DOZENS of trucks have been towed from New York streets after a company racked up more than $500,000 in parking fines.
Green vans with candy decals and marijuana leaves were towed from city streets after authorities said a lollipop company waited too long to pay late parking fees.
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Weed World Candies, a company that sells THC-inspired candy and merchandise on the streets of New York in green vans, had 19 vans confiscated by police as of June 2021, according to local NBC affiliate WNBC.
The company — which sells only marijuana-themed, THC-free products — said it was financially responsible after ticket recipients failed to pay.
Police towed trucks from warehouses on Manhattan’s West Side after the company racked up $316,000 in parking tickets.
The interest debt incurred in addition to the fines increased the fees to $504,000.
Read more about parking fines
Police drew a clear line between the company’s operations and its parking violations.
“This has absolutely nothing to do with marijuana; it just has to do with unpaid debts,” NYPD Deputy Maureen Kokeas told the station.
“The Department of Finance communicated with these parties many, many, many times over many years trying to collect this debt, and the debt was ignored – so we went out and took enforcement action.”
She added that officers need to act quickly when individuals “don’t follow the rules.”
However, the company said it was not entirely to blame.
Company owner Bilal Muhammad told the station that fines got “out of control” after private contractors failed to pay for parking violations.
Muhammad said the company was forced to foot the parking bill.
Still, he said the city should expect payments from his company.
“The city makes a lot of money from Weed World, we will make sure our debt is paid,” he told the station.
Muhammad kept his word.
More than $200,000 in fines were paid two months later in August 2022, according to WNBC.
What to do if a car is parked illegally in your neighborhood?
Here are best practices if drivers encounter an illegally parked car in their neighborhood:
- Assess the security risk: Before taking any action, assess the situation to determine the severity of the problem. Is the car obstructing the flow of traffic, blocking sidewalks or posing a safety risk?
- Check local regulations: Read local parking regulations, especially at an HOA or apartment complex. This will help you find available actions.
- Approach with compassion: If it is safe to do so, try speaking to the vehicle owner. They may not be aware that they are parked illegally or causing a nuisance.
- Take a photo: Take photos or video of the illegally parked car, especially if it is causing a significant disturbance.
The company also structured a payment plan to offset the half-million-dollar parking fines.
Muhammad said parking tickets are a “natural byproduct” of operating a business in a condensed city with limited parking like New York.
However, he said he did not want his company to be grouped with other dispensaries in the city that operate without proper licensing.
“We’re being lumped in with these newcomers who are actually selling real marijuana and we don’t sell real marijuana,” he said.
“We never did.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
