Hartford’s New Parking
Meters May Be Illegal
Edward
Peruta
Hartford’s $3 million plus new parking meter
system is illegal, according to a lawsuit filed last
month.
Torrington Attorney Rachel M. Baird said that
when Hartford installed the state of the art
“Pay-and-display” parking meters it neglected to
change city ordinances which don’t allow for these
kinds of meters.
Her lawsuit, on behalf of Edward A. Peruta –
seeks class action status for everyone who has been
ticketed since the new meters were installed in
November 2008. Peruta is a well known Connecticut
activist.
The lawsuit, which also seeks a permanent
injunction and compensatory as well as punitive
damages, was transfered to U.S. District Court by
lawyers for the city, who had no comment on the
suit.
Baird notes that Hartford’s Municipal Code –
which has not been updated – specifically requires
that parking meters require that coins be deposited
and that “after the deposit of the coin, shall also
completely turn, or cause to be so turned, the crank
handle on the meter for the purpose of starting the
timing mechanism.” (The complete suit can be
accessed from the bottom of this blog)
Hartford replaced about 1,600 coin meters with
the new ones plus 250 kiosks where parking tickets
can be purchased and then placed on car windshields
to prove that the parking was paid.
Anyone seeking to join the suit can email Baird
at rbaird@rachelbairdlaw.com
perutaHPA_Complaint_FINAL_110409
