and guess the hell what, not only can you be fined for things such as your gutter not being totally clear, or rust on your fence, or a crack in your drive way (like the county takes care of all the potholes...), BUT the guidelines also include a subsection for the INTERIOR of your home....THE INTERIOR...ladies and gentleman this is not constitutional, or ethical and we must fight this. Again please email me, we can do something. I will be starting a blog soon. Lets keep in contact and not let this slide!!!!!! Please email me at MULDIBLE@GMAIL.COM
ReplyDeleteI live in Landover, Maryland and I welcome parking enforcement in my community. Attend your homeowners association and civic meetings and get educated about what you can and cannot do in Prince George's County. These county officials are always coming out to meetings, as well as inviting the public to their meetings. A vehicle parked on the lawn is such an eyesore to the community. Parking Enforcment, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteHearty agreement. This has been a County law since 1978 according to the article. Vehicles parked on lawns is one step down the slippery slope towards slovenly neighborhoods, lack of upkeep and the other community ills and downfall that this behavior breeds. Show pride in ownership and create/maintain a driveway that holds all your functioning vehicles.
DeleteAlthough some of you feel that your rights as a homeowner to do what you want, it is still againt the law, and because of that the law being broken it was enforced. We have a much greater problems, please look at the bigger picture. Do you really want boats, vans, cars, oil cans what have you looking at your face everyday. You may not understand what I am saying but your neigbor will have issues with it. You all say lack of funds, beauiful PG County. Do you really think the Montgomery County residents stand for this type of behavior. Look at our Govornor, he isn't taking PG seriously. Let's all do our share. It doesn't cost any money. Let's take pride in where we live, look after each other and let the law enforcement agencies do their job.
ReplyDeleteAre you serious? Let the agencies do their job? They are wasting money sending people out to ticket others who want to do what they feel in their lawn. If you have issues with your neighbor then maybe YOU should move. It shows how greedy our officials are wanting someone else to pay for their problems while they keep collecting. As for keeping the place beautiful. . . they should be worrying about County properties before they start worrying about others private properties. How do they expect the place to look better by moving cars and having them parked in the direction they say and then leaving roads like crap and leaving public grass brown, sounds like they just need someone to pay their bills, wake up.
ReplyDeleteFirst I'd like to thank you for taking the time to respond to my post, it's much appreciated as I feel these issues need to be discussed from all angles.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that many people do not take pride in where they live, and it is reflected in their behavior, in and outside of their home. This is not to be debated. The question to be debated is what is the governments role on any level in nurturing community involvement, and is that best done through the "criminalization" of aesthetic values!? The problem might seem palatable enough when the intentions behind said actions are in the favor of ones opinion, but I am arguing at a much higher level than that. What happens when a larger group than yourself wants to organize and pass a law on whether or not your own porch and side walk (on your property) are properly shoveled during a snow storm? What if an organization larger than yourself wants to regulate and fine a homeowner if their gutters aren't clear enough, or if there is a crack in their walkway or driveway leading to their door? I'm assuming you know this is already the case as under the "Livable Communities Initiative" under which one can be fined for a litany different minutia, including possibly the interior of your home. Considering the county can't fix their own sidewalks and potholes, I feel these codes infringe upon individual rights. There might be specific criminal illegalities in your community that make some statutes permissible to control ILLEGAL behavior, but since when did PREFERENCE for those citizens NOT breaking the law become CRIMINAL? Because one has made something into a law does not make it correct or just, simply look at the history of this country for a gauge. I am arguing for the individual property rights of citizens who have not signed up to be part of a home owners association, and should be able to retain the right to maintain their property as they see fit as long as it does not harm someone else. There are already statutes for what constitutes an abandoned or condemned home, which I concede is a situation under which actions by the authorities should be taken. However in many of the instances of executing this law, the homes in question were in respectable condition, with LEGAL, FUNCTIONING automobiles that posed no aesthetic blight upon the community. Your opinion is probably not reflective of everyone in your neighborhood, and definitely not reflective of everyone in the county or state. If there are particular needs of a given community that make sense for that community in particular, why couldn't it be a temporary municipal policy as opposed to a county wide ordinance? Should all states in the union be beholden to the aesthetic preferences of a single state? I think not. Furthermore, some say specifically that these homes run down the value of "commercial properties" in a given area, and that action must be taken. What commercial properties!? Whose!? If someone is going to benefit commercially from criminalizing law-abiding citizens, do the citizens not deserve to be compensated for their effort? Why should they bear the full force of this legislation, which stands to make the government gobs of money county wide, only to have someone else benefit? Are those same commercial entities going to be required to give back to the community in which they reside? I doubt it. To me this does not foster investment in one's community, and is simply way for the county to meet their budget shortfalls wrapped in the issue of community development. You might have to take action, but not in this way.
