There is a way to get stagnant cars out of the neighborhood, at least for a bit
Q. Dear Honk: I read your Sept. 27 article regarding the towing of a parked vehicle after 72 hours. On the east side of northbound Kraemer Boulevard across the street from Tri-City Park in Placentia are several junky cars that have been sitting there for months and are real eyesores. I’m wondering why no one from the city has taken any action toward their removal.
– Frank Shemanski, Fullerton
A. When Honk got around to giving Frank a jingle this week, he applauded Honk’s sway for getting the vehicles removed.
But, well, actually … Honk had just then gotten off of the phone with Sgt. Chris Anderson, who oversees Placentia’s Traffic Division – the city’s system must have already taken care of the problem.
If cars had been there for a while, it might have been that the owners just moved them away for a while to avoid citations and then put them back.
Like in a lot of cities, in Placentia vehicles must move every 72 hours if on a public street. Five to 10 times a day, the sergeant said, the public complains about stagnant vehicles in town, prompting a parking control officer or someone else to go out and visit the cars and trucks and place courtesy notes on them saying they need to move.
The vehicle’s position is marked one of several ways: Tape or chalk is placed on a tire, the vehicle’s position is precisely measured from a landmark, say a fire hydrant, or – a favorite among law enforcement – a penny is placed on the tire.
Three days later, if the vehicle remains, a citation is common in Placentia. Three days after that, a tow truck could roll out and scoop up the offender’s ride.
“It makes the neighborhood look bad,” Anderson said of vehicles with cobwebs and other signs of being largely abandoned. “We’re pretty good – if someone calls, we’ll go out.”
Anderson encourages the public to call Placentia P.D. on a non-emergency line and report any vehicle that has outlasted its welcome on a public street.
Honk figures that any other city hall that values its residents and businesses would also welcome such a call.
Q. Dear Mr. Honk: Would it be possible, please, to get insight on a fix-it ticket? I was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol in Pomona and was cited for a missing front license plate and tinted windows. In order to get them signed off, does the citation need to be signed by a CHP officer or will any police officer do? Can I just pay the fine?
– Fransisca Oei, Anaheim
A. Any sworn police officer can sign off on the violations, so long as they have been corrected.
Rodrigo Jimenez, a CHP officer and spokesman out of the Baldwin Park station house, which patrols Pomona, said the CHP offers the signing off of so-called fix-it tickets for free.
But the CHP does so only at its station houses, in part because the courts require a stamp, and that is where the special stamps are kept. Also, he warned, expect the vehicle to be inspected for any other violation.
Some police agencies charge for the service. In Pomona, for example, the inspection would cost you $17. In your hometown, because you are a resident, it would be free, but for non-Anaheim residents it would be $16.
You can call the front desk of the police agency you intend to visit to get a price.
You likely will be on the tab for a court fee that could differ depending on the county. But expect to fork over $25 for each violation.
Probably a lot less expensive for a driver to just get the ticket signed off rather than paying the fine for whatever fix-it violations are at stake.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk.