How to handle this: local municipal dicks.

Backstory:

We have 4 cars and a single lane driveway. Sometimes its easier to park in the street and call it in. By that I mean call the po-po and say I'm leaving it on the street for the night. They then take your info, I assume in case it needs to be moved (fire?) The maximum time allowed is 3 consecutive day as told to me by the dispatch officer.

We've been doing this off and on for 3 years with no problems.

Last night I decide that its not worth moving. I call it in. About 5 minutes later I get a call back from the police saying I can't park in the street. They apparently feel we've been abusing this and cannot do it any more. "The Sergent's been cracking down." You are on the ban list.

I ask how one is removed from said ban list and all I got was the cracking down comment. I guess this is for ever, and ever, and ever. Sound arbitrary to me. Like it was made up.

What do I do? Do I go in person and bitch? Write a letter to the Mayor? Throw a flaming bag of dog E36 M3 on the sarge's doorstep?

Sell 1 car?

If you had a party with 14 cars on the street, would all those people have to "call it in"?

It's a public street.

check your local zoning ordinance to see what the parking restrictions are for where you live.

You'll probably have to look up your address to check what your area is zoned first.

based on me creeping on your grm profile, you'll probably want to start here http://www.ci.mchenry.il.us/departments/departments/construction/planning.html

Politely ask for a copy of the code being enforced? Then formulate a plan of action after that, whether that is a sit down with the "Sarge" or mayor, city council, code enforcement or just a polite letter back asking for a reassessment of the matter at hand.

I have a feeling you are "on the list" from a neighbor complaint.

Well what's the Ordinaces in your area? I would plan to do whatever it is that your ordinances allow you to do. If it's call Po-Po to notify rather than get approval call them and don't worry about it. If it's call Po-Po and get approval then your SOL..

I've never heard of calling in for parking on the street. Is it a no-parking zone?

Step 1: find the applicable law/reg/ordinance

Step 2: attempt to contact the decision maker named by dispatch so as to start a dialogue to determine what the actual problem is, ie: what exactly is the reason THEY don't like the way things were.

Then you'll have the necessary info to start making decisions on a course of action.

How in the hell do they have time to deal with puddly stuff like that? I wish to god I had that kind of free time on my hands every time I stare at a stack of a dozen warrants on my desk!

Seriously though everything is determined by what your local laws say. Sounds like you will have to start complaining down the chain at city hall.

I get called into meetings with city hall, code compliance and victims/suspects about once a month. It's never a problem with me because I just do what the code says to do and I don't inject my opinion about "abuse" of the system.

Handling municipal dicks? Maybe someone downtown in the red light district could suggest a solution?

I found this.

http://www.ci.mchenry.il.us/departments/resident/resident.html

Sounds like I need permission, but no mention of a limit. The codes say no parking at all on city streets.

13-604 NO PARKING 2:00 A.M. TO 6:00 A.M. To make possible the cleaning of streets and removal of snow and ice, it shall be unlawful for the operator of any motor vehicle topark such motor vehicle between the hours of 2:00 o’clock a.m.to 6:00 o’clock a.m. in any of the following locations: (MC-91-563) a) The paved portion of any roadway; b) Riverside Drive Municipal Parking Lot; c) In any City-owned or controlled park including parking lots whether paved or unpaved. (MC-01-766)

The comment about somebody complaining makes me think, though.

They are only dicks if there is no ordinance against street parking. I'm assuming there IS and ordinance against street parking at your house.

Everybody in my neighborhood parks cars in the street all the time, with no "call in", because it's legal.

Half a mile closer to the local university campus, street parking is illegal unless you have a resident-permit sticker, to prevent the students from piling cars everywhere off-campus. If you visit a friend in that neighborhood, THEN they call your information in so that you don't get a ticket.

Appleseed wrote: The comment about somebody complaining makes me think, though.

Reeks of a nearby busybody.

further creeping on your towns website and i found this

"Overnight Parking Regulations
Parking is not allowed on any City street between the hours of 2:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. In emergencies and for overnight visitors, please notify the Police Department, at (815)363-2200, prior to overnight parking so permission can be granted to avoid issuance of tickets."

http://www.ci.mchenry.il.us/departments/resident/resident.html

so you might be SOL since they are "cracking down". Well SOL in the sense that they are simply enforcing the rules that are posted publicly.

Just burn Illinois down.....

My street has parking on every other side, every other day. In the winter, snow banks on both sides, paring on both sides (everyone ignores it) and add two cars passing in opposite directions? Wish they were dicks near me.

Here's the thing though... if they're allowing exceptions to other people, they're sort of obligated at that point to continue allowing exceptions to you.

It's all or none.

You COULD raise a big stink about this. Up to and including driving around and complaining about each and every car in your town parked on the street overnight.

Have a friendly neighbor call it in for you and park there while you house hunt for a home out in the county and if it were me out of IL

BTW: I've worked for two municipalities and other than major highways with no room for curb parking I've never seen a no parking rule in a subdivision.

own or rent? is adding/altering the drive a possibility?

I park in the street for days at a time. Only derelict vehicles are subjects to tow. Even the street sweeper drives around my truck.

Is ordinance sounds a bit dumb to me. I think you need to meet with the board of aldermen and figure out how to stop this. Obviously the LEO is trying to avoid work.

I misread it as handling multiple dicks... Just came in for the laugh.

I are dissappoint...

bluej wrote: ...attempt to contact the decision maker named by dispatch so as to start a dialogue to determine what the actual problem is, ie: what exactly is the reason THEY don't like the way things were.

Nothing to add...I just thought this deserved reiterating. It's amazing how often situations can be resolved simply with a civil and courteous discussion.

If you have a lawn, park it there.

Trade one of the four in for a two for one spot.

Grizz wrote: If you have a lawn, park it there.

We currently have a single car driveway. If I park on the lawn, I get a ticket.

I have to pour another concrete parking space or make a nice neat bordered gravel spot to park outside the driveway. No HOA but County Code Enforcement.