Improper towing

[sanfranciscan]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? San Francisco, California

Car was parked on the street, near a driveway. I checked twice making sure that I wasn’t blocking the driveway. There were no marks on the curb. Two days later, I found my car was impounded by DPT due to the owner’s “driveway blocking” complaint. (My charge was VC22500E.) I had to pay over $210 to get my car back, on top of the $75 citation.

I asked the municipal garage keeper the possible reason why and he told me that I have to have 3” space from the driveway. I’m certain I had that much space between my car and that driveway. I’m also certain any car could pass through the driveway.

The California driver handbook says nothing about the distance we must park from a driveway (other than fire station). Here are 2 city government sites on the subject:
[url]http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/dpt/driveway%20flyer.pdf[/url]
[url]http://www.sfmuni.com/cms/brd/cac/SFMuniCACOCSCMarch152004minutes1.htm[/url]

I don’t want to give in this tyranny. Will you please advise me how to protest? Thank you very much.

[CdwJava]

Marks on the curb are not required. CVC 22500(e) states the following:

22500 (e) No person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device ... In front of a public or private driveway, except that a bus engaged as a common carrier, schoolbus, or a taxicab may stop to load or unload passengers when authorized by local authorities pursuant to an ordinance.

As to how you can protest ... well, you have quite a choice of options - picket signs, letters, phone calls, attend public meetings of local government, etc. It all depends what you want to do. If you want to contest the impound there are likely procedures to do that. However, you will say that the car was not parked in front of the driveway, and the property owner and two driver will say you were, so this may not avail you of much. It might be worth a try anyway.

Unfortunately, you live in a place where parking is at a premium. And this is one of the drawbacks of S.F. living.

- Carl