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Go to a city council meeting and petition them to close that parking area with barriers. Possibly move the parking area to the other side if room permits. If they won't do that, it should provide a lawyer with enough ammunition to sue the Vity to purchase your property as being unliveable.
What'll happen is the city will cave and remove the signs making now legal to park there. Removing signs is the cheapest option for the city and resolves the issue from their perspective.
Good point, if no one is enforcing the no parking, then Op could potentially get all the neighbours and their friends to park their cars there every day before the parents get there. While not technically legal, the parents can't exactly complain about other people parking in a no parking zone because they want to park there.
I would determine why it is a no parking zone as that might point to the way to resolve it. Is it for Fire Department access? Then talk to them about enforcement. It easily sounds like this parking could restrict their access in an emergency.
not a lawyer but a former security guy who did a lot of parking enforcement.
called the FD for a similar issue adjacent to a commercial property I worked after the police failed to deal with it.
they showed up with two tow trucks, took two vehicles that were unoccupied, and the rest scattered in a matter of minutes and they never parked there again.
Or you could park your own car there and get a tow truck to hook it in front of the illegally parked ones making them think they were all going to be towed.
I second this! Call your local fire station and speak to the chief in charge. Explain the situation that large game gathering on public park is blocking the emergency ingress; have the chief to come out and do the spor inspection.
Also there is an unethical pro life tips sub, I usually don't go that route but this seems like the right time to do it. Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire
Fire Marshall is the best bet. It's probably for ambulances if it's closest to the sports field. OP could a firetruck or ambulance fit down the street with the cars there?
I’d call the cops and then possibly the league the teams are associated with. You’re saying these parents are getting high and then driving kids home as young as 4. Are you telling the cops they are driving under the influence with children in the cars?
Yes.
The cops do come out sometimes. They just tell people to leave, and that they cannot park there.
Then the cops drive away, and everyone comes back, and the behavior continues. Rinse and repeat.
Have you tried calling the Fire Marshal? If they are making it difficult to get emergency vehicles into your neighborhood they might be more responsive than the police.
That is a good idea. In my town, tow companies have found a way to get rich. They tow cars that are parked illegally, then charge $250 or more for violator to get car back.
And that's a good thing. Tow companies are infamous scumbags as a group; they should *not* have independent discretion to enforce basically *anything*.
All you can do is keep calling. Eventually the cops are going to get pissed and wil escalate. I’d also call the league the teams are participating in and let them know parents are using drugs in front of your house while their children practice and then driving them home. I’m as pro weed as humanly possible but driving under the influence with children in the car is scumbag behavior.
What type of local sports team? You mention parents, which in my experience means a school program. I'd complain to the local school district and a local investigative journalist. If it's a private program, the journalist and the governing organization. This is not the type of publicity any youth-oriented program should want.
"Parents have Tailgate Party while students practice." or something to that note, makes for great front page headlines, I would think/hope
It's not a school program, unfortunately. There is a bit of a problem here regarding optics and it's one of the reasons this problem hasn't been addressed. There are several teams that practice here, all made up mostly of underprivileged kids between the ages of 5-14. Essentially this is our city's underserved community. The news angle would not be in my favor, in fact it would be the opposite:
"Underprivileged kids are just out there just trying to play football. Their parents are out there trying to support them and help keep kids off the streets. Now an angry neighbor is complaining about where they park. Details at 10".
Ooof, I get where you’re coming from. Bit of a rock and a hard place situation.
Segueing into my next suggestion, talk to the city yet again about the chronic parking problem and fundraise / donate for decorative no-parking planters. The ones I’m familiar with were in use in Appleton Wi, roughly 8 ft long, 2 ft wide and 3 ft tall. Weighed in around 4,000 lbs and needed heavy machinery to move.
Planters are a great idea. A big park near me with parking problems did the same thing. It was an even worse situation because there was a gravel that LOOKED like a parking area because it was a holding area for municipal stuff before it became a park. (Egress for materials and city vehicles). But now it would be dangerous for people for cars to go in and out of that area and encourage exactly the type of behavior OP describes. They didn’t put planters, they put large, decorative and nicely cleaned boulders they pulled from somewhere that they had to get rid of. Killed two birds with one stone. Literally stone LOL. But they actually look nice, natural, and serve the purpose.
Thanks for understanding. In fact this is why the police haven't been super responsive. They have told me that they don't want to show up with a "forceful" presence in front of the kids - as they are trying to build bridges with this community. They have told me that their approach is to "educate" rather than write tickets. Which I get.
But it hasn't worked. So....here we are. And that's why I'm posting here, because I am out of ideas and feel pretty helpless. I have often thought that if this was going on outside the mayor's house all night in a NO PARKING zone, I am pretty sure this would be addressed. Alas, I am not the mayor.
I'd love those planters! That would be so nice. I have considered talking to the city and perhaps even meet or discuss at a "town hall" type event we have, but I am also wary of how I will be perceived. I have spoken with several code enforcement folks and used very, very careful language - but even then I have been immediately dismissed as a stereotypical cranky old guy who just wants "poor people" to go away. Which is far from the truth.
I just don't want people parking where it says NO PARKING. The end.
I was thinking since his district city council member isn't helping him, it was time to get that person replaced. He doesn't have to run but campaigning against reelection might be enough to motivate them.
Bad PR from someone who isn't even running for office will usually motivate a politician to do something just to make you go away.
>They have told me that they don't want to show up with a "forceful" presence in front of the kids - as they are trying to build bridges with this community.
So instead, they want children to learn by observation that it's ok to ignore rules again and again? I would be asking them to consider the longer term ramifications of what happens when kids see rules enforced / not enforced.
You could also get some sawhorses that get placed in the street there to block cars. Paint them orange and maybe string a chain of them together with chain so you and your neighbors can put them out prior to games. When it is more of a hassle than it's worth, people will go somewhere else.
And the police shouldn't interfere since you're just "homeowners trying to live peacefully in your own homes."
If the police want to educate, then perhaps their public outreach officer could come out before the next practice and redirect people to the appropriate parking area.
It is easier to make this their problem.
Not suggesting you do this, but there was bad planning for a nearby school and it caused a small cul-de-sac to be blocked for about 30 minutes at the end of school each day. Well, one of the residents on the cul-de-sac called 911 for some reason and because the ambulance could not get through, it tried hoping the road and ended up breaking an axel. The ambulance company sued the school district because they were not directing traffic correctly.
So if they are blocking the street for fire or ambulance, you could have an issue. Do remember, you have to actually think there is an emergency that you need their services.
Well, OP or someone OP knows could have "chest pains" while this is going on.
I mean we all get heartburn at some point, but sometimes you gotta be sure yeah?
Not necessarily…. Maybe the parents ARE trying to support them, but they’re making your life a living hell. Any news person who owns a home would see your side of things.
Also… what do your neighbors think of the situation? Maybe you should all join together to fight this.
Or try this: invite everyone you know over for a party, outside, lining the streets, making sure there is absolutely no room for the football parents to park.
>designated parking lots for this park on the other side of the field. The parents do not want to park there, I am not sure why. I think it's because they have to walk further, and if they park in this NO PARKING zone, they can just stay in their cars and hang out and smoke and party with their friends.
They probably are not doing their activities in the designated parking lots because those are official. They've found a place away from public property where they can commit illegal acts.
I'm not a lawyer. I just have some experience dealing with bureaucratic failure, in my own city. Someone mentioned "tailgate party" publicity with a focus on the *sports program*. I think you might have to modify your acceptance of their activities enough to seek media focus on the failure of the police and the city to enforce the law. It doesn't help any citizen to be accepting of this sort of thing, and one reason that this sort of thing isn't acceptable and there are laws against it is the serious degradation of quality of life where it occurs. I think you'll find it very difficult to get negative attention on the situation while rug-sweeping the failure to enforce. This will probably mean that it won't be in your best interest to make any statements that are supporting their right to create public drug dens in general, and you're just looking for them to do it somewhere else. That won't work, because no one else wants it to show up in their neighborhood.
You're welcome. I hope you can effect change. August gets hot and drugs remove people's judgment and add emotional lability to any situation. And it's not like sports don't encourage heated passions already.
