Tell City Council to Vote NO on Large Vehicle and “Junker” Parking Bill 23-0373
The City Council is hearing a bill on Monday that would empower the City to impound vehicles for almost any reason!@# Email City Council today to ask that they VOTE NO!! (see emails at the bottom of this email).
Sign up to speak on Monday 5pm at City Council (Sign up Friday at 11am). Use this link https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Denver-City-Council/Public-Input/General-Public-Comment
The proposed bill 23-0373 amending language in existing law around parking of large vehicles, “junkers,” and other parking laws, and expanding authority for impoundment of vehicles, is an extremely dangerous law which sets up the City to selectively impound vehicles for minor issues at unprecedented levels. If passed, this bill would empower the City to tow vehicles for issues as minor as being parked for more than 72 hours in the same spot or having a broken windshield and much more. These laws could obviously not be enforced on a universal level, and would be set up for selective enforcement.
These laws are set up to allow for selective enforcement against vehicle dwellers and poor people who do not have money for fancy perfect cars. Passing this bill would lead to countless people who live in their vehicles due to the unaffordability of housing losing their vehicle homes and being forced to the streets. It would also set the City up for litigation as vehicles impoundments are selectively and discriminatorily enforced.
The negative effects on human health and well being cannot be overstated. This law would lead to people who live in their vehicles losing their only private, safer place to be; losing all their property including ID’s and other important documents; losing hope; and likely losing lives as they land on the streets with nothing.
Once a vehicle is impounded, if someone is not financially well off, people cannot get their vehicles from the impound lot. That means people living in their vehicles lose their homes, transportation, and all their property. It means poor people lose their transportation which can mean no way to work, no way to take kids to school, and other devastating effects.
This bill calls for extreme measures of impounding vehicles for minor issues or inconveniences in parking. This is unjust.
Please Vote NO on 23-0373
(See line by line concerns with the bill below)
Bill Langage: Proposed Amendments to Law affecting Large Vehicle and “Junker” Parking and Impoundent
Line by Line Concerns:
The definition of “Vehicle Junker” could apply to thousands of vehicles in Denver that are perfectly functional and used every day. If your car has a broken windshield, if lamps are missing, or if it just “appears” inoperable it could be towed and impounded.
The definition of “Unsafe Condition” is vague and could again apply to thousands of vehicles including if your bumper is cut off a bit, or if an enforcer decides the car is dangerous or unfit for the road on their own discretion.
Making a vehicle move 700 feet as opposed to 100 does not change the law around moving, but simply makes it harder for someone to park in the areas that are the best fit for parking. For people who live in their vehicles it forces them to move to less safe areas and away from resources.
Limiting vehicles longer than 22 feet to parking on the public right of way for only 2 hours total in a week is essentially banning vehicles over 22 feet from being in Denver at all. There is no possible way for an owner of a large vehicle to use their vehicle and only park it on public streets for 2 hours every week. Furthermore, this law would be impossible to enforce – leading enforcers to chase and time large vehicles around the city for a full week and count their hours of parking.
Striking the requirement that notice be given directly to the owner when they are present, decreases the chances for communication and resolving the situation and treats the person as only an object to be posted, not spoken with.
This same issue applies to the prohibition on vehicles with attachments that combined at to over 22 feet. Only parking for 24 hours in a week on public right of way would essentially ban such vehicles with attachments from being in Denver. Unless you own enough property to park such a vehicle on private property.
Treating a vehicle as “abandon” if it parks more than 72 hours in a location will lead to thousands of cars being defined as “abandoned.” This would pave the way to thousands of cars to be towed and impounded.
Limiting “Vehicle Junkers” to being parked for 24 hours on the public right of way essentially bans any vehicle which can fall under this broad definition of “Junker” from existing in Denver.
Giving the authority to impound vehicles defined under this description of “obstruction to traffic or public nuisance” will enable the City to impound any vehicle parked in many common areas people park safely all the time. This includes any vehicle parked “unattended” on a street!! Which would apply to every parked car!*%
Adding the authority to impound vehicles for parking in violation of the above new rules (regarding large vehicles for 2 hours, junkers for 24 hours, or any vehicle for 72 hours) would give the City authority to go around taking vehicles day and night. Impounding a vehicle for these violations is a huge penalty for a minor violation that happens every day all over the City.
Reducing the time given for notice before impounding a vehicle defined by the enforcer as a “junker” from 72 hours to 24 hours gives the owner no adequate time to respond to a posting and request an appointment to prove their vehicle’s safe working condition. This amendment makes the likelihood of a person’s vehicle being wrongfully taken significantly higher.
Again, please vote NO on 23-0373 – No targeted vehicle impounds City Council Emails:
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