"Uncovered trashcan" fine at 3AM during high winds.

[boywonder.livejournal.com]

So how hard up is the City of Somerville for cash? So hard-up, it appears, that they issued an "uncovered trashcan" ticket at 3:00AM (yes, that's right, in the middle of the night) DURING a storm in which Somerville was experiencing high winds and rain. You all remember the one from a few nights ago.

My dad/landlord got a ticket in the mail yesterday, including a photograph of a trashcan on the ground with the lid off on the side of the house. Normally, our trashcans are locked tight with their covers, except, apparently, when high winds and rain knock them over. We are going to appeal the ticket. I just think it is outrageous that this was even issued. Trashcans were down all over the neighborhood, as well as roof shingles everywhere, and small to medium branches on the sidewalks and streets, etc.

Did anyone else get this fine or know of anyone else who had? I mean, if the trashcans weren't picked up and it was, say, 11AM, there may be some merit to the ticket. But since it was issued during the middle of the night and during an ongoing storm, it seems really bizarre.

Comments

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Do NOT appeal this ticket by mail. You will fail miserably. Show up in person and talk to a live human being. At least then you'll have a fighting chance.

This ticket doesn't surprise me. The Curatone administration has been a monument to petty asshattery and bureaucratic fucktardism to the infinity + 1 degree. Since he first took office and declared a snow emergency and had hundreds of cars ticketed and towed when there wasn't even a storm, it's been one thing after another like this.

[serious-noir.livejournal.com]

Yeah - if it is worth it to you, appeal in person. The mail/online appeals seem to be automagically denied.

[leko.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what fucktardism is going on (although this fine certainly sounds like an example) but getting bent out of shape because a storm that all weather services was predicting never happened seems unnecessary. If the mayor actually thinks a storm is coming, it makes sense to declare a snow emergency, because you want the roads cleared _before_ the snow actually shows up.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

It wasn't so much the declaration as the fact that even when it was obvious the storm was a flop and there was zero snow, they were still ticketing and towing cars.

And then there was the whole parking permitting fiasco.

[leko.livejournal.com]

Oh, ok. yeah, that's bullshit.

[ron_newman]

I don't think appealing the ticket by mail waives your right to subsequently appeal it in person.

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure an online appeal does preclude the ability to appeal in person. Technically, there is no "appeal of a(n unsuccessful) appeal" although one might get lucky and catch someone who's reasonable.

Which is what happened when I went in after I lost the online appeal of my parking ticket. In person, they dismissed it.