NJ town backs off fining homeowners to park in their driveways

🚗 Homeowners got parking violation notices

🚗 Township said it was a mistake

🚗 Anonymous complaint led to confusion

UNION TOWNSHIP (Union) — Confusion swept through a dead-end street in this New Jersey town when homeowners got notices that they could be taken to court for parking in their own driveways.

A resident along Eleanor Terrace said on Facebook that he and his neighbors received notices of violation from the township on Monday.

Several homes along Eleanor Terrace have double-wide driveways. The residents were told that they could not use part of the driveway if was in front of the door to their home.

"We purchased the house in 2009 with the existing driveway and we nor any of our neighbors have ever gotten a notice like this. This is outrageous that this is what people in the building department have chosen to focus on," the homeowner said.

The notice said that failure to comply with the order would result in fines and court appearances.

Township said it was a mistake

A few days later, the same homeowners got another notice. They were free to park in their driveways again.

"It looks like the posts got to someone in town with a little common sense and empathy," a resident said.

A code enforcement inspector likely "skipped a step" when handing out the violations, Township Administrator Don Travisano said to New Jersey 101.5.

Union has an ordinance that prohibits parking in front of a home if it's not a driveway, Travisano said.

The homes along Eleanor Terrace existed long before the ordinance was put in place and were grandfathered in.

Travisano said that they felt it was important to own up to the error and not leave the residents hanging.

"We went back out there and apologized and rescinded the notices and let them know that they were issued in error. We make mistakes too. We own up to them," Travison said.

Anonymous complaint led to confusion

Code enforcement finds out about violations either by seeing them firsthand or getting complaints from residents.

An anonymous complaint made over the phone led to the inspector going out to Eleanor Terrace, Travisano said.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom