Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1999 23:11:07 -0800 From: sheila Here's the problem: The City Council was, apparently, manipulated into passing a "theft by legislation" ordinance. The ordinance states that the city can take any "non-working" vehicle from private property and dispose of it for junk (give it to someone) -- no matter the value of the vehicle. They can put the PROPERTY owner (not the vehicle owner) in jail for 30 days for each "day of infraction," fine the owner $300.00 a day and put a lien against the real property for the fine and "costs" of removing the vehicle. I can fax you the ordinance, and ("procedures.") But only valuable cars seem to be targeted. A friend found four real junkers which had been sitting dead for years, but which were ignored when neighbors complained. There are 27 really dead cars within a 4 block radius of my house. The city isn't interested. It's really a nasty ordinance, I'm told; one unquotable source said, "This isn't intended to clean up the city, it's intended to scare the ---- out of little old ladies and little old men and get them to sign over their cars." And another person said, "Cars heck! They're after your property!" It's people who can't fight back, and who have valuable cars who seem to get "complaints." One person had to be out of town, low on funds, and give the city wrecker his old Hudsons rather than risk losing his house when the city placed liens against it for the cost of removing the vehicles and for the fines. After he let them have his old Hudsons, he was allowed to put blue tarps around his valueless van, and keep it. (They won't let me do that.) Another person was targeted right after his mother died, and not really a functioning well. REPORTEDLY, one 81(?) year-old recent widow signed over the title to her late model car when threatened with a law suit and losing her house. The car had just been paid off by the insurance when her husband died. The car was "non-working" because it did not have windshield wipers and side mirrors, possibly 2 lug nuts. In my case, I am very ill, recently widowed, and have had a yard full of cars for the past six years. They all ran. They're 5 to 20 feet off the street, and two are in my fenced back yard, out of sight of the street. No complaints were ever made. Now, however, batteries were stolen, gas tanks drained, parts stolen, and otherwise vandalized to make them "non-working." I've been harassed -- early am threatening phone calls, my garbage scattered, things stolen, other malicious acts. They appear to be after the two 29-year cars I bought almost new. Contrary to city "procedures," I've received a citation. According to city hall, they can fine me $300 a day for approximately 30 days, or put me in jail for a year (30 days for each "day of infraction") AND fine me $5,000. At least I now know that I will never die of a heart attack - if that didn't give me one, nothing will. The judge told me I can have three vehicles (because I'm by myself I don't need any more). It doesn't matter if they're running or not, or in a "building" or not, I only need three vehicles. (The person who gave up his old cars was allowed to put his van in a blue tarp "building" allowed by ordinance.) She would allow me to keep my driver, a 79 T-Bird, and my two collectibles. Never mind I need the truck as a second driver. The next day, about 7pm, I surprise a scruffy prowler in my fenced back yard. He tells me the city sent him to tow off my two old cars. When I tell him the judge said I could keep them, he said, "Oh, that's for the criminal matter, to keep you out of jail. The city can still take these cars - that's a civil matter. They're going to charge you for taking them. And boy it's gonna cost." He looked up at my old house, and said something to the effect that my house wasn't worth the cost of towing off the cars." I told him - rather forcefully - to leave. He did. I can't afford an attorney. I'm not low-income - I'm poor. I'm so poor I'm still living off the Christmas basket the Lions gave me. At least I'm eating a balanced diet - a can of fruit yesterday, a can of vegetables today, a can of pork and beans tomorrow. I'm regaining my girlish figure - the one I had when I was ten. Now we have reason to believe they're going after several other widows soon. In my case, I know that if I signed over the two cars they'd let me alone - they let one person keep the rest of his property after he signed over his collectibles - but I'm an angry, frightened old woman, too stupid and stubborn to give in, and I don't want to see other people lose everything they've worked all their lives for. Can you help us in any way? Do you know someone who's willing to speak out on this ordinance? Or any organizations who might be able to help? Or, if you're not interested at this time, do you know any investigative reporters, or newspapers or magazines who might be interested? Any one willing to write letters to the local papers and councilors? We feel most of the council members would not support this ordinance if they were aware of how they're being used. AND ideas? Suggestions? White knights? Black knights? A Don Quixote? I'll polish his armor and feed the horse. (Or mule.) Thanks! Sheila Smith PO Box 530 Canyonville, OR 97417 541-839-4085