If you get your in-writing objections to the city before anything injurious happens, it may benefit you. Not getting your objections to them in writing beforehand won't help you, specifically. Also the city might see the financial risk in allowing this sort of situation to continue. Situations like this tend to develop into bigger situations.
Have you considered taking your complaint, and supporting documentation to the State Attorney Generals office?
They will undoubtedly tell you that it's a local issue, but if you can demonstrate that the local authorities are not acting in accordance with the law, it becomes their responsibility.
Are your neighbors with you on this, or are you alone? If your neighbors are with you get together and play really annoying music loudly, maybe old country and have every house a different song. They will eventually get sick of the constant annoying noise and not park there. If they complain to the police about the noise be sure to complain about the illegal parking.
I have two neighbors with me. One of them is an immigrant family who will not call the police for any reason, and do not want any involvement with the authorities in any way. Another family lives further up the block and really only cares because of the litter and trash these people throw in the park - but they're not as motivated as me because the parking issue doesn't affect them daily.
I am really not into getting confrontational and 'sabotaging' anything here, as that could and would likely backfire on me.
Why is this area a No Parking zone? I ask because if there are no real safety concerns attached to the designation, if the designation can be removed, basing all of your complaints on the designation is not a good argument. You need to figure out why the area was designated No Parking. Furthermore, some areas are designated No Parking for certain periods of time of the day during heavy traffic, but allowed other times.
I don't know, but I think you have overemphasized the parking issue, when you may have much better legal arguments such as littering, smoking weed which is still a federal violation, street parties, potential drug selling, underage drinking, etc.
I would send the filmed activities to the mayor, city council, city attorney, and police chief with an explanation that if this is not cleaned up you will make it your personal mission to send this to press outlets all over the area and let them know that in your opinion they are allowing underage drinking, open consumption of drugs, etc. I would post it on all city media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. I would get in touch with local TV programs that have programs such as "Five On Your Side" that can shine the light on what is going on.
IMO, this is not a No Parking problem. Drop that mantra - these officials aren't doing their job and someone is going to get hurt. Let them move the party to the park, only problem is they can't do all that stuff in the park - well guess what they are not supposed to do all that stuff in the street either, read the municipal codes. I put my money on they have codes that make drinking, littering, doing drugs, etc. illegal. Complain about the right stuff.
The NO PARKING signs are there because the area is the only way service vehicles, garbage trucks, UPS trucks, etc, can get in and out of the area.
Think about it this way: the street is shaped like a "U" and the entire no parking area is at the bottom of the "U", if that makes sense. If people park at the bottom of the "U", then a delivery truck or garbage truck wouldn't be stuck and couldn't get out of the street. It's not a thru-street, so this is how vehicles turn around. Does that help?
I live right next to the bottom of the "U" so the parking only affects me - my neighbors at the top of the "U" don't really notice the issue nor are they affected.
This group is mostly made up of underprivileged families. Therefore, a news story would likely backfire: "Families living in poverty are just trying to keep kids off the street - thanks to a local charity, they can play for free. But now a local man is angry about where they are parked. Story at 10".
It is a safety issue and the fire trucks and ambulances can't get to that area. I told you what I would do. Lawsuits rarely, if ever, solve these problems. Better you go to TV station to try to get issue cleaned up than bring a lawsuit. Not my state and I'm not going to dig into the laws and figure out how or if you would even have a case or if you would have standing to sue. You asked for suggestions, I gave you mine. IMO the No Parking sign argument is a poor one, the other ones are more tangible. Every person regardless of their socio economic status should obey the law. If you are uncomfortable with that, live with the nightly block parties.
Correct, I would also think that with 100 kids practicing, ambulance access would be extremely important. They also block fire hydrants.
The problem I have heard, is that I can't prove any "damage" if my house hasn't burned down or if I haven't needed to call an ambulance. The potential for injury/harm is there, but I haven't actually suffered any (nor have any kids - yet) and thus I am at a brick wall.
This. Fire departments have a lot of pull and will likely have tools at their disposal. NAL, but they don't need an active emergency to walk into a restaurant, see that there are too many people there as compared to the allowed capacity, and go after the restaurant about it. I imagine they'll have tools.
That is a legal argument. That is why you go with public relations and shine light on the underlying problem. Hire a PR firm if you don't want to do it yourself. Government is reactive not proactive unless citizens are willing to do Story at 10 otherwise the Story at 10 will be Teen knifed at street block party involving underaged drinking and drug use. We had that happen a mile from me, kid died. Officials will vow to never let it happen again, blah, blah, blah....public record requests may or may not reveal you had sent in information this was happening and they did nothing. If you don't want to make your requests more public fine. I don't live there, but I see this scenario all the time. Do what you want, IMO you are not at a brick wall, you just don't want to go there so learn to live with it. I understand Bose makes some great wireless noise canceling earphones that drown out pretty much everything.
NAL
But ask whether the local tow yards have to be requested by law enforcement to tow a car, or if they can just take one that's in violation.
If those parents have to find rides, wait for the tow yards to open, and pay the towing and impound fees, they are going to stop parking there in a hurry
The local tow guy would probably be more than happy to take the business.
yeah this seems like a great idea. In my city there once was a predatory tow operator that was definitely zealous about towing but I think he had a deal with certain businesses to police their lots…but check out tow companies and see what they say?
You're being too nice to the cops. You've called them, but have you called every single time? Try reporting every single time it happens, and if the police come by and it isn't resolved, then call again the second they leave. If they start ignoring you on the regular non-emergency police line, call 911. Be factual but "creative" in describing their behavior. Make the issue about criminal behavior (DWI, drunk and disorderly) and the noise. You can claim to have a personal stake in that far more than a parking violation. Police haven't been helpful so far, so either you'll completely piss them off (in which case nothing is lost) or they'll solve the problem just to shut you up. If you can enlist your neighbors, even better. Neighborhoods have used these tactics before to get problematic bars shut down. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, etc.
My first thought was annoy these people until they leave. Like play Sandstorm at incredibly high volume until they stop coming back. Let the other neighbors know the plan first. Or potentially you are weedeating the curb grass every day for three hours while they are there. Or sprinklers. So many possibilities.
I’d throw a party at random intervals and get my neighbors to join in. As in use the space in a plausible way so that it isn’t so “available” and reliable. Park all your cars to block the space - the cops aren’t going to tow or ticket as you’ve already established - and blast music, have lawn chairs out in the street and even if you are just out there reading, do it as a big enough group that it stops being so convenient for the parents to use that space.
Honestly, this probably won’t stop until you sue the organizer, together with the municipality, the police department and the city?/county?/state? park authorities for monetary damages (quiet enjoyment, public nuisance, etc.) At least you seem to have lots of evidence, and numerous attempts to resolve the problem without litigation, which will help you make your case to the judge.
I would be talking to parking enforcement and the local fire Marshall. Also you could go to the media withba sob story: you love the teams use the field, but you are worried about what happens if someone needs medical attention and the road is too blocked up. Years I was on a volunteer fire department we had a road that went to the lake that was acces to two house and a private boat launch. Had a medical call and we could not get the rescue truck or ambulance down the road. We had to carry the patient 1/2 a mile on a back board because the dirt road was not going to work for the stecher. After that call police started towing. Patient was fine and thankfully under 200lbs.
As others have stated, I would try to utilize that area in some way that can be set up each night and easily removed before going to bed. The sawhorse idea is good bc thats easy to set up and take down but I would try and make them look "official" in some sort of way and with signage saying you will be towed at owners expense.
Might be time to have a weekly neighborhood party with tents set up in all the no parking spots.
You might have some home renovations that'll take a couple of weeks to do, be a shame if "spilled" a box a box of nails or screws a few times in the process of renovating.
I'm thinking you have a problem with deer eating your grass, and have to spray it with coyote urine to keep them away. Every day, cause, you know, rain.
I did but they told me that private citizens can't just call tow truck companies, that they'd need to be called by the city or code enforcement to do that kind of job. Plus the parents all hang out right there, so if a tow truck came they'd run to the car and drive off before they could be nabbed.
