Shame On You: Selfish Property Owners
A CBS 2 Special Report
Feb 26, 2004 11:00 pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK (CBS) Most of us wouldn't park in front of someone's driveway because it's illegal and we'd get a ticket. But what if the driveway itself is illegal? Shame on You's Arnold Diaz discovered what's become a city-wide problem.
Everyone knows street parking is in short supply in New York. Even worse, we found selfish property owners are taking away parking spaces that seem to belong to the public.
"How can I obstruct the driveway if there's no driveway?"
Gregory Weisman is furious over the $85 ticket he got after parking in front of a Manhattan art gallery on east 73rd Street.
The sign does say "No Parking, Active Driveway" but Weisman asks "A driveway to where, into a wall? Or into an art gallery? How can you drive in?"
While this used to be a garage, six years ago it was converted to a fancy art gallery. The garage is long gone but the building owner has kept the curb cut and "No Parking" sign, guaranteeing an open space in front on this congested block.
"Six years, six years he's keeping a spot, do you know how many people would be happy to be parking here?," Weisman asks.
The building's owner, Henry Wolf, wouldn't go on-camera. So we questioned the art gallery's proprietor, Achim Moeller.
"Is this being used as an active driveway?," Diaz asked. "It is not being used as a garage, but it is used as an active driveway for deliveries," Moeller answered. "Deliveries?" Diaz asked. "It is," Moeller responded.
But no delivery vehicle could pull in here without illegally blocking the sidewalk. The buildings department says it's investigating whether this curb cut is legal but this is not an isolated incident.
In Brooklyn, Shame On You found an entire block where homeowners are illegally laying claim to parking spaces that belong to the public.
"We have no parking, this is all illegal. Everybody just parks on the, they make a little drive and they park on it," one resident told CBS 2.
Fed-up residents in crowded Sheepshead Bay say it's almost impossible to park on East 7th Street because of these: illegal curb cuts and driveways residents have installed to park their own cars.
"The city has you on the list of homes that have no permission for driveways," Diaz told one homeowner. "No, no, everything is ok, everything is ok," the homeowner responded.
Oh no, it's not. Last September, the buildings department gave a homeowner three months to get rid of the illegal curb cut but it's still there. So is another illegal driveway, which was slapped with a city violation two weeks ago.
"We don't park here," a homeowner told Diaz. "But you are parking here," Diaz said. "Just for now, I'm just picking up my children," the homeowner responded. "But there's a space right here in front," Diaz replied.
In fact, Shame on You's review of city records found 13 homes on this one block have received violations in the past year for cutting up the curb to create illegal driveways. But as you see -- the violations haven't stopped their illegal parking.
"Still park your car here?" Diaz asked a homeowner. "Once in awhile," he responded. "So you figure if they're gonna do it, you're gonna do it?" Diaz asked. "Yes," the homeowner responded. "What about that old saying, two wrongs don't make a right?" Diaz asked. "Yeah, I know, I know," he responded.
While this resident says he doesn't care if people park in front of his illegal driveway, apparently some others do.
"They mark your car cause they get really upset, put paint on it or whiteout," one resident said.
So into the CBS 2 Hall of Shame we induct these selfish property owners for stealing much-needed parking spaces on city streets.
The buildings department says while it responds to complaints about illegal driveways and violators are fined, it does not have enough inspectors to make sure the corrections are always made.
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