Parking Bureau reviews and complaints

Hi,

This a complaint that I have and I know many other people in Los Angeles/Hollywood have. Below is a copy of a letter that I sent the Hollywood Christmas Parade (took place over Thanksgiving weekend) operations department. Residents, including me, are infuriated and feel as though we have no say.

"Hi,

I'm writing to you today to bring to your attention a problem that continuously occurs every year with your parade. Every Thanksgiving weekend you post temporary "No Parking" signs on streets surrounding Hollywood Blvd starting late Friday or early Saturday morning. The problem with posting these signs at this time and not telling the residents who live and permit park on these streets, is that they have NO idea that you are doing this. It's the holidays, people are out of town and the temporary signs are posted after many cars have already found a place to park for the holiday weekend- meaning they park BEFORE the signs are posted and then get towed because they have no idea that the signs are there. This has happened to me now 2 years in a row. SIgns were put up after my car was already parked in it's spot for the weekend on the street outside where I live and when I came back to my car early Monday morning it was gone, i.e. had been towed. It's one thing to post signs when NO cars are parked there or WAY BEFORE the days that you actually need them posted-but on a holiday weekend 1 1/2 days before when people are not driving there cars or have left for out of town? Not remembering that this happened last year since it's the holidays and since I had no warning (flyer, early posted signs, etc.), it again happened this year. I have been told by the tow company to pay for it and then just "fight the ticket". The only problem with this is that this is what I did last year. They admitted to me that the signs were not posted until late Friday night and early Saturday morning when my car had been there since Thursday. After having said this to me they then said that my claim that my car was there Thursday was probably not true. Coincidentally, the parking officer who, yes, gave me a ticket on top of having my car towed did not show up to the first hearing and so I had to reschedule my hearing. Note that I had to use my personal time from my work to do this. When I came back the 2nd time, again, the parking officer failed to show. He only showed up as I was leaving to go back to work and told the lady in the hearing that my car was not there until after the signs were posted before he ran out. Everyone in this office seems to be good friends with each other and I find it coincidental that this officer JUST as I was leaving, after failing to show up the first time. This was the only person that could have said..." don't know if the car was there because I didn't check or yes, her car was there before the signs were posted and I gave her a ticket and had the car towed anyway." My guess is he didn't want to be responsible for it or he just did not care.
This is one of he most unprofessional offices I have dealt with and it is unconscionable that this is taking place is no one is doing anything about it. It seems like the parking bureau is making money off of innocent citizens knowing that there is nothing they can do. This has to STOP. I am asking you to please do something about this and next year handle it in a more appropriate fashion. You have no idea how many people you affected negatively over this holiday weekend and how many people had to pay over $500 just to get there cars back when they did nothing but follow the signs that were posted when THEY parked. It is your job as well as the parking bureau's to oversee and make sure things go as planned and to make sure the parking signs are up early enough for everyone to see or to warn residents by handing out flyers. Please make a change or talk to the parking bureau so that the residents of these streets are not screwed over...you will have more of a say that we do. Please."

The parking bureau and the Hollywood parade must be held responsible. Residents who park there cars before these signs are posted are paying over $500 and losing there fights with the parking bureaus because it's there word against ours and there word holds more weight. This needs to STOP. Please help.

Thank you,

Hillary Brown