Parking in your own driveway could be illegal

UPDATE June 18: Councilman Mike Collins calls for a public hearing June 22 with the mayor's chief of staff, the law and budget directors, and Sue Frederick, the writer of the tickets.

Frederick says she has received calls from residents asking her to come out and ticket illegally parked neighbors. She also believes the mayor will not dismiss the tickets she wrote.

UPDATE: Councilman sides with residents.
Police union says only they should write tickets.

Busted for parking in your own driveway. Toledo residents along Holland-Sylvania near Nebraska received parking tickets in their own front yards.

The mayor defended the move, then refused to answer our questions.

It is illegal in Toledo to park on gravel or anything unpaved, even if it's in front of your own home. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says if you break a law, you get a ticket.

Charles Robertson breaks the law every single day-- according to the city. Robertson told us, "I just can't reach into my magic box of tricks and get 5 or 6 grand to pave my driveway."

Thursday he got caught. Charles found a $25 ticket on the windshield of his truck parked in his own driveway.

The law says it's illegal to park on unpaved ground and Robertson's driveway is gravel.

Thursday the mayor's streets, bridges and harbor commissioner Sue Frederick ticketed cars in their owners' yards all along Holland-Sylvania Road.

The mayor defended Frederick's decision, saying "She wouldn't have written tickets unless she thought she would be vindicated in writing it."

But city councilman D. Michael Collins didn't agree. He took the tickets to try and get them rescinded. He says, "I want this irresponsible activity by city employees going into neighborhoods and just doing something by fiat, it has to stop."

Ron Cousino got a ticket, too. He says, "This is a get-back, the mayor's way to get more money coming in."

We asked the mayor if Cousino had a point. Is this ticket-writing move an attempt to fill the budget deficit? Again he ignored us and in the process further angered the neighbors.

One of them said, "When the mayor has the audacity to tell me I'm wrong and everyone on this street is wrong, I think the mayor is wrong."

UPDATE June 16: City councilman D. Michael Collins says he is considering creating legislation that would allow only police officers to ticket citizens. He apologized to the residents who were ticketed and says he's keeping and paying their tickets.

If those tickets aren't paid in 30 days, they are sent to a collection agency. There is an appeals process but that costs $50. Collins also claims there is no board to which citizens could appeal.

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