Florida Supreme Court Allows $165,000 Fine Against Homeowner for Parking in Her Driveway to Stand

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Parking in a driveway is about as mundane as parking can get. It's not as fancy as in a garage. It's not as potentially dangerous as parking on a street. And yet, in this story, it's led to a six-figure fine that the Florida Supreme Court has decided to let stand after several years of litigation.

While the state's Supreme Court didn't endorse the fine, according to CBS News, it declined to review the case of Sandy Martinez, a single mother who has spent several years fighting fines that have now ballooned to $165,000 and counting. Over $100,000 of those fines relate directly to Ms. Martinez parking her cars on her driveway and slightly onto her grass. Her home isn't home to her alone; her son, daughter, and sister all live with her. All four of them have full-time jobs, and each of them has their own car. The house itself is on a corner lot, so street parking isn't available. As such, they line their cars up across the four-car driveway.

Unfortunately, one of the four cars always ends up having to park slightly onto the grass in the yard that Martinez owns. According to the city of Lantana, that's unacceptable, and as a result it has fined her $250 a day for over a year.

The Institute for Justice has stepped in, and is representing Martinez. “Six-figure fines for parking on your own property are shocking,” IJ senior attorney Ari Bargil told CBS News, following the court’s decision not to take up the case. “The court’s refusal to hear Sandy’s case is a disservice to all Floridians.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/florida-supreme-court-allows-165-164000588.html

[hlthe2b]

1. GD Florida (sorry FL DUers, but... )

[Walleye]

2. Can we all just get along?

[Blues Heron]

3. Corner lot so street parking not available? How does that make sense?

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. Often, parking is not allowed near an intersection

So probably all of her curb space was no-parking.

[Blues Heron]

10. Why do they have to be directly in front of the house?

[Bluestocking]

4. I am guessing she received multiple notices and chose to ignore them

She chose to live where she lives so must play by their rules.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

5. You obviously didn't click on the story or watch the video

[GiqueCee]

6. And it's Texas on the inside...

... but here comes Florida, and it's gaining on Texas in the back stretch! Now it's down to the wire... AND IT'S FLORIDA THAT WINS THE RACE FOR ANUS OF THE UNIVERSE!
For now... Texas ain't gonna take this lying down. Abbott's still got some evil tricks up his sleeve, for sure. But then, so does Rhonda Sepsis. The decent Floridians – which is to say, Democrats – have an uphill battle ahead. Best of luck to them.
They should have a word with the governing body of Lantana, and then ask the Florida Supreme Court if they can spell "IMPEACHMENT". What they all did to Ms. Martinez is an obscenity.

[Keepthesoulalive]

7. Florida HOA's

Are a nightmare. The rules are whatever who is in charge decides they are, some don’t have proper accounting meaning no one knows what’s happening with dues and the fees go up every year because of insurance.

[chouchou]

8. Being a Floridian, she forgot the way to skip fines and trouble.

Too late now. If she would have given 3-5 grand to a political lobbyists for Senator or Sheriff, Represenitive or Judges
...not THOSE judges ..heh..heh .....she would likely been "forgiven" and all would be nice and sweet.
Put it this way....You know :The Godfather?? Florida is worse...