I think all politics are local, and of course people get involved when it affects them. If any of you have made a career out of civil service I respectfully applaud you, as people like you make our system work and worth fighting for. I understand that someone with a home in excessive disrepair might drive the value of the home next door down over time, but I seriously doubt that with all things being equal, the length of grass alone or a single car is a predominant factor. I think MOST people in MOST places keep their grass at a reasonable length. You might want to ask "what's reasonable?", and I would simply say that is best answered on a case by case basis. Is this law going to be applicable to people living in more rural areas of the county? If we are going to pick and choose the people this law applies to, then it just SHOULDN'T be a law!
We live in the Oxon Hill area and crime has been coming to our neighborhood for quite some time. We have been victims of more than one hit and run, burglaries, and theft while parked on the street, which is precisely one of the reasons why the car that was ticketed was parked on one corner of our lawn closer to the house. This ordinance would require us, whose situation seems to differ from yours logistically, but suffers from the same outcomes (crime), to move our car BACK onto the street where they are more vulnerable. This is again the crux of the issue, with this blurry line between community development and crime. If what protects our personal property best differs from what works in your neighborhood, why should there be a law constricting the behavior of EVERYONE for the variables in YOUR situation?! It simply doesn't make sense.
My ultimate goal is to have this law repealed. Only time will tell, and with democracy being the voice of the people I ask only that this be done legally, ethically, and with all parties having their due say. I am much more concerned with the laws that these officers are applying than I am about making their lives more or less difficult. I do not blame the officers for carrying out their duties, and hold no animosity toward them. I am more upset at the county council for enacting such a law, which is where I hope to have this debate.
For those of you commenting without regard to the points I have made, I feel you are not looking at this problem comprehensively. This is not just about me WANTING to have trash on my lawn. It is about the limits of governmental authority in enacting legislation that constricts law abiding citizens from retaining basic rights over their hard earned property. MOST PEOPLE AREN'T ACTING IRRESPONSIBLY or ILLEGALLY simply by parking on their grass. And for those who argue that its ok simply because its illegal, please read your history books, the fight against unjust legislation, has never been defeated on such an argument. Yes I might pay for my ticket now because it is a law on the books. BUT WHY SHOULD IT STAY THAT WAY?!!? Responding that its ok because its a law is NOT RESPONDING to whether or not you feel the law is just. It is short sighted to not be judicious when implementing legislation that blurs public and private life on such inconsequential things, and I urge you all in support of this type of law making to think how you would feel if another county or state were telling Marylanders what to do. And for those who are saying there are bigger thing to worry about... I AGREE, which is EXACTLY why this is NONE OF THE COUNTIES BUSINESS. Of course there are bigger fish to fry, (roads, school violence, gangs, drugs, gambling, prostitution, EDUCATION....this list goes on) which makes it unfortunate that the majority of law abiding, tax paying citizens, are being taking to financial task for such an petty "crime."
I also would again like those who favor my opinion, if you would not like to post here as yourself, to please email me (MULDIBLE@GMAIL.COM) in regards to starting an official protest to this legislation, starting first and foremost with a petition. Or post on my blog which you can reach by clicking on my name in the post here. I also am gathering info about local events which we may attend to start publicly getting the word out there. There are similar investigations being done in Baltimore and DC in regards to ticketing practices, so I think we have at least some good foundations to go on. Thanks.