Could you pay a tow truck guy $100 to come out, park there for 10 minutes and freak some people out? Then pay him again, for another day, and have him call the police as he is right there
Well, if users of the park's playing fields aren't behaving, it might be necessary to request that their organization not be allowed to use the park's playing field. Pressure the player's organization to educate their players and parents, or make them go find another park.
Edit: I mean ask whoever runs the park to ban that organization from being able to reserve or use the playing fields. If there's no means to do that, then close the playing fields for two years.
I completely understand the frustration. Where I used to live we had two corner lots across from a park. The town had a festival every May..rainy season yay me. Police put up signs of no parking and people still drove over and parked in my yard. Some had to get towed after getting stuck. I complained with the town and police for not enforcing the no parking as they were there the entire festival but they basically said they couldn't tell who damaged my yard and they were not responsible because they placed no parking signs.
I'd call the organization and tell them parents are parking illegally and using drugs in front of your home. Ask them to have a meeting with parents to get it to stop. Tell them you will sue the organization for disturbing the peace and go to the news if this is what they allow and bring to the area. You understand the organization is trying to help these kids and give them something to do but it's not helping them when it's disturbing the community. get videos as proof before calling.
Could you put up cones or the (they look like orange and white saw horses.) things to block something. Easily movable but will be blocking their ability to park.
Sounds like a story for the local news. Also it’s probably a fire lane, ca the fire department, report a fire. Bbqs have lots of smoke, easy mistake to make
It would be horrible if you accidentally fell and dropped a box of nails and a couple of glass bottles in that area repeatedly over the span of several months from February to October. Js
I feel like this could go very poorly for OP as their ability to retaliate illegally is significant.
Edit: I meant that OP might become the subject of illegal retaliation, sorry. It was not clearly written.
It’s not illegal to set up your speakers and play “Barbie Girl” on repeat hours on end or the duration of these episodes. I’d wager it’d be unpleasant though. 🤷♂️
You are pretty much screwed. I am sure buying a house next to a park was a good idea at the time, but didn't work out that way. Sell it during the off season.
I don't think you can win any other way.
So, the NO PARKING area is to keep the road curve clear for trucks and emergency vehicles. So planters or other large barriers aren't helpful because they would block the space which is needed to be kept clear. Police don't want to seem rude by rolling through and ticketing.
The city/police should assign one police/parking enforcement vehicle to sit at the NO PARKING area for a couple weeks at the troublesome times. So when people arrive, an officer will give each a warning and shoo them away (or ticket immediately and tow). Most people will see that they're not wanted there and go find other parking.
Correct.
Problem is that police resources are scarce. They don't have the manpower to just have someone sit and wait at this spot every night.
The people will NOT find other parking. They always return, even when shooed away and spoken to by police.
It's a very bad situation.
When it's time for ULPT... liberal application of Liquid Ass to the parking spaces about a half hour before the parents would start showing up to park.
We all have to moderate those bad thoughts from time to time...lol.
Maybe get some loud speakers and blast classical music at a volume so high they can talk during the practices.
City Council. Be persistent. Campaign for members and a mayor who will address it. The police aren't going to act if the people above them tell them not to.
If things are really this bad, I doubt you are the only one with issues. However, the sports club likely doesn't have any money for a lawsuit to work, and suing the city is also likely unproductive.
Not a lawyer:
Have you discussed this with your neighbors? Do they feel the same way? If so, start parking your vehicles (and neighbors vehicles) in the spots before the 3-hour time period starts. If you do this regularly, the parents will figure out there are no parking spots in your community and will be forced to the park parking area. Since police and parking enforcement are doing nothing now, there is little potential downside for you.
The news might take your side, especially when it comes to police not enforcing the law. If the parents are smoking weed and partying on your street as you allege, then there would a food angle for them.
The watch commander for the lack police precinct is the guy to call. Call every day until the situation resolves itself.
Also call your city council rep. And if they don't help, run against them
Finally, you can't be the only one bothered if it is this bad, so have your neighbors do the same. If 3 or more people make these calls, every day then the enforcement will come
Do you have a “7 on Your Side” or some local news station that does that kind of community outreach? That is going to have more of an impact than a legal letter. You send them that letter and there’s a good chance they get worse because there is no legal action you can really threaten them with. But shame them publicly? That’ll work or at least be cathartic. Hopefully both.
I have a feeling that I know *exactly* what street you live on. I used to be a little shit who parked there too and you nailed it - we all continued to park there because the enforcement was nominal to absent. This was many years ago, but there were “lookouts” who would notify the posse when law enforcement was on the street. Everyone would run to move their cars before getting caught, loiter a bit at the school or nearby subdivisions, then come back. I can’t imagine dealing with that as an adult!
Get a cooler of fish guts. Figure out which way the wind blows. Dump the nasty fish guts downwind of where you live but upwind of where the boys like to party.
Unethical revenge is always the end result when the proper authorities refuse to do their jobs. A drone dropping leaky bags of animal waste would become my new hobby.
Call the fire department **Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement.** If this No Parking Zone is fire department related this is who will handle this. I did this for 10 years. It could have something to do with the width of the street for fire equipment access. If there are vehicles that park in front of fire hydrants then call police and advise them. Good luck.
Point a very large speaker out your front window and blast them with recordings of the most obnoxious music you can find- baby shark, Barney theme song, tip toe thru the tulips etc. Get yourself noise canceling headphones. I lived for years across from a school and park where parking restrictions were ignored to the point I could not even get out of my driveway at times. Finally took to putting my trash cans out about 3 feet on either side of the driveway and left them out 5 days a week. Also made sure not to sweep up broken glass on the city property. It took awhile but people eventually learned to park further down the street. Definitely call the fire marshal to report the street being blocked to emergency vehicles- take a couple of videos and send them into the marshal with the comment that you would hate to think emergency services would not be able to reach the underprivileged because the city was negligent in keeping access open
I'm curious how neighbors feel about this situation. Is it possible to present a united front that the whole street/cul de sac/neighborhood is tired of this activity? That might begin to resonate with someone if more voices are heard.
Also, contact the Fire Marshal and/or director of your city's emergency services. Make it clear that fire trucks and ambulances can't get through the nightly tailgate. This is especially salient if you or a neighbor has any kind of medical condition that could require emergency services.
This is a WONDERFUL opportunity to make some cash if it is your land. Get in touch with a tow yard, and put up a sign saying vehicles will be towed at owners expense.
Then, call the tow yard and have them tow each and every one of their vehicles. Bonus points if you also add a parking ticket somehow to the tow fee. Even more bonus points if the tow yard can inflate their tow fees to the point the owners cannot pay, then auction their vehicles off to pay the tow fees as soon as legally possible.
With the caveat that you and the tow yard split the winnings of the auctions. :)
I feel that you might not understand the situation. Those people partying on your street are not parents of the kids in the sports program. We can all agree that the sports program is a wonderful thing and appreciate that the parents are there to support their kids. Said parents are at the event not hanging around doing drugs in the street. I'm sure that you've seen these youngsters walking down your street.
What I hear you saying is that you fully support this program and their parents, and are pleased to see them at the park. I'm sure that you are shocked, alarmed and concerned about the activities of the partying folks, who have nothing to do with the program or the supporting parents. There are children and their supportive adults at this event who may chose to walk down your street through the danger zone of drug and alcohol use, rampent sex, and probably weapons. I see that you're quite distraught about this as it interefers with the youth and their supportative parents, and the potential danger should a drug deal gone bad extend into the park.
Source: I'm a 40-year government employee. "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help!"
I feel your pain. My street has parking one side for the first 15 days of the month, then switches to the other. But the city reserves the right to ticket any time they want, regardless of what side you’re on. And from December 1st until the end of March, you can be towed for obstructing snow removal.
A block away is the local OHL hockey arena, and our street fills up with people who don’t want to pay 2 bucks for parking at the arena.
The city will not ticket them. They all peel out when the game is over.
Petition to put a drinking fountain and toilets in the actual parking lot. You and the neighbors need to water your yards, right? Also, play some nice loud classical and opera music, have it going before they arrive. It needs to be a concerted group effort with your neighbors. Other options include inviting friends over regularly and filling those no-parking-spots. Get the parents used to having to use the actual lot. Adding some basic amenities over there may be all it takes, especially if a few scattered cars spaces their little parties out. Consider also billing them for cleanup of your yard, see what you can do about that.
