Wording of a city ordinance adopted in January 2008 inadvertently made it illegal to park a “fifth wheel” mobile home trailer on a city street or alley without it being hitched to a vehicle.
The ordinance was intended to allow owners of RV vehicles the right to park them temporarily on streets while they were unloading or loading them for a specific period time while going on or returning from trips. While the ordinance included fifth wheels, the section relating specifically to street parking did not reference fifth wheels per se.
As a result at least one Manteca resident got a ticket for being in violation of the ordinance by temporarily parking her fifth wheel unhitched in front of her home.
The City Council is considering a modification to the ordinance during Tuesday’s meeting to correct the oversight that made it illegal for fifth wheels to be unhitched during the allowed time for RV unloading and loading. The council meets at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
The oversight came to light when Roberta Hogan was loading up her trailer in front of her Manteca home when she realized she had to go to the store to get supplies.
She unhitched the trailer and drove to the store. When she returned there was a ticket on her trailer for violating the city’s RV parking regulations in residential neighborhoods.
Hogan wasn’t happy so she took her complaint to the City Council.
RV owners are allowed to park their RVs on the street on weekends for a set amount of time for loading and unloading and during the week if they obtain a permit from the police department.
The rule was designed to prevent people living in RVs on city streets and creating sight hazards as well as parking in front of neighbors’ homes for an extended period of time.
The city also has a rule that no vehicle can remain parked in the same spot on a city street for more than 72 hours without risking a ticket.
The ordinance was intended to allow owners of RV vehicles the right to park them temporarily on streets while they were unloading or loading them for a specific period time while going on or returning from trips. While the ordinance included fifth wheels, the section relating specifically to street parking did not reference fifth wheels per se.
As a result at least one Manteca resident got a ticket for being in violation of the ordinance by temporarily parking her fifth wheel unhitched in front of her home.
The City Council is considering a modification to the ordinance during Tuesday’s meeting to correct the oversight that made it illegal for fifth wheels to be unhitched during the allowed time for RV unloading and loading. The council meets at 7 p.m. at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
The oversight came to light when Roberta Hogan was loading up her trailer in front of her Manteca home when she realized she had to go to the store to get supplies.
She unhitched the trailer and drove to the store. When she returned there was a ticket on her trailer for violating the city’s RV parking regulations in residential neighborhoods.
Hogan wasn’t happy so she took her complaint to the City Council.
RV owners are allowed to park their RVs on the street on weekends for a set amount of time for loading and unloading and during the week if they obtain a permit from the police department.
The rule was designed to prevent people living in RVs on city streets and creating sight hazards as well as parking in front of neighbors’ homes for an extended period of time.
The city also has a rule that no vehicle can remain parked in the same spot on a city street for more than 72 hours without risking a ticket.
