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草莓传媒 is continuing its exclusive coverage on D.C.鈥檚 efforts to go after what it calls “scofflaw drivers” 鈥� drivers who don鈥檛 pay the automated traffic enforcement cameras and parking tickets they rack up. But one city resident is wondering whether his neighbor found a loophole.
Records show the neighbor’s particular license plate, which is an out-of-state plate, racking up so many tickets that the city鈥檚 website can鈥檛 list them all. In all, the vehicle has accumulated more than 40 tickets 鈥� 29 since early March 鈥� with an unpaid balance well over $12,000.
The Northwest D.C. resident, who decided to remain anonymous in our reporting, said that while other vehicles in the neighborhood get ticketed and booted, this one has mostly avoided it.
He said the city did put a boot on the vehicle a little over a month ago, but the driver managed to get rid of it. Since then, the car has continued to park on the streets, but with a cover over it.
鈥淚 do think it’s a concern that this is a potential loophole. That if someone can just put a cover on the vehicle, then they can escape having any responsibility for their actions,鈥� the resident said. 鈥淎nd so far, it seemed like that’s been the case with this vehicle.鈥�
More of 草莓传媒’s exclusive ‘scofflaw’ coverage
- DC calls them 鈥榮cofflaws.鈥� And if they鈥檙e found, they鈥檙e getting towed
- 草莓传媒 rides along with one of DC鈥檚 boot crews looking for 鈥榮cofflaw鈥� vehicles
If the vehicle was connected to a crime in some way, it鈥檚 possible the D.C. police could impound it, but that鈥檚 not the case here 鈥� it鈥檚 strictly unpaid tickets, which fall on the D.C. Department of Public Works.
Most of the tickets attached to the vehicle are from speed cameras, sometimes three or four tickets on the same day. And since the car is registered in another state, even though the vehicle鈥檚 owner appears to live in D.C., it鈥檚 not clear whether they are even getting the tickets.
The Department of Public Works denied that covering a car will prevent someone from getting ticketed, towed or booted.
鈥淭he Department of Public Works takes locating scofflaw vehicles and getting them off the street seriously,鈥� DPW parking officials said in a statement to 草莓传媒.
鈥淧arking enforcement officers are trained to inspect all vehicles, including those with car covers. The use of a car cover does not exempt a vehicle from inspection, ticketing, or further enforcement actions,” the statement said. “We also encourage residents to submit 311 requests if they see a vehicle in violation of the city鈥檚 parking laws. Such requests are all part of the process of identifying vehicles that may pose a danger to the community and maintaining safe and accessible streets for all.鈥�
DPW said its enforcement crews continue to look for this particular vehicle.
鈥淚n these residential areas, the likelihood of children crossing here on our street is very high. We have a couple of elementary schools across the street,鈥� the resident said. 鈥淪o the likelihood of someone who has probably around 30 speeding tickets in the range of 11 to 30 miles an hour over the speed limit and killing someone is high. That’s another particular area of concern.鈥�
The resident who raised this concern to 草莓传媒 said any covered vehicle in D.C. should immediately raise suspicion.
鈥淭he likelihood of someone covering a car just to protect it from hail and the outer elements in D.C. is low. The likelihood that they are covering it because they have excessive fines so they’re trying to evade them is significantly higher,” he said.
鈥淭hat is just something that would be great to be addressed just for the greater safety of the city,” he added.
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