New 85.02 Prohibits Living In Vehicles In Residential Hoods

Good news for those who haven’t had every shred of optimism squeezed out of them when they step outside and look around their neighborhood. Apparently the LA City Council passed a new and improved L.A.M.C. 85.02 on Friday which will prohibit people from living in their vehicles including RV’s between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. in residential areas. The notion brings me back to the days of LAPD enforcing the prior ordinance which effectively removed over 250 RVs that were clogging the streets of Venice, and that was just west of Lincoln.

Then LA’s fave homeless attorney sucked a few more million into her coffers litigating against it and related laws which brought them back in droves. Residents revolted, and were able to petition for OVO signs (Oversized Vehicle Ordinance) which prohibited vehicles over 7′ from parking between 2-6 a.m. - which did little good. Recently after getting messages from several residents about RV’s not getting ticketed on street sweeping days, I left my car parked between a line of 3 RV’s on Strongs Drive behind my apt. I got a ticket. The RV’s did not. Explanation from the Council Office was “They can’t pay the ticket anyway - so we aren’t ticketing them.” I was in shock. If I don’t pay my tickets, I can’t register my vehicle. So why do these fools get a free pass? How does the City know who can and can’t pay, and gives them a pass based on that? Aside from being disgusted over that… setting an alarm and calling Parking Enforcement to get an oversized RV ticketed did ZERO. They rarely if ever responded. There are 16 large vans, trucks and RV’s that park around just my block, have for over a year or more, and move only on street sweeping days, and move right back… violating the 72 hr parking rule.

So, apparently this new 85.02 update which The City believes will shield them from another 9th Circuit ruling is the new cure. That is, if LAPD enforces it. And if you were around in the prior days of the old enforcement of 85.02 … how do you “prove” someone is sleeping in their vehicle or living in their RV if they don’t “answer the door” or open it?

This of course will require LAPD to be trained by the City Attorney on the new ordinance, how to write tickets so they don’t get tossed, blah blah blah. I would suggest letting your local area Captain know this issue is important to you, and ask about what the plan is.

Listen to Councilman Englander comment on the sitch here.

John Hefner, 48, had been living on the street for three years prior to being able to move into an RV last December, parking it in Venice. A federal appeals court on Thursday overturned L.A.’s ban on homeless people living in vehicles. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)