A city-wide problem in Dallas may soon be addressed.
This month, the city council will consider stiffer penalties for non-compliant, inoperable vehicles left parked on public streets for weeks.
Those seeking changes say these vehicles aren’t just clogging up streets for residents and first responders, but some owners are also conducting illegal operations.
Scott Walton with Dallas’ Department of Transportation says it’s a daily problem and parking enforcement employees can’t do a thing about it.
He says an increasing number of people across the city are using city streets to park vehicles with missing or invalid license plates and/or long-expired or no registration stickers, for days or weeks.
In mid-August, the city council will consider an amendment to current city regulations that would allow parking enforcement employees to issue a warning, citations and potentially order vehicles towed for violators who do not move inoperable vehicles out of city streets, and into private property.
“Some of the hallmarks when we’re looking at this are vehicles that have some minor damage,” he said walking down Pear Ridge Drive in far North Dallas. “We’ll probably see some cars that have indication that they went through auction.”
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While citations can be issued if a vehicle is not moved after 24 hours, Walton says the cars in question are either broken down or violators simply drive up or back a few inches to fall in line with existing regulations.
Some neighborhoods across the city have such vehicles lining public streets, bumper to bumper, while the owner works on them or even sells them with impunity, he said.
“They do it to hinder towing, but it also lets you put more cars on the curb line because that’s where they’re also trying to keep a big inventory,” said Walton.
City Council member Cara Mendhelson says an amendment considered this month, would close a loophole.
“Parking enforcement has gone out and they’ve seen cars that don’t have a registration, don’t have a license plate, there’s actually nothing in our current statute that says they can even tow it away,” she said. “This is going to correct that problem and we are seeing a lot of cars all throughout the city that are parked that are maybe really more of a car resale shop or car repair shop where they’re doing it on the street.”
While the issue may not exactly be new, Mendhelson says she’s seen an increase in this activity since the pandemic.
She’s not only concerned about streets becoming increasingly difficult for residents, visitors and first responders, but also about car fluids leaking into streets and drainage systems.
Public safety is also a key concern.
“There’s illegal sales going on,” said Mendhelson. “One illegal activity begets another, and I know in my district, in the places where this is happening, are also places that we’re struggling with drug sales.”
The changes would allow the city to warn, cite and potentially tow, if cars are not moved off public streets, specifically those with paper plates expired by more than 30 days or vehicle registration expired by more than 60 days.
Walton stresses the department would give ample warnings to move vehicles to private property before issuing any citations, starting at $45.
What is not yet clear, is what the city will do to prove who the vehicle belongs to in situations when an owner is cited or shows up at a tow yard to claim their car that has no license plate or registration.
Vehicles could end up on the auction block, with the money going to the city’s general fund.
If passed, ample warnings will be posted on cars in English and Spanish posted, before citations are issued, and towing enforcement begins.
“I think when we tighten up these kinds of regulations, it’s good government and it’s what we expect our city staff to bring forward to us and I think the residents expect us to pass so that they can have a safer and higher quality of life,” said Mendhelson. “Our businesses can thrive and so I’m thrilled that the transportation departments bring it forward.”