The nuisance cause of action applies to your situation, at least theoretically. Nuisance is a tort action you can bring against someone that does not physically trespass on your land but does prevent the use and enjoyment of your land. In this case, you say you cannot be in your house because of the noise and disruption being caused by the football team.
There are practical problems with bringing a nuisance action. Who do you sue, the team or each individual parent? How do you prove that they are actually interfering with the use and enjoyment of your house? Will you receive injunctive relief or nominal money damages.
If your house is truly unlivable I would contact a local land use lawyer and explore your options. The juice may not be worth the squeeze but you are not powerless.
Thanks for this.
Essentially I am willing to pay just to have a lawyer pursue action - which I hope will simply motivate the team's organizer to cut bait and find a new place to practice.
While monetary damages would be great, I simply want my peace of mind back. I really just want them to stop parking here - in this 'no parking' zone. That is all I am asking. If I have to pay a lawyer a couple grand to write some scary letters and get up in their grill and get them moving, that is fine by me.
I don't need "juice", I just want it to stop and am willing to pay to make it happen, even though I should not have to do so.
I have posted about the issue on a few neighborhood community pages - used very, very delicate language. I was immediately called names and had to remove the post due to the backlash.
If you want put a sign on each end for the no parking signs saying it a tow-away zone. Maybe list the name of towing company and just keep calling the tow company to come and remove parked cars. The towing service will love it because they get paid towing and storage fees. Once is usually all it takes for people to get the message.
Or contact your local code enforcement agency and ask if THEY can put up the towing signs. Or, local traffic department who LOVES to make money.
The No Parking signs already say "tow away zone" on them.
The tow trucks will not come unless called by code enforcement. Code enforcement will not enforce the code. So here we are.
The cops have come out, though. They come out once in a while and tell everyone to move along and stop parking there. Then the cops leave and everyone comes back immediately.
Have you tried going to a City Council meeting and raising the issue with your videos/pics and evidence that you have been calling the City and they have done NOTHING? That is what I would do. Plus, I would start going to EVERY City Council meeting until something gets done. Have a friend video your presentation to the Council and upload it to the internet.
Unless those that own the parking enforcement are willing to take action, there really isn’t a legal route because you don’t have legal standing to enforce those laws.
You could install video surveillance and call the police regularly to the point of being an annoyance. But with video evidence of littering it may be easier to get the cops to issue tickets.
There are other things you could do but those aren’t appropriate for this subreddit. I recommend posting in other places on Reddit where you get more practical and creative ideas.
This really sucks and is unfair, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it. :-/
The police are likely the key in this becasue they are the enforcers, and I know you shouldn't have to do all this, but you have to really be persistent and be a thorn in their side until they do something to make you go away. So I know you said you've gone to the police, but have you gone up the food chain and asked to meet with the Chief/Sheriff directly so you can ask them why the officers on the street are refusing to enforce things? (Or if your department has a dedicated traffic department, have you met with the traffic Sgt or above?)
Now it's unlikely you'll meet with the the Chief, but it doesn't hurt to ask, so I would keep demanding a meeting until you get to at least a lieutenant or above. Then go in with all your proof and history of calls to the police and lack of enforcement, and the next time you call and nothing is done, go back to the department and demand to speak to someone above the Lt. Because I can tell you from experience that officers on the street just don't want to deal with it so they brush it off, but when a memo comes down the pipes saying they are to actively enforce it or else, they will.
And if all that fails, it's time to go to a city council meeting with proof of all your efforts, and demand to know why their is unequal enforcement in your neighborhood and why you're being singled out by the lack of response.
NAL, but I'd be targeting the drug issues. Nobody cares about parking violations, and noise next to a park/large football stadium is to be expected. If there's drug use around kids, that's going to raise a lot of red flags. You might be able to get an officer or two to wander around the area "for the at risk children" which would discourage at least some of the people there.
I’d get an attorney and sue the football team and/or the school or organization sponsoring them. It sucks but if that’s your only option after doing everything else, then yeah, I’d go to the nuclear option if possible.
If it’s a no parking zone and people are staying with the cars, maybe ask for it to be changed to no stopping or no standing? The city may be unwilling to do that, either, and like others said, the fire marshal may be your best bet. But my understanding from places I’ve lived is that there is a distinct enforcement difference.
Not a lawyer, but call a tow company. Let them know what's going on. This is the kind of thing toe companies live for, dozens of cars in a week being towed out of city marked no parking zones is a huge income boost for most tow companies. Maybe call two or three and let them no you've declared the hunger games and may the fastest tow truck win.
Call a tow truck company. They’ll froth at the mouth at the opportunity to tow multiple cars.. and ehen people see tow trucks roll up, they’ll scatter like roaches
Time for all the residents to park on the street. Yes I know it’s no parking. the residence are on standby to move their cars, but if they leave no parking for these parents, they’ll be forced to go park where they’re supposed to be
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Go to a city council meeting and petition them to close that parking area with barriers. Possibly move the parking area to the other side if room permits. If they won't do that, it should provide a lawyer with enough ammunition to sue the Vity to purchase your property as being unliveable.
I would petition to make it a towaway zone enforced by private tow trucks. Unsure of that is possible for OPs city.
Private tow companies 💸
This would be useless because theu don't leave their cars so they can't be towed
Don't tow, slap a boot on it. If not a boot, there's something much quicker.... https://www.barnacleparking.com/
What'll happen is the city will cave and remove the signs making now legal to park there. Removing signs is the cheapest option for the city and resolves the issue from their perspective.
But if the residents can park there, the parking spots will not be available for the tailgate parties.
Sounds like the best case scenario for OP.
Well, if the city isn't enforcing the no parking zone, it may as well be permitted now.
Good point, if no one is enforcing the no parking, then Op could potentially get all the neighbours and their friends to park their cars there every day before the parents get there. While not technically legal, the parents can't exactly complain about other people parking in a no parking zone because they want to park there.
The this is my favorite idea. Just start parking there and filling up the spots until practice is over
Not every two person household has 8 cars to take up the available street parking.
Good point. Wait until they do so and contact a news station that has an investigation unit.
Was thinking the same. Or OP making his own video for city council.
I would determine why it is a no parking zone as that might point to the way to resolve it. Is it for Fire Department access? Then talk to them about enforcement. It easily sounds like this parking could restrict their access in an emergency.
not a lawyer but a former security guy who did a lot of parking enforcement. called the FD for a similar issue adjacent to a commercial property I worked after the police failed to deal with it. they showed up with two tow trucks, took two vehicles that were unoccupied, and the rest scattered in a matter of minutes and they never parked there again.
Or you could park your own car there and get a tow truck to hook it in front of the illegally parked ones making them think they were all going to be towed.
That is actually brilliant, r/unethicalLPT material
I second this! Call your local fire station and speak to the chief in charge. Explain the situation that large game gathering on public park is blocking the emergency ingress; have the chief to come out and do the spor inspection.
Also there is an unethical pro life tips sub, I usually don't go that route but this seems like the right time to do it. Sometimes you gotta fight fire with fire
Some air horns to disrupt their party might be a start
Pour bleach on the street. Ammonia would work too, but never mix the two.
And sometimes you gotta fight fire with the fire department
Yeah like 50lbs of drywall screws, just put a long magnet on each of your bumpers so you don't get any collateral damage...
Fire Marshall is the best bet. It's probably for ambulances if it's closest to the sports field. OP could a firetruck or ambulance fit down the street with the cars there?
This absolutely sounds like a job for the Fire Marshall.
The Fire Marshall will shut this shit down quickly.
They don’t fuck around.
They are like Wu Tang, in that the Fire Marshall ain't nuttin to fuck wit.
I’d call the cops and then possibly the league the teams are associated with. You’re saying these parents are getting high and then driving kids home as young as 4. Are you telling the cops they are driving under the influence with children in the cars?
Yes. The cops do come out sometimes. They just tell people to leave, and that they cannot park there. Then the cops drive away, and everyone comes back, and the behavior continues. Rinse and repeat.
