Lynn Residents Upset Cars Were Towed During 'Bust' Nor'easter
LYNN (CBS) – With several inches of snow predicted last Wednesday, Lynn had a parking ban in effect. Yet many residents left their cars out on the street since the storm never materialized.
Lynn officials say snow or no snow, the cars shouldn't have been there.
"I got a ticket for the snow that didn't come," one man said.
The line was long and noisy Tuesday night at Lynn City Hall as residents came to dispute their tickets for violating last week's snow emergency parking ban.
Dawn Fluegge among them. "It just wasn't fair that they did this to us," Fluegge said.
She's talking about last Wednesday when predictions of nor'easter number four prompted Lynn to ban parking on many streets to clear the way for pre-treating and eventually plowing.
READ: Nor'easter Forecast A Bust - What Happened?
"Unfortunately when the emergency is in effect, everything has to be off the street, whether the emergency happens or not," said Bob Stilian, Lynn's acting parking director.
In the end, Lynn got barely a dusting of snow, but more than 200 vehicles got towed costing their owners $170 apiece and many more got tickets at $150 a pop.
But the city says it's call for a snow emergency was made in good faith and residents were warned the day before by the usual methods.
"I feel bad for everybody who gets a ticket," Stilian said. "But unfortunately the city has to err on the side of caution."
"It didn't even snow," Fluegge said. "It didn't even snow."
No matter says the city, residents cannot determine on their own to ignore the parking ban, that would trigger chaos.
"People have to understand if you did the right thing, not one person would have got ticketed or towed," Stilian said.
No ticketholders WBZ-TV spoke with got off the hook through their appeal, but Fluegge says hers was taken under advisement.
"I'm hoping they will come to their senses," said Fluegge. "That would be nice."
Either way, she'll remember the nor'easter that wasn't.
