I was fined $300 for parking in a disabled space – a photo of my amputation didn’t help as authorities said ‘the law is clear’

A DRIVER tried to escape a parking ticket by sending a photo of his partially amputated toe to city authorities.

The bewildered driver was still asked to pay, but authorities struggled with a recent parking fine increase.

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Richard Jones, city clerk for Newburyport, Massachusetts, said he received a photo of a driver’s foot in a parking ticket dispute, according to Newburyport News.

The image appeared to have been taken in a hospital moments after surgery, he said.

“I think he left the hospital thinking he could park in handicapped spaces,” Jones told the publication.

“You can’t do that without a sign. The law is pretty clear.”

The driver sent the photo to protest a new disabled parking rule the city adopted on January 1.

Drivers caught parking in disabled spaces in the city center will be fined $300.

Last year, drivers paid $200 for the same violation.

The driver said he expected to receive a poster in the mail because of his surgery.

However, city officials said he is still subject to the fine, even though they believe he will have the documentation soon.

“If you talk to someone who is actually disabled, you will hear that that is not a valid excuse,” Jones said.

“If someone is in that spot, they don’t stop and ask to use it. They just move on and don’t get a spot.”

Jones said he stood by the fine and asked the driver to pay.

A Newburyport city councilwoman, Jennie Donahue, told the publication she heard about the man’s complaint.

Donahue, the board’s liaison to the Commission on Disabilities, said continued enforcement of Jones is necessary to maintain the guidance of the Americans with Disabilities Act, commonly known as the ADA.

“The laws apply to everyone and there is no wiggle room for that,” Donahue said.

“You can’t really give a fine if someone has a sign in the future.”

Are you covered by law for parking on public streets?

Parking on a public street is generally legal, even in front of someone’s home, experts say.

Unless the home is in an HOA subdivision, an apartment complex with assigned spaces, or there are laws against parking during certain days or times, it is not illegal to park a vehicle in front of someone’s home on a public street.

“Generally speaking, an individual citizen does not ‘own’ or have any continuing exclusive right to use a parking space on a public street,” he wrote Nolo Legal.

“These spaces are open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis.”

Most states have rules against vehicles parking in the same location for 72 hours, or blocking fire hydrants, driveways, and driveways, as a vehicle parked in these spaces presents a safety risk.

Donahue is blind and said drivers should avoid misusing handicapped parking spaces.

She added: “People need to understand that it is never okay to occupy that disabled space without a permitted sign or sign.”

Jones said his office has received several complaints from drivers since the fine increased in January.

He said drivers complained that the extra $100 would have been fair in larger cities, such as neighboring Boston.

“In my opinion, the $200 fine should be enough,” he said.

“The $300 fine is shocking to some people.”

But Donahue said the extra cost is a key deterrent.

“Normally, you don’t go backwards when it comes to something related to the Americans with Disabilities Act,” she added.

“People don’t pay attention to the signs. So they feel entitled to take a break.”