by San Francisco Residents Receive Fines for Parking in Their Own Yards
Residents of San Francisco are facing an unusual problem — they are being issued fines for parking in their own driveways. Although this may seem absurd, the city claims it is acting in response to neighbor complaints through the 311 system, which allows citizens to report violations.
One of the main reasons for the fines is that cars allegedly partially block the sidewalk. However, as eyewitnesses report, we are talking about a minimal blockage that does not impede pedestrians.
“There is about 3 meters of free space. It doesn’t bother anyone, especially people with disabilities,” says local resident David Chen.
Question of Legality
Lawyer Steve Leto points to potential violations of constitutional rights in this situation. Specifically, the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to confront one’s accuser, but in this case, people cannot find out who exactly is filing the complaints. Furthermore, there are suspicions that some complainants are using the same photos for multiple reports.
Some residents believe this is the work of a new neighbor who decided to “clean up.” Others are more concerned about the system itself that allows such abuse. It is still unclear whether any of the fined individuals will challenge the fines in court or will continue to pay them.
This situation raises important questions about the balance between public control and private space. Although the 311 system was created to combat real violations, it can be used for targeted pressure on individual citizens. The city will likely have to review the mechanisms for responding to such complaints to avoid similar incidents in the future.
