Lawmakers have proposed changing a law to make it easier for authorities to get rid of campers, and drivers are devastated.
Clackamas County Commissioners, Oregon presented the proposal last week.
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Employees call the driverssome facing homelessness, “nuisance” RVs and campers while parked on county right-of-way, NBC affiliate KGW 8 reported.
Jaime Smith and her boyfriend live in their trailer.
She installed it on a dead-end street in unincorporated Clackamas County, right between a recycling center and a factory.
“This campground has been here for years and everyone knows to bring their RVs here,” Smith said. “It’s not much, but it’s a big step up from a tent,” she said of her RV.
Smith has lived in the makeshift homeless neighborhood for about eight months.
Although she has grown to love the community and now calls it home, everything can change.
The county’s proposal comes as community members have raised concerns about the impact of these homeless camps for years.
“It’s my home. It’s where I live,” emphasized Bernie Fleeman, who lives in the trailer next to Smith’s trailer.
“And house.”
Under current law, the county has the authority to tow abandoned vehicles, but legal issues arise if someone remains in the automobile.
The proposed changes would allow the sheriff’s office to obtain a warrant and use reasonable force if necessary to remove anyone living in an RV or camper and tow the vehicle.
This only occurs if a mobile home or trailer being inhabited impacts health and safety – and residents refuse to leave despite advance notice and outreach efforts.
“It’s like I’m not human, there’s no compassion left in this world,” Smith said,
What to do if your car is towed
Unfairly or not, recovering a towed vehicle can be a hassle.
If your vehicle is towed after parking in a “No Parking” zone or other legitimate reason, there are some steps you can take to get it back.
Steps to follow when your car is towed:
- Try to find out why your car was towed. Haven’t you seen a “No Parking” sign? Did you miss your car payment? Have you returned to a lot where there were unpaid citations? Finding the reason may narrow down the phone numbers to dial.
- Locate the vehicle. Most states, cities, or counties require towing companies to leave some type of contact information via a posted or mailed sign.
- Recovery dates and times depend on the company that towed the vehicle, but these times will be posted on the website or may be provided by a representative.
- Pay the fees. Be careful to be as quick as possible, as some towing yards may charge per-day storage fees.
If you believe your vehicle was improperly towed, you can dispute the action by following these steps:
- Be quick – many states have a small window of time in which it is acceptable to file a claim against a company that improperly towed your vehicle.
- Gather supporting documents: photos, emails, receipts, police reports, and witness statements, if applicable. The more evidence, the better.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws, as laws for towing companies vary by state.
- Try talking to the towing company. Sometimes it may have been a simple oversight and the matter can be resolved quickly.
- Contact your local Justice of the Peace as they may have more information or resources to help. They are often used for towing cases.
- Speak to a lawyer. Many lawyers offer free consultations and, depending on the case, it may be worth calling on a lawyer.
Source: Oregon Department of Justice, National General, Rak law firm
“There is no more empathy in this world.”
Although some people in the county complain about the makeshift site, campers insist they are not causing any harm by living in the area.
“We’re not hurting anyone,” Fleeman said.
The county is working with local nonprofits to provide outreach services to help those who remain in the neighborhood, like Fleeman, by ensuring they are not displaced if their vehicle is towed.
“The smell, the trash, the syringe needles, the drugs and all the defecation,” emphasized Suzanne, an employee at Conveyco Manufacturing Corporation.
She said she picks up syringes every morning after they are dumped on her property near the camp.
“I agree that they have nowhere else to go and where they will go, but at the same time, you need to get rid of them,” said a Conveyco Manufacturing Corporation employee named Nate.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
