Blumenfield leads effort to raise financial penalty for disability placard abuse up to $1,100

LOS ANGELES, CA – Today the Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed Blumenfield’s measure to raise fines for disability placard abuse from $250 up to $1,100 per infraction. The misuse of these parking placards are not only a crime, they waste resources and make it incredibly difficult to manage parking in many desired destinations.

“Taking disabled parking spots from those who truly need them is unconscionable and we must increase the penalties now,” said Blumenfield. “Last September, the DMV reported that 345 people were caught abusing disabled parking placards over four days at the LA County Fair alone. These abuses happen every day and increasing the fine is the least we can do.”

In 2013, the City Council adopted a resolution regarding the misuse of a disabled parking placard or special license plate. The resolution also prohibited the use of a disabled placard or special license plate when not transporting the individual to whom the placard or license plate was issued.

That Council resolution, however, did not provide for a monetary penalty for violating these prohibitions, thus defaulting the fine to the lowest possible amount. Illegal use of disabled parking placards and special license plates continued. Blumenfield’s motion specifically instructed the City Attorney to draft the ordinance to add the maximum monetary penalty allowed by State law.

Blumenfield concluded, “Today we took a big step in telling folks who may use Grandma’s placard at the grocery store, or a friends’ placard to park all day in a one hour parking spot, those actions are wrong and you better think twice before doing it again.”

###