If you have friends or relatives who live in Jacksonville, Florida, they may soon have to deal with what some might consider a strange new law. The Florida Times-Union reports that the bill has been proposed in an effort to enforce rules that keep drivers from hoarding nonoperational cars on their property.
When cars are backed into driveways, city inspectors are unable to scan license plates to determine if a citation is in need of issuance and they’re not allowed to go onto private property to take a look. The newly proposed ban on backing into driveways would force vehicle owners to park in a manner that makes it easy for inspectors to scan their license plates or else write down their plate information in 2-inch tall letters and place it where inspectors can see from the street.
According to the proposed ordinance, 2015-377 filed by City Councilman Warren Jones, storing vehicles labeled as junk, abandoned or inoperative in an outdoor environment “contributes to blight conditions.” To be fair, the ordinance also disapproves of storing unattended freezers and refrigerators (or their parts), abandoned furniture or construction materials, and any sort of junk or garbage in yards or anywhere else in public view. That is unless it’s in a “bona fide automobile sales lot or an automobile storage yard or automobile wrecking yard.”
While we’re sure anyone would agree that old, inoperative cars sitting outside of homes might be an eyesore, many wonder if this new ordinance goes overboard. Is it fair to make it illegal for drivers to back vehicles into their driveways or else penalize them with fines? Let us know what you think on Facebook.
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