We just came home and found two of our cars ticketed for the same thing. We have been parking our vehicles this way for five years. We have two recreational classed vehicles and a historic vehicle along with our daily drivers. All vehicles are in working order and are driven. We have three drivers and one on the way. We also live in a cul de sac which gives us even less street parking. Along with everything else, if we park blocking our mailbox, we won't get our mail. We live in a rural area, Brandywine, where there are several farms. Do they have driveways to park their vehicles? No.
ReplyDeleteI am happy to know that I am not the only one who is extremely upset and stunned by the fact that there are "PA" officers writing tickets in the early morning hours. I have lived at my current residence for almost 24 years and I have NEVER received a parking ticket! Until.....I wake up on Saturday to find a ticket stuck in between my windshiled and wiper. It was written out @ 12:34 am for he reason "can not park in direction facing oncoming traffic", when at this present moment there are two cars parked facing oncomging traffic two houses down from me! (Which I do have pictures of to take with me to court) I have many family memeber who have parked the same way that I did for many years and have even left it there for days at a time without moving the vehicle and have NEVER received a ticket. I understand that the economy is not in the strongest of health and everybody is feeling the pressure but to give out $50.00 tickets to its residents who are already paying enough for the rising property tax is absurd! The street where my car sits has been widened due to the growing housing market and therefore, we have more space for the growing number of vehicles that come through on a daily basis! Wether I park my car facing one way or the other, its still parked in the street. If someone cannot see a BIG RED vehicle amongst the 10 other vehicles on the road then they need their license to be revoked! And in addition, I AM fighting this ticket with pictures of other people not given tickets "....charging them with a crime" as I have!
ReplyDeleteIgnorance of a law or historical non - compliance with the law does not establish precedence for your behavior becoming miraculously legal. You were just "getting away with it" all those other times. Take time to learn laws and comply with them or enact change by getting involved or voting for representatives who share your views in order to change the laws you disagree with.
DeleteConcerning "P.G. County ordinance 26-127.04.18", I am currently stationed in Iraq serving with the U.S. Navy on deployment with Operation Iraqi Freedom. I received a letter from home that the county is ticketing my truck for not having both wheels touching the curb. So my wife moves it into the driveway and parks her car on the grass next to it. My wife's car then gets a ticket for parking on the grass!? WHAT?! There is no way for her to drive 2 vehicles at the same time. What does the county expect us to do? We also are long-time county residents. I think this is B.S. too! I would be happy to sign your petition.
ReplyDeleteI got a ticket yesterday for having my car parked on the grass.
ReplyDeleteI've been aware of these stupid codes for the past year. Because I receieved one a year ago for parking my vehical in the wrong direction on the street. They have also been putting tickets on my neighbors cars for parking on the lawn.
Yesterday I also got a $50.00 ticket for parking on the lawn. But this time, it was a different ticket person than the one that usually shows up. The reason i did not get a ticket for parking on the lawn prior to yesterday was the other ticket person did not put a ticket on my vehicle for me having it parked on the side of my house, where I have an enclosed car-port that I run a state registered business from.
I'm pissed because they now tell me that I can't park a vehical anywhere on my property that has grass, even in my backyard.
The next election, I'm not going to vote for anyone. Every election they run on claims to lower this and that and more concerned for the people, but when they get into office. It's also shift to sucking every peeny out of the tax payer.
I just became a victim of the same, parking on private property. I do not have a curb or sidewalk in front of my home to park on the street! I live in Upper Marlboro in a rural part of the city. I've been here 15 years and have parked my car on my lawn since. This is ridiculous, in that I have five cars parked at my home at a time with no where to park them except partly on the lawn!!! We need to do something about this.
ReplyDeleteGravel, gravel, gravel It is the cheapest way.
DeleteI found that according to the document posted on the PG County website, Homeowners' Guide to Property Maintenance at the below link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/Government/AgencyIndex/LCI/pdf/HomeGuidePropMaint.pdf
This document states very vague information, however, it does have a complaint process! This is really unfair!!! How can you be subjected to adhering to rules and regulations from a bunch of beaurucrats that doesn't live a middle class individual life in PG that scrapped and saved to at least be a resident of the county. Now, we have this to contend with!