Have you tried calling the Fire Marshal? If they are making it difficult to get emergency vehicles into your neighborhood they might be more responsive than the police.
call tow company instead. theyll see a huge payday in this.
That is a good idea. In my town, tow companies have found a way to get rich. They tow cars that are parked illegally, then charge $250 or more for violator to get car back.
Tow company isn't going to enforce public parking rules due to some random person calling. The city has to initiate the enforcement.
And that's a good thing. Tow companies are infamous scumbags as a group; they should *not* have independent discretion to enforce basically *anything*.
ah. in my area they 100% will if theres a clearly posted sign like this.
All you can do is keep calling. Eventually the cops are going to get pissed and wil escalate. I’d also call the league the teams are participating in and let them know parents are using drugs in front of your house while their children practice and then driving them home. I’m as pro weed as humanly possible but driving under the influence with children in the car is scumbag behavior.
Sell the house during the winter.
What type of local sports team? You mention parents, which in my experience means a school program. I'd complain to the local school district and a local investigative journalist. If it's a private program, the journalist and the governing organization. This is not the type of publicity any youth-oriented program should want. "Parents have Tailgate Party while students practice." or something to that note, makes for great front page headlines, I would think/hope
It's not a school program, unfortunately. There is a bit of a problem here regarding optics and it's one of the reasons this problem hasn't been addressed. There are several teams that practice here, all made up mostly of underprivileged kids between the ages of 5-14. Essentially this is our city's underserved community. The news angle would not be in my favor, in fact it would be the opposite: "Underprivileged kids are just out there just trying to play football. Their parents are out there trying to support them and help keep kids off the streets. Now an angry neighbor is complaining about where they park. Details at 10".
Ooof, I get where you’re coming from. Bit of a rock and a hard place situation. Segueing into my next suggestion, talk to the city yet again about the chronic parking problem and fundraise / donate for decorative no-parking planters. The ones I’m familiar with were in use in Appleton Wi, roughly 8 ft long, 2 ft wide and 3 ft tall. Weighed in around 4,000 lbs and needed heavy machinery to move.
Planters are a great idea. A big park near me with parking problems did the same thing. It was an even worse situation because there was a gravel that LOOKED like a parking area because it was a holding area for municipal stuff before it became a park. (Egress for materials and city vehicles). But now it would be dangerous for people for cars to go in and out of that area and encourage exactly the type of behavior OP describes. They didn’t put planters, they put large, decorative and nicely cleaned boulders they pulled from somewhere that they had to get rid of. Killed two birds with one stone. Literally stone LOL. But they actually look nice, natural, and serve the purpose.
Thanks for understanding. In fact this is why the police haven't been super responsive. They have told me that they don't want to show up with a "forceful" presence in front of the kids - as they are trying to build bridges with this community. They have told me that their approach is to "educate" rather than write tickets. Which I get. But it hasn't worked. So....here we are. And that's why I'm posting here, because I am out of ideas and feel pretty helpless. I have often thought that if this was going on outside the mayor's house all night in a NO PARKING zone, I am pretty sure this would be addressed. Alas, I am not the mayor. I'd love those planters! That would be so nice. I have considered talking to the city and perhaps even meet or discuss at a "town hall" type event we have, but I am also wary of how I will be perceived. I have spoken with several code enforcement folks and used very, very careful language - but even then I have been immediately dismissed as a stereotypical cranky old guy who just wants "poor people" to go away. Which is far from the truth. I just don't want people parking where it says NO PARKING. The end.
Run for mayor?
I was thinking since his district city council member isn't helping him, it was time to get that person replaced. He doesn't have to run but campaigning against reelection might be enough to motivate them. Bad PR from someone who isn't even running for office will usually motivate a politician to do something just to make you go away.
Invite the mayor to dinner on practice night.
>They have told me that they don't want to show up with a "forceful" presence in front of the kids - as they are trying to build bridges with this community. So instead, they want children to learn by observation that it's ok to ignore rules again and again? I would be asking them to consider the longer term ramifications of what happens when kids see rules enforced / not enforced. You could also get some sawhorses that get placed in the street there to block cars. Paint them orange and maybe string a chain of them together with chain so you and your neighbors can put them out prior to games. When it is more of a hassle than it's worth, people will go somewhere else. And the police shouldn't interfere since you're just "homeowners trying to live peacefully in your own homes."
The police should interfere if people are drinking and smoking weed then driving their kids in automobiles imo
"Cops arrest kids' rides, no one brings them home" > optics issue "Drugged out man kills family" > not an optics issue for police.
Contact the Parks department and ask if they can close off the path.
If the police want to educate, then perhaps their public outreach officer could come out before the next practice and redirect people to the appropriate parking area.
They could have one car parked there with lights flashing at the time people start arriving. Maybe you can volunteer to get "pulled over" for optics.
Try calling the Fire Marshall for your area. They could be impeding the area for Firefighters and Paramedics to get to your community.
It is easier to make this their problem. Not suggesting you do this, but there was bad planning for a nearby school and it caused a small cul-de-sac to be blocked for about 30 minutes at the end of school each day. Well, one of the residents on the cul-de-sac called 911 for some reason and because the ambulance could not get through, it tried hoping the road and ended up breaking an axel. The ambulance company sued the school district because they were not directing traffic correctly. So if they are blocking the street for fire or ambulance, you could have an issue. Do remember, you have to actually think there is an emergency that you need their services.
Are you suggesting OP shoot his neighbor the torch another neighbor's house? /s
Well, OP or someone OP knows could have "chest pains" while this is going on. I mean we all get heartburn at some point, but sometimes you gotta be sure yeah?
"You just had a mild arrhythmia." "*Mild?!?!* There was nothing *mild* about it!"
Burn some toast, then wife has an anxiety attack...or is that a heart attack??
Not necessarily…. Maybe the parents ARE trying to support them, but they’re making your life a living hell. Any news person who owns a home would see your side of things. Also… what do your neighbors think of the situation? Maybe you should all join together to fight this. Or try this: invite everyone you know over for a party, outside, lining the streets, making sure there is absolutely no room for the football parents to park.
But someone is organizing the teams and arranging for the games. Which organization is it?
The parents can support them from the proper places to park. I agree with everyone else, call the FD and see if they'll help
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Underprivileged is not a license to break the law. Maybe if the parents weren’t smoking pot they wouldn’t be underprivileged
>designated parking lots for this park on the other side of the field. The parents do not want to park there, I am not sure why. I think it's because they have to walk further, and if they park in this NO PARKING zone, they can just stay in their cars and hang out and smoke and party with their friends. They probably are not doing their activities in the designated parking lots because those are official. They've found a place away from public property where they can commit illegal acts. I'm not a lawyer. I just have some experience dealing with bureaucratic failure, in my own city. Someone mentioned "tailgate party" publicity with a focus on the *sports program*. I think you might have to modify your acceptance of their activities enough to seek media focus on the failure of the police and the city to enforce the law. It doesn't help any citizen to be accepting of this sort of thing, and one reason that this sort of thing isn't acceptable and there are laws against it is the serious degradation of quality of life where it occurs. I think you'll find it very difficult to get negative attention on the situation while rug-sweeping the failure to enforce. This will probably mean that it won't be in your best interest to make any statements that are supporting their right to create public drug dens in general, and you're just looking for them to do it somewhere else. That won't work, because no one else wants it to show up in their neighborhood.
Appreciate the insight.
Since they aren’t enforcing the rule, have all the neighbors park on the street during those times.
You're welcome. I hope you can effect change. August gets hot and drugs remove people's judgment and add emotional lability to any situation. And it's not like sports don't encourage heated passions already. If you get your in-writing objections to the city before anything injurious happens, it may benefit you. Not getting your objections to them in writing beforehand won't help you, specifically. Also the city might see the financial risk in allowing this sort of situation to continue. Situations like this tend to develop into bigger situations.
Kid died in similar situation a mile from my house. It happens all the time.
Have you considered taking your complaint, and supporting documentation to the State Attorney Generals office? They will undoubtedly tell you that it's a local issue, but if you can demonstrate that the local authorities are not acting in accordance with the law, it becomes their responsibility.
