There are more cops on the streets than people these days
This in from a reader:
"My wife and I have a one-year-old daughter and a son on the way due in April. We are therefore trying to sell our condo in order to find a house in the Grove with more space. We just had a terrible code enforcement problem that impacts all Grove residents who are trying to sell their real estate by owner. A City of Miami truck drove down Bird Avenue and literally snatched our For Sale by Owner sign out of the ground, threw it into the back of their truck along with about 50 others, and drove off. How the heck are we supposed to sell our residence in this economic environment with that type of idiotic conduct by mindless code enforcement officers."
And here is another incident which happened earlier today: Jay, from Brickell Avenue was visiting the Grove. He is taking a photo of the confusing sign. He paid for parking and had the receipt in his windshield and still got a ticket. He had just visited Santa at the Bookstore with his little daughter. I guess Jay won't be coming back to the Grove any time soon. There goes another paying customer. Say goodbye to Jay Grove merchants. Lost another one.
The thing is that the Parking Authority and the cops see people parking in the spots that are marked poorly. They witness them paying for parking and they witness them putting the parking receipt in the windshield. But they keep quiet. Rather than be decent human beings and say something to the obviously confused person, they wait until the person walks away and then they pounce with their ticket books. Can you imagine this happening anywhere else in the world? Well maybe Chicago. Do we want to be like that?
This is how people are being treated these days. Basically it says, "We don't want you in the Grove," although with the "for sale sign" incident, it may actually say, "We don't want you moving from the Grove."
It's all a really confusing mess. It's unfair and it is not right, especially around the holidays in these poor economic times. People are coming to spend money in the Grove or even trying to sell their houses and they are being harassed. It's almost un-American.
"My wife and I have a one-year-old daughter and a son on the way due in April. We are therefore trying to sell our condo in order to find a house in the Grove with more space. We just had a terrible code enforcement problem that impacts all Grove residents who are trying to sell their real estate by owner. A City of Miami truck drove down Bird Avenue and literally snatched our For Sale by Owner sign out of the ground, threw it into the back of their truck along with about 50 others, and drove off. How the heck are we supposed to sell our residence in this economic environment with that type of idiotic conduct by mindless code enforcement officers."
And here is another incident which happened earlier today: Jay, from Brickell Avenue was visiting the Grove. He is taking a photo of the confusing sign. He paid for parking and had the receipt in his windshield and still got a ticket. He had just visited Santa at the Bookstore with his little daughter. I guess Jay won't be coming back to the Grove any time soon. There goes another paying customer. Say goodbye to Jay Grove merchants. Lost another one.The thing is that the Parking Authority and the cops see people parking in the spots that are marked poorly. They witness them paying for parking and they witness them putting the parking receipt in the windshield. But they keep quiet. Rather than be decent human beings and say something to the obviously confused person, they wait until the person walks away and then they pounce with their ticket books. Can you imagine this happening anywhere else in the world? Well maybe Chicago. Do we want to be like that?
This is how people are being treated these days. Basically it says, "We don't want you in the Grove," although with the "for sale sign" incident, it may actually say, "We don't want you moving from the Grove."
It's all a really confusing mess. It's unfair and it is not right, especially around the holidays in these poor economic times. People are coming to spend money in the Grove or even trying to sell their houses and they are being harassed. It's almost un-American.
posted by Tom Falco at 4:30 PM
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16 Comments:
Am I supposed to be surprised by these stories? Ha! I am waiting for you photo of santa getting sraddled by the swat team for some code violation of some sort before the season is over!!! God forbid anybody try to get anything done in a timely, hassle-free manner over there, that is among the reasons I moved away....
Now my neighbors comments make sense. He is having a garage sale this weekend. Said he paid $30 for permit and put up his signs. THIS morning (sounds like the the same men from the first comment ) came by and took down every one of his signs. Then his question to me was How about the for sale realtor signs?
Someone answer him!
Hi, Grape. Not to say anything nice-- I'm not that kind of poster.
But you are getting it right with enorcement of minor violations, the City's inhospitability to our residents and guests, our schitzo tear down for grass/build up mentality, and so on.
You and this blog have become a real asset to our community.
Bob Coultas
That's why we shop in Coral Gables now.
the whole "for sale" sign issue sounds similar to the outdoor heaters in that i'm sure it's legal to have a for sale sign in your yard, however maybe just certain parameters to follow. all this whining basically people doing whatever they want then getting pissed off when they find out there are simple rules that need to be adhered to. btw, what's sarnoff gonna do? tell people they don't need to follow the zoning code, or that the codes are mere suggestions and to do whatever you want?
Do people like Sarnoff ever read this blog? They should. And the more Coconut Grove residents and our visitors particpate here with their ideas, frustrations or concerns, the better for the Village. I suspect lots of people read this but are shy to get involved with their own valuable opinions. Hear that Commissioners?
Come to the Gables, we have free parking on Saturdays through December and always have free parking on Sundays. We welcome people here.
My husband and I walked on Virginia St. this morning, and near Grand Ave., on the west side of Virginia, a policeman was writing a parking ticket for a car parked in a marked parking space. We asked about it, and the officer showed us 3 SMALL temporary signs that had been placed on the sidewalk desinating it No Parking -- just that -- while there were 3 workers working on a balcony attached to the building there. We walk there all the time and would have NEVER noticed the no parking sign where it was placed. You'd think if they were "friendly", they would place a rope there or at least place the post with the sign where you couldn't miss it!
Continuity Codes, Tech-savy parking, Some-pass, Lexus Lanes, ubiquitous surveillance cameras.... wake up and smell the progress.
Do you mean that there are places to park in the Grove now? Because I think I have that parking meter thing just about figured out.
As to the signs being confiscated issue, the City does not allow signs on public property, i.e. in the easement in front of your house. Generally speaking this is 25 feet from the center of the road. Most people think that their yard is their property, and it is, but the City reserves the easement. As to trying to sell your house by yourself, 70% of FSBO's end up using the services of a professional Realtor.
High volume area, limited or expensive parking, and vague signs... I've seen this before. The next step is towing... $70-120 a pop, with tow truck drivers standing by in the wings waiting for people to leave their cars to pounce and profit. Just saying, it could be (and might get) worse.
I agree. I work in the grove and see it all the time. I try to let people know about the spots when I see them parking there. The police will also ticket the trucks that deliver goods to the buisiness', even though the "loading zones" are filled with cars, the trucks have no other place to park. At least cars can drive by safely. Unlike the bike teams on the weekend that hog up the road with pace cars... a Ferrari? Please guys, share the road like the license plate says.
Why would they take up those parking spaces on Virginia St. the weekend before Christmas next to Cocowalk, the Bookstore, Kinkos, --it is like they do this on purpose to penalize the merchants. All these pretty decorations and lights and that ugly scaffolding at Cocowalk. Can't the owners do something? Make the cabs move!
with all the enforcement can somebody please ticket some of these jerks who do not pick up after their dogs???
i agree with the last poster. the grove smells like a toilet thanks to dog crap everywhere.
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