I've had my boat parked on the side of by yard for 4 years without a problem. I returned from a business trip to find a warning ticket on my boat. I think it was only a warning because the county knows this is bs. My local councilman is going to get an earful from me.
ReplyDeleteA law is a law. It's something how folks want to apply which laws appy to them. Until it affects them. Folks that park on their lawns should be ticketed. Park on the street or in your driveway.
ReplyDeleteYou Want your Socialist Nanny State Government, shut up and pay your Fines, if not Vote the Bums out and elect a Republican who is for smaller Government, and will make changes ...
ReplyDeleteSoS to The Prince Georges County Environmental Protection Agency/Blight/Lawn and parking departments.
ReplyDeleteSave our neigbborhood from the Noise Pollution and environmental harzards posed by the Landlord of 6321 Longfellow street,off Keniworth Ave. He has been using his front yard and the space opposite his yard for commercial mechanic workshop for over five years now.
He is causing both noise pollution with his tools, parking his commercial cars that he is working on the grass opposite his yard. He works on these cars at times till 9pm in the night, disturbing the entire neighborhood.
The dead end of Longfellow St/Greenville PWKY, Joining Carter Street has turned to his workshop and is lined up with cars, making it impassable to road user and other law abiding citizen using that end of the road close to Washington Baltimore Pkwy. We Need an Urgent Help before somebody is hurt on that itersection.
If PG County wants to make some quick money, come to Lanham on Fridays when the Muslims come to do their prayers. They park wherever the heck they want to, blocking anything and everything.
ReplyDeleteIf you HAVE to park on your grass because your driveway isn't big enough, just get some gravel hauled in or asphault, and widen your driveway! PG is known for its crappy areas, so parking on the grass just makes it look bad.
ReplyDeleteThis Is Ezzy To Talk To:
ReplyDeleteWhats Next, ticket your lawn mowers for sitting on the Grass... get it together... Be very careful who you vote for in the next election ...Its time for some people with common sense to be in those seats..... I pay taxes for my property so you can give me a ticket for parking my car on my grass that I planted... I think the county need to maintain by cutting and edging my grass since they think its theres...
When would the "Front Yard Commercial Yard Mechanic" stop going on since 2005 till today at 6321 Longfellow Street Riverdale Maryland stop?
ReplyDeleteQuestion to County Environmental Services
Parked as close to our yard fence to protect our car from being hit by others, which has happened beforehand to other cars, as our street is narrow, and wake up today to see a parking ticket of $50. Planning to take the ticket to hearing, knowing there's a 95% chance we'll lose. It is understandable if cars are parked on the entire yard, as it might look "unsightful", even then it is one's property, but that is not our case, our yard has a fence (installed by the previous owner most likely), there just ends up being grass left over, which we use to park. It is ridiculous that the county is more concerned on making some "extra money" than protecting the citizens well being.
ReplyDeleteI sure wish the county would come to these neighborhoods like mine, where there are 5 houses (dead end street) and 17 vehicles. We have 2 cars that have always parked in front of our house. We are retired now and appreciate the convenience until now. The other 4 houses have eliminated the problem of the front lawn- they paved driveways- and still right this minute- one of their vehicles is parked about 3 inches from my front bumper in front of my house. They don't live here- we do. They live across the street and instead of parking there, they park in front of my house- go figure-. We are on fixed income, but have no choice but to go get a double wide driveway paved to insure that we can have a space and not have to walk up the block to get to our house.We loved our front lawn but now it will be a cement garden just likethe others.
ReplyDeleteMonday March 4, 2013 10:45 AM
ReplyDeleteI received a ticket for blocking the slide walk my car bumper was a foot across the slide walk in my drive way, the slide walk is 36 inch wide the ticket is $50 fine I am going to fight this ticket in court.