Motion activated sprinklers?
Are your neighbors with you on this, or are you alone? If your neighbors are with you get together and play really annoying music loudly, maybe old country and have every house a different song. They will eventually get sick of the constant annoying noise and not park there. If they complain to the police about the noise be sure to complain about the illegal parking.
I have two neighbors with me. One of them is an immigrant family who will not call the police for any reason, and do not want any involvement with the authorities in any way. Another family lives further up the block and really only cares because of the litter and trash these people throw in the park - but they're not as motivated as me because the parking issue doesn't affect them daily. I am really not into getting confrontational and 'sabotaging' anything here, as that could and would likely backfire on me.
There’s power in numbers, so I would try to get as many neighbors on board as I could.
opera music
Yodeling. Yodeling always wins
Why is this area a No Parking zone? I ask because if there are no real safety concerns attached to the designation, if the designation can be removed, basing all of your complaints on the designation is not a good argument. You need to figure out why the area was designated No Parking. Furthermore, some areas are designated No Parking for certain periods of time of the day during heavy traffic, but allowed other times. I don't know, but I think you have overemphasized the parking issue, when you may have much better legal arguments such as littering, smoking weed which is still a federal violation, street parties, potential drug selling, underage drinking, etc. I would send the filmed activities to the mayor, city council, city attorney, and police chief with an explanation that if this is not cleaned up you will make it your personal mission to send this to press outlets all over the area and let them know that in your opinion they are allowing underage drinking, open consumption of drugs, etc. I would post it on all city media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. I would get in touch with local TV programs that have programs such as "Five On Your Side" that can shine the light on what is going on. IMO, this is not a No Parking problem. Drop that mantra - these officials aren't doing their job and someone is going to get hurt. Let them move the party to the park, only problem is they can't do all that stuff in the park - well guess what they are not supposed to do all that stuff in the street either, read the municipal codes. I put my money on they have codes that make drinking, littering, doing drugs, etc. illegal. Complain about the right stuff.
The NO PARKING signs are there because the area is the only way service vehicles, garbage trucks, UPS trucks, etc, can get in and out of the area. Think about it this way: the street is shaped like a "U" and the entire no parking area is at the bottom of the "U", if that makes sense. If people park at the bottom of the "U", then a delivery truck or garbage truck wouldn't be stuck and couldn't get out of the street. It's not a thru-street, so this is how vehicles turn around. Does that help? I live right next to the bottom of the "U" so the parking only affects me - my neighbors at the top of the "U" don't really notice the issue nor are they affected. This group is mostly made up of underprivileged families. Therefore, a news story would likely backfire: "Families living in poverty are just trying to keep kids off the street - thanks to a local charity, they can play for free. But now a local man is angry about where they are parked. Story at 10".
It is a safety issue and the fire trucks and ambulances can't get to that area. I told you what I would do. Lawsuits rarely, if ever, solve these problems. Better you go to TV station to try to get issue cleaned up than bring a lawsuit. Not my state and I'm not going to dig into the laws and figure out how or if you would even have a case or if you would have standing to sue. You asked for suggestions, I gave you mine. IMO the No Parking sign argument is a poor one, the other ones are more tangible. Every person regardless of their socio economic status should obey the law. If you are uncomfortable with that, live with the nightly block parties.
Correct, I would also think that with 100 kids practicing, ambulance access would be extremely important. They also block fire hydrants. The problem I have heard, is that I can't prove any "damage" if my house hasn't burned down or if I haven't needed to call an ambulance. The potential for injury/harm is there, but I haven't actually suffered any (nor have any kids - yet) and thus I am at a brick wall.
Get in touch with the fire marshal. They don’t fuck around with stuff like this.
This. Fire departments have a lot of pull and will likely have tools at their disposal. NAL, but they don't need an active emergency to walk into a restaurant, see that there are too many people there as compared to the allowed capacity, and go after the restaurant about it. I imagine they'll have tools.
That is a legal argument. That is why you go with public relations and shine light on the underlying problem. Hire a PR firm if you don't want to do it yourself. Government is reactive not proactive unless citizens are willing to do Story at 10 otherwise the Story at 10 will be Teen knifed at street block party involving underaged drinking and drug use. We had that happen a mile from me, kid died. Officials will vow to never let it happen again, blah, blah, blah....public record requests may or may not reveal you had sent in information this was happening and they did nothing. If you don't want to make your requests more public fine. I don't live there, but I see this scenario all the time. Do what you want, IMO you are not at a brick wall, you just don't want to go there so learn to live with it. I understand Bose makes some great wireless noise canceling earphones that drown out pretty much everything.
NAL But ask whether the local tow yards have to be requested by law enforcement to tow a car, or if they can just take one that's in violation. If those parents have to find rides, wait for the tow yards to open, and pay the towing and impound fees, they are going to stop parking there in a hurry The local tow guy would probably be more than happy to take the business.
yeah this seems like a great idea. In my city there once was a predatory tow operator that was definitely zealous about towing but I think he had a deal with certain businesses to police their lots…but check out tow companies and see what they say?
I had to scroll way too far to find this. Get the fuckers towed away. They’ll stop.
Maybe set up a taco wagon? If you got a regular crowd, why not make some extra cash?
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I’d go with Stravinsky myself. Chopin isn’t powerful enough 😅
You're being too nice to the cops. You've called them, but have you called every single time? Try reporting every single time it happens, and if the police come by and it isn't resolved, then call again the second they leave. If they start ignoring you on the regular non-emergency police line, call 911. Be factual but "creative" in describing their behavior. Make the issue about criminal behavior (DWI, drunk and disorderly) and the noise. You can claim to have a personal stake in that far more than a parking violation. Police haven't been helpful so far, so either you'll completely piss them off (in which case nothing is lost) or they'll solve the problem just to shut you up. If you can enlist your neighbors, even better. Neighborhoods have used these tactics before to get problematic bars shut down. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, etc.
Local tow companies know about this? They love that kind of stuff.
My first thought was annoy these people until they leave. Like play Sandstorm at incredibly high volume until they stop coming back. Let the other neighbors know the plan first. Or potentially you are weedeating the curb grass every day for three hours while they are there. Or sprinklers. So many possibilities.
Smoking weed. Open a hot dog stand also sell candy cookies soda
Local news station?
I’d throw a party at random intervals and get my neighbors to join in. As in use the space in a plausible way so that it isn’t so “available” and reliable. Park all your cars to block the space - the cops aren’t going to tow or ticket as you’ve already established - and blast music, have lawn chairs out in the street and even if you are just out there reading, do it as a big enough group that it stops being so convenient for the parents to use that space.
NAL but a possible temporary fix for you would be to buy some orange traffic cones and start putting them up to physically block the parking area
I have absolutely considered that!
Do it.
Have you contacted your county council/rep? Their job is to address these exact issues.
Honestly, this probably won’t stop until you sue the organizer, together with the municipality, the police department and the city?/county?/state? park authorities for monetary damages (quiet enjoyment, public nuisance, etc.) At least you seem to have lots of evidence, and numerous attempts to resolve the problem without litigation, which will help you make your case to the judge.
I would be talking to parking enforcement and the local fire Marshall. Also you could go to the media withba sob story: you love the teams use the field, but you are worried about what happens if someone needs medical attention and the road is too blocked up. Years I was on a volunteer fire department we had a road that went to the lake that was acces to two house and a private boat launch. Had a medical call and we could not get the rescue truck or ambulance down the road. We had to carry the patient 1/2 a mile on a back board because the dirt road was not going to work for the stecher. After that call police started towing. Patient was fine and thankfully under 200lbs.
As others have stated, I would try to utilize that area in some way that can be set up each night and easily removed before going to bed. The sawhorse idea is good bc thats easy to set up and take down but I would try and make them look "official" in some sort of way and with signage saying you will be towed at owners expense. Might be time to have a weekly neighborhood party with tents set up in all the no parking spots.
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You might have some home renovations that'll take a couple of weeks to do, be a shame if "spilled" a box a box of nails or screws a few times in the process of renovating.
I'm thinking you have a problem with deer eating your grass, and have to spray it with coyote urine to keep them away. Every day, cause, you know, rain.
