Fined for Parking in Driveway? (Orange: city hall, HOA, credit card)

[Fenrir2008]

Is it really illegal to park your car in your own driveway in SF? An elderly couple was threatened with a $1500 fine if they didn't remove their car from its car pad, which they had used for 36 years.



Is that the law throughout the city or just in certain neighborhoods? Can a rule like this be justified?



https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/n...n-own-driveway

[saibot]

That sounds ridiculous to me. A car parked on the driveway is unaesthetic, but if you put a roof over it, it's suddenly aesthetic? I would think this was some dumb nitpicky rule enacted by an HOA in a new development, but according to the article, it's been in effect for decades. Just wild.

I live in Orange County and have an HOA, but there is nothing in it about not parking in one's driveway or on the street. Everyond does both all the time. However, our friend in a nearby city cannot park his car on the driveway unless he already has two cars parked in the garage (and thus nowhere else to put the third car). That would definitely have been a dealbreaker for me because our house is so small that we need our garage for other things besides parking two cars, such as doing laundry, and the garage itself is so small that if two cars are in there, you can't move around them.

[Fenrir2008]

It's absolutely nuts. Makes me wonder if the city wants the couple's house and is trying to muscle them out by enforcing rules like this.

[davdaven]

Sounds pretty ridiculous to me. My partner's family lives in SF, and everybody in their neighborhood parks in their driveway if it's big enough. Often even if it isn't big enough... Either the law applies to rich neighborhoods only, or the complainer has City Hall connections. Wouldn't be surprised if it's the latter, as the City's Planning and Building departments are notoriously corrupt.

[nowhereman427]

It has always been that way with SF when parking in the driveway. Parking enforcement could cite the vehicle as I remember but $1,500 that is too high inflation or not they must be up to something to get more $$$ as they always have been. Just like they created that soda tax and restaurant tax and whatever else price increases such as in those parking meters that now accept credit cards in the form of payment vs. nickels, dimes, and quarters 40 or so years ago. The City is coming up with ways to nickel and dime it's residents and visitors.

[foodyum]

What’s a carpad?
I’ve never heard that term- it might be regional.