Before I read everyone's post I was about to blow a gasket. After reading the post I'm still pissed but misery loves company. Has anyone actually beat the ticket
ReplyDeletemy neighbor got a ticket for parking on his lawn. He has one of the nicest lawns on the whole block. He assists his neighbors on a regular basis. He is 80 something years old. He drive his truck regularly. He parked his truck so he could shovel the snow from his property because he has a family member that needs access to his ramp. This happen in 2014. I think one should be able to park on there land. Homeownership should mean something. I think this is a little to much.
ReplyDeleteThe PE folks are out in Upper Marlboro. Got one on Monday, didn't notice till this weekend as it's dark when I leave and get back home from work.
ReplyDeleteI ran to the bank this morning and pulled up in my yard so not to block another car in my driveway. I came out a hour later and found a $50 fine for parking in my own yard. I think it would be decent of the county to give a warning notice (like I received for a car with a flat tire in my driveway) that's states that even though I pay property taxes for pg county that they still have the right to come on my supposed "private" property and issue citations for a vehicle. I've not lived in the county since 1978 when the law was enforced (only been here 3 years) how was I to know such law was in place?
ReplyDeleteSubsequently I believe I can beat this ticket, only due to clerical errors made by the parking enforcer. But a day of missed work is not justified by a day in court fighting a $50 ticket.
DeleteDue to recent changes in the my community, I was beginning to see cars parked in the front yard (not on the side of the driveway) two or three of them at a time in my neighborhood. My head dropped but I was glad to find out that this law was being enforced. Unfortunately it is happening to long time residents who didn't have a clue and maybe they should have been given a warning to remove it or pay a fine...just like when the grass grows too long or paint is chipping or when they see garbage and refuge on the property. Why doesn't it fall in the same category where you are sent a letter to remove the vehicle. PG officials can be real a$$holes.
ReplyDeleteTHE REAL PROBLEM HERE IS THAT PG MAKES YOU RUN THROUGH CIRCLES TO EXTEND OR ADD TO YOUR DRIVEWAY. IN ADDITION TO THE SHOULDERS ALONG THE STREET BEING TO NARROW FOR TODAY'S VEHICLES.
ReplyDeleteWe are manufacture world best Grass Mesh & Grass Protection Mesh in Uk. Visit our website http://groundreinforcementmeshuk.co.uk/grass-mats.html if you want to purchase Grass Mesh at wholesale rate
ReplyDeletePeople who park on front lawns instead of paved driveways or on the street should be ticketed. Can't believe so many people would rather be tacky than responsible. You don't see people parking on front lawns in Montgomery County now do you???
ReplyDeleteYour neighbors are making these calls. You never know who lives next door but it eventually surfaces. Neighbors need to mind their own business or move. Go live in a community where the have HOAs. They are the Joneses of your neighborhood, are unhappy and probably can't move because of their vehicle payments.
ReplyDeleteI parked my car temporarily on my lawn next to driveway while it was being maintenance to be courteous of my neighbors to get into and out of their drive ways and street easier. When I drive down the street it is a lot easier to maneuver when there are not a bunch of cars parked in the street.
ReplyDeleteI live on a back street corner lot with plenty of space for 2 cars I own and a 2 car garage I didn’t think anything of it. I believe one of my neighbors called parking enforcement I came home to a $50 ticket.
I cannot believe this is a law. PG is sad :( I’m like where is my warning at least really this is what I pay taxes to enforce? What a waste of our money & time. This got to be the worst law I ever heard of and enforced. Is there any way to fight this?
I parked my car temporarily on my lawn next to driveway while it was being maintenance to be courteous of my neighbors to get into and out of their drive ways and street easier. When I drive down the street it is a lot easier to maneuver when there are not a bunch of cars parked in the street.
ReplyDeleteI live on a back street corner lot with plenty of space for 2 cars I own and a 2 car garage I didn’t think anything of it. I believe one of my neighbors called parking enforcement I came home to a $50 ticket.
I cannot believe this is a law. PG is sad :( I’m like where is my warning at least really this is what I pay taxes to enforce? What a waste of our money & time. This got to be the worst law I ever heard of and enforced. Is there any way to fight this?