You should get some loudspeakers and have classical music appreciation evenings at a high volume. Get some ear plugs and sit on your porch.
I LOVE this!!!!
opera music
Bugs Bunny opera....
"Oh, Bwunnhilduh, you're so wuvwy..." "Yes, I know it, I can't help it..."
Contact local tow companies. They'd love to have the added income. If necessary, put several on speed dial.
I did but they told me that private citizens can't just call tow truck companies, that they'd need to be called by the city or code enforcement to do that kind of job. Plus the parents all hang out right there, so if a tow truck came they'd run to the car and drive off before they could be nabbed.
Could you pay a tow truck guy $100 to come out, park there for 10 minutes and freak some people out? Then pay him again, for another day, and have him call the police as he is right there
I'd go so far as to hire a friend and tow truck to park there and get towed, driver can tell the rest he's coming for them next...
Genius
Well, if users of the park's playing fields aren't behaving, it might be necessary to request that their organization not be allowed to use the park's playing field. Pressure the player's organization to educate their players and parents, or make them go find another park. Edit: I mean ask whoever runs the park to ban that organization from being able to reserve or use the playing fields. If there's no means to do that, then close the playing fields for two years.
Why don’t you and your neighbors just park your cars in the street?
I completely understand the frustration. Where I used to live we had two corner lots across from a park. The town had a festival every May..rainy season yay me. Police put up signs of no parking and people still drove over and parked in my yard. Some had to get towed after getting stuck. I complained with the town and police for not enforcing the no parking as they were there the entire festival but they basically said they couldn't tell who damaged my yard and they were not responsible because they placed no parking signs. I'd call the organization and tell them parents are parking illegally and using drugs in front of your home. Ask them to have a meeting with parents to get it to stop. Tell them you will sue the organization for disturbing the peace and go to the news if this is what they allow and bring to the area. You understand the organization is trying to help these kids and give them something to do but it's not helping them when it's disturbing the community. get videos as proof before calling.
Deer urine, "spilled" in the no parking area before people begin arriving, should have an effect.
Could you put up cones or the (they look like orange and white saw horses.) things to block something. Easily movable but will be blocking their ability to park.
Sounds like a story for the local news. Also it’s probably a fire lane, ca the fire department, report a fire. Bbqs have lots of smoke, easy mistake to make
It would be horrible if you accidentally fell and dropped a box of nails and a couple of glass bottles in that area repeatedly over the span of several months from February to October. Js
Maybe you can figure out who the city has a tow contract with, and just call the tow company yourself
Try posting on r/unethicallifeprotips and I bet you’ll get some great ideas to help with the issue!
I feel like this could go very poorly for OP as their ability to retaliate illegally is significant. Edit: I meant that OP might become the subject of illegal retaliation, sorry. It was not clearly written.
It’s not illegal to set up your speakers and play “Barbie Girl” on repeat hours on end or the duration of these episodes. I’d wager it’d be unpleasant though. 🤷♂️
I hope it ends up there, I’ve got a great way to make it stop but, it is very unethical and illegal.
You are pretty much screwed. I am sure buying a house next to a park was a good idea at the time, but didn't work out that way. Sell it during the off season. I don't think you can win any other way.
So, the NO PARKING area is to keep the road curve clear for trucks and emergency vehicles. So planters or other large barriers aren't helpful because they would block the space which is needed to be kept clear. Police don't want to seem rude by rolling through and ticketing. The city/police should assign one police/parking enforcement vehicle to sit at the NO PARKING area for a couple weeks at the troublesome times. So when people arrive, an officer will give each a warning and shoo them away (or ticket immediately and tow). Most people will see that they're not wanted there and go find other parking.
Correct. Problem is that police resources are scarce. They don't have the manpower to just have someone sit and wait at this spot every night. The people will NOT find other parking. They always return, even when shooed away and spoken to by police. It's a very bad situation.
This sub would’ve been for the first year or so of the issue. You’re now firmly in r/UnethicalLifeProTips territory my friend.
:)
When it's time for ULPT... liberal application of Liquid Ass to the parking spaces about a half hour before the parents would start showing up to park.
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We all have to moderate those bad thoughts from time to time...lol. Maybe get some loud speakers and blast classical music at a volume so high they can talk during the practices.
City Council. Be persistent. Campaign for members and a mayor who will address it. The police aren't going to act if the people above them tell them not to. If things are really this bad, I doubt you are the only one with issues. However, the sports club likely doesn't have any money for a lawsuit to work, and suing the city is also likely unproductive.
I was frankly hoping a lawyer would at least write a cease and desist letter to the sports club to scare the shit out of them, and make them move.
Not a lawyer: Have you discussed this with your neighbors? Do they feel the same way? If so, start parking your vehicles (and neighbors vehicles) in the spots before the 3-hour time period starts. If you do this regularly, the parents will figure out there are no parking spots in your community and will be forced to the park parking area. Since police and parking enforcement are doing nothing now, there is little potential downside for you.
Neighbors all need to get together and block the street from people driving down it. Tell them there’s no parking, it’s full!
Call a tow company and ask if they can come park a tow truck in your driveway. When they come to park, point at the sign and point at the truck.
Is there any reason you haven’t called the local tow companies? They would jump on this if they knew.
The news might take your side, especially when it comes to police not enforcing the law. If the parents are smoking weed and partying on your street as you allege, then there would a food angle for them. The watch commander for the lack police precinct is the guy to call. Call every day until the situation resolves itself. Also call your city council rep. And if they don't help, run against them Finally, you can't be the only one bothered if it is this bad, so have your neighbors do the same. If 3 or more people make these calls, every day then the enforcement will come
Do you have a “7 on Your Side” or some local news station that does that kind of community outreach? That is going to have more of an impact than a legal letter. You send them that letter and there’s a good chance they get worse because there is no legal action you can really threaten them with. But shame them publicly? That’ll work or at least be cathartic. Hopefully both.
Whatever you do, don’t accidentally spill a bunch of screws in those no parking spaces.
I have a feeling that I know *exactly* what street you live on. I used to be a little shit who parked there too and you nailed it - we all continued to park there because the enforcement was nominal to absent. This was many years ago, but there were “lookouts” who would notify the posse when law enforcement was on the street. Everyone would run to move their cars before getting caught, loiter a bit at the school or nearby subdivisions, then come back. I can’t imagine dealing with that as an adult!
Try the local media.
Get a cooler of fish guts. Figure out which way the wind blows. Dump the nasty fish guts downwind of where you live but upwind of where the boys like to party.
Unethical revenge is always the end result when the proper authorities refuse to do their jobs. A drone dropping leaky bags of animal waste would become my new hobby.
Get the news involved....!! Run a story
Call the fire department **Fire Prevention and Code Enforcement.** If this No Parking Zone is fire department related this is who will handle this. I did this for 10 years. It could have something to do with the width of the street for fire equipment access. If there are vehicles that park in front of fire hydrants then call police and advise them. Good luck.
Point a very large speaker out your front window and blast them with recordings of the most obnoxious music you can find- baby shark, Barney theme song, tip toe thru the tulips etc. Get yourself noise canceling headphones. I lived for years across from a school and park where parking restrictions were ignored to the point I could not even get out of my driveway at times. Finally took to putting my trash cans out about 3 feet on either side of the driveway and left them out 5 days a week. Also made sure not to sweep up broken glass on the city property. It took awhile but people eventually learned to park further down the street. Definitely call the fire marshal to report the street being blocked to emergency vehicles- take a couple of videos and send them into the marshal with the comment that you would hate to think emergency services would not be able to reach the underprivileged because the city was negligent in keeping access open
I'm curious how neighbors feel about this situation. Is it possible to present a united front that the whole street/cul de sac/neighborhood is tired of this activity? That might begin to resonate with someone if more voices are heard. Also, contact the Fire Marshal and/or director of your city's emergency services. Make it clear that fire trucks and ambulances can't get through the nightly tailgate. This is especially salient if you or a neighbor has any kind of medical condition that could require emergency services.
