City Ordinance Discrimination

[stourm]

What is the name of your state? Tennessee

I live in a very small town, about 6000 residents or less, and two years ago the new police chief enacted a new city ordinance. This new ordinance is the inoperable vehicle ordinance and each year since they have managed to call in about 20 people in violation of this ordinance, this year I was one of them. I had two vehicles that were in violation, they had been sitting for just over a year waiting on me to get the money to repair them. The problem I have is that the 'important' people in town (those who have businesses or whatever) have not been found in any violation, and there are several examples. One business has a veritable junk yard out in a field behind my sisters house (and I know it is zoned as commercial or residential) with vehicles and equipment that has been there for over ten years. The ordinance states any vehicle that sits in one spot for over 72 hours, is unlicensed, or not actively being worked on is in violation. The city police even have a vehicle up town that was donated to them. It has been sitting for over two years with the broken back glass covered with a tarp and it doesn't even have a license plate on it! Do I have a case of discrimination that I can legally file against the city?

 

[hexeliebe]

Discrimination no.

Selective enforcement maybe.

However, before you try anything, get your facts straight. The new police chief did not pass anything. Even in your town, city ordinances must be passed by the city council or other such governing body.

If all you want to do is piss off a bunch of people, then bypass the city and contact the county about having the public hazard remedied.

 

[stourm]

I figured that for the police to enforce this ordinance against the citizens being in violation of it themselves would be surely violating some right of mine, by the way the vehicle I am talking about isn't like a marked city or police vehicle, it is just a plain jane beat up old truck that was donated to them. I guess of course since they do it all the time by driving around town as fast as they want regardless of the speed limit. There are at least 10 examples of inoperable vehicle violations in this town where the property is owned by a city business owner or board member and those have been thoughtfully overlooked while about 40 working class families have been which IS discrimination, but is there anything I can do about it?

 

[hexeliebe]

There are at least 10 examples of inoperable vehicle violations in this town where the property is owned by a city business owner or board member and those have been thoughtfully overlooked while about 40 working class families have been which IS discrimination

Try again. As I told you, this is not discrimination. This is selective enforcement. If you want to keep beating this dead horse then I'll leave and see if anyone else wants to argue with you.

If you want to resolve this issue then get your facts straight.

 

[stourm]

dis·crim·i·nate To make distinctions on the basis of class or category without regard to individual merit; show preference or prejudice

According to websters, showing a preference or 'selective' enforcement is discrimination (show preference or prejudice)

 

[JETX]

Okay, lets cut to the bottom line.....
You have NO claim.

1) As correctly pointed out by Hex, the police do NOT enact "a new city ordinance". They simply enforce the ordinances and laws as passed by the governing body (city, county, state, federal).
2) You admit that you are in violation of the ordinance and have apparently been ticketed.
3) You offer nothing to show that your 'comparisons' are not licensed or zoned to allow for 'storage of vehicles'.
4) You also offer the police department as an example of 'selective enforcement'. Guess what?? As a civil service agency, they are exempt.

You very likely have not even read the exact ordinance to see what applies, or may be exempt. So, what EXACTLY does the full ordinance say??