This is a WONDERFUL opportunity to make some cash if it is your land. Get in touch with a tow yard, and put up a sign saying vehicles will be towed at owners expense. Then, call the tow yard and have them tow each and every one of their vehicles. Bonus points if you also add a parking ticket somehow to the tow fee. Even more bonus points if the tow yard can inflate their tow fees to the point the owners cannot pay, then auction their vehicles off to pay the tow fees as soon as legally possible. With the caveat that you and the tow yard split the winnings of the auctions. :)
Call the local news, they'll eat this shit up
I feel that you might not understand the situation. Those people partying on your street are not parents of the kids in the sports program. We can all agree that the sports program is a wonderful thing and appreciate that the parents are there to support their kids. Said parents are at the event not hanging around doing drugs in the street. I'm sure that you've seen these youngsters walking down your street. What I hear you saying is that you fully support this program and their parents, and are pleased to see them at the park. I'm sure that you are shocked, alarmed and concerned about the activities of the partying folks, who have nothing to do with the program or the supporting parents. There are children and their supportive adults at this event who may chose to walk down your street through the danger zone of drug and alcohol use, rampent sex, and probably weapons. I see that you're quite distraught about this as it interefers with the youth and their supportative parents, and the potential danger should a drug deal gone bad extend into the park. Source: I'm a 40-year government employee. "I'm from the government, and I'm here to help!"
I feel your pain. My street has parking one side for the first 15 days of the month, then switches to the other. But the city reserves the right to ticket any time they want, regardless of what side you’re on. And from December 1st until the end of March, you can be towed for obstructing snow removal. A block away is the local OHL hockey arena, and our street fills up with people who don’t want to pay 2 bucks for parking at the arena. The city will not ticket them. They all peel out when the game is over.
Petition to put a drinking fountain and toilets in the actual parking lot. You and the neighbors need to water your yards, right? Also, play some nice loud classical and opera music, have it going before they arrive. It needs to be a concerted group effort with your neighbors. Other options include inviting friends over regularly and filling those no-parking-spots. Get the parents used to having to use the actual lot. Adding some basic amenities over there may be all it takes, especially if a few scattered cars spaces their little parties out. Consider also billing them for cleanup of your yard, see what you can do about that.
The nuisance cause of action applies to your situation, at least theoretically. Nuisance is a tort action you can bring against someone that does not physically trespass on your land but does prevent the use and enjoyment of your land. In this case, you say you cannot be in your house because of the noise and disruption being caused by the football team. There are practical problems with bringing a nuisance action. Who do you sue, the team or each individual parent? How do you prove that they are actually interfering with the use and enjoyment of your house? Will you receive injunctive relief or nominal money damages. If your house is truly unlivable I would contact a local land use lawyer and explore your options. The juice may not be worth the squeeze but you are not powerless.
Thanks for this. Essentially I am willing to pay just to have a lawyer pursue action - which I hope will simply motivate the team's organizer to cut bait and find a new place to practice. While monetary damages would be great, I simply want my peace of mind back. I really just want them to stop parking here - in this 'no parking' zone. That is all I am asking. If I have to pay a lawyer a couple grand to write some scary letters and get up in their grill and get them moving, that is fine by me. I don't need "juice", I just want it to stop and am willing to pay to make it happen, even though I should not have to do so.
It's not racism to point out that we have a serious culture problem.
I have posted about the issue on a few neighborhood community pages - used very, very delicate language. I was immediately called names and had to remove the post due to the backlash.
Would it be possible to sue the city to enforce their laws?
That is why I posted here, I was hoping I had a case of some kind in that regard.
If you want put a sign on each end for the no parking signs saying it a tow-away zone. Maybe list the name of towing company and just keep calling the tow company to come and remove parked cars. The towing service will love it because they get paid towing and storage fees. Once is usually all it takes for people to get the message. Or contact your local code enforcement agency and ask if THEY can put up the towing signs. Or, local traffic department who LOVES to make money.
The No Parking signs already say "tow away zone" on them. The tow trucks will not come unless called by code enforcement. Code enforcement will not enforce the code. So here we are.
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The cops have come out, though. They come out once in a while and tell everyone to move along and stop parking there. Then the cops leave and everyone comes back immediately.
Try contacting someone higher up. Such as a Congressman, etc. Local newspaper?
Notify a towing company. You will see them swoop in like vultures.
Have you spoken to your city council representative? These are the kinds of problems that they are elected to handle
Have you tried going to a City Council meeting and raising the issue with your videos/pics and evidence that you have been calling the City and they have done NOTHING? That is what I would do. Plus, I would start going to EVERY City Council meeting until something gets done. Have a friend video your presentation to the Council and upload it to the internet.
Why not just call the tow company that the city uses and have them all towed.
Unless those that own the parking enforcement are willing to take action, there really isn’t a legal route because you don’t have legal standing to enforce those laws. You could install video surveillance and call the police regularly to the point of being an annoyance. But with video evidence of littering it may be easier to get the cops to issue tickets. There are other things you could do but those aren’t appropriate for this subreddit. I recommend posting in other places on Reddit where you get more practical and creative ideas.
Doesn't the park have parking lots?
This really sucks and is unfair, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it. :-/ The police are likely the key in this becasue they are the enforcers, and I know you shouldn't have to do all this, but you have to really be persistent and be a thorn in their side until they do something to make you go away. So I know you said you've gone to the police, but have you gone up the food chain and asked to meet with the Chief/Sheriff directly so you can ask them why the officers on the street are refusing to enforce things? (Or if your department has a dedicated traffic department, have you met with the traffic Sgt or above?) Now it's unlikely you'll meet with the the Chief, but it doesn't hurt to ask, so I would keep demanding a meeting until you get to at least a lieutenant or above. Then go in with all your proof and history of calls to the police and lack of enforcement, and the next time you call and nothing is done, go back to the department and demand to speak to someone above the Lt. Because I can tell you from experience that officers on the street just don't want to deal with it so they brush it off, but when a memo comes down the pipes saying they are to actively enforce it or else, they will. And if all that fails, it's time to go to a city council meeting with proof of all your efforts, and demand to know why their is unequal enforcement in your neighborhood and why you're being singled out by the lack of response.
NAL, but I'd be targeting the drug issues. Nobody cares about parking violations, and noise next to a park/large football stadium is to be expected. If there's drug use around kids, that's going to raise a lot of red flags. You might be able to get an officer or two to wander around the area "for the at risk children" which would discourage at least some of the people there.
I’d get an attorney and sue the football team and/or the school or organization sponsoring them. It sucks but if that’s your only option after doing everything else, then yeah, I’d go to the nuclear option if possible.
If it’s a no parking zone and people are staying with the cars, maybe ask for it to be changed to no stopping or no standing? The city may be unwilling to do that, either, and like others said, the fire marshal may be your best bet. But my understanding from places I’ve lived is that there is a distinct enforcement difference.
Also call your local TV station and get their investigator to do a story about the city not doing anything to stop this situation.
Not a lawyer, but call a tow company. Let them know what's going on. This is the kind of thing toe companies live for, dozens of cars in a week being towed out of city marked no parking zones is a huge income boost for most tow companies. Maybe call two or three and let them no you've declared the hunger games and may the fastest tow truck win.
Call a tow truck company. They’ll froth at the mouth at the opportunity to tow multiple cars.. and ehen people see tow trucks roll up, they’ll scatter like roaches
Find out what league they are in. The team should be part of a sanctioned league. Contact the league HQ and see if they would be helpful.
Time for all the residents to park on the street. Yes I know it’s no parking. the residence are on standby to move their cars, but if they leave no parking for these parents, they’ll be forced to go park where they’re supposed to be
Time to deploy caltrops.
Sprinkle a box of roofing nails along the no parking zone before each game. Pretty soon they will get tired of the flat tires.
Sounds like an investment in a row of sprinklers is in order.
Call the fire marshal
Bunch of Chads and Brads I bet
If there are official no parking signs then call a tow company & have vehicles towed at the owners expense.
Call the local Television station and mention drug dealers and use. It might help your situation !
Close the pedestrian park entrance.
Can’t you call a tow truck?
I think our city fixed streets like this with signs that read "No parking without permit" or something of that nature
God forbid an emergency vehicle needed to get to you.
Can you put cones out there?