Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Uptown Resident Has 38 Cars, And Legally Parks Them All On His Block

Approximately 30-32 cars can park along each side of the street on the 4700 block of Kenmore.

So what happens when one neighbor has 38 cars and parks them all there?

That's apparently what's happening, and it's legal.

According to Block Club Chicago, Michael O. of the 4700 block of Kenmore is the city’s most successful auto lender on the car-sharing platform Turo, and his home block is where he parks his fleet.  (Check them out here.)

Needless to say, it has led to parking headaches for his neighbors, who pay for zoned permit parking, only to find themselves circling the block to find spaces for their cars. Michael O. also puts lockboxes with keys to his vehicles on fences around the neighborhood, without the knowledge or consent of his neighbors.

A state bill that would regulate Turo and other car-sharing services passed both houses in Springfield last spring, only to be vetoed in a surprise move by Governor Rauner last August.

This week the legislators in the Illinois House and Senate will try to get enough votes to override the veto. SB2641 is on the calendar for a vote later today.

In an interview with NBC Chicago, Ald. Cappleman said a City Council ordinance limiting the number of cars one person can have in a permit-parking zone must wait until the state legislature takes action.

Until then, residents near the 4700 block of Kenmore will have to keep circling the block and hope this loophole gets fixed as soon as possible.

More info:

10 comments:

  1. For those impacted, please contact Heather Steans and tell her to vote in favor or SB2641 in the veto session. *Local Office: 773-769-1717 (Kathy Smith - staffer) ; steans@senatedem.illinois.gov; Springfield Office: 217-782-8492

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  2. This person lives in my building and I'm astounded at the number of cars he owns now! He had 12 cars when our build forced him to remove the lock boxes with the keys from our fence; now there's 38 cars! Unbelievable. This explains other things that are happening in our building. This is the city's and state's fault for allowing such a ridiculous thing to get out of hand.

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    1. Welcome to the world of greed and disruption. Almost the same incidences with Airbnb in Europe. Airbnb apartments are in the thousands in EU and causing rents to increase and squeezing hotel rooms out.

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  3. Thank you for sharing this! I live on this block and had no idea what was going on

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  4. I don't own a car, but this is a bit much.

    Local auto body/repair shops aren't allowed to park their cars on side streets and someone owning forty cars shouldn't be allowed to either. Whatever you call it he's running a business.

    Also posting the video he did of himself walking around the blocks pointing out signs and available parking spots was stupid. Now thy enemies know what you look like and as the facebook discussion shows people get REAL funny about their perceived right to parking spaces.

    I was once told a story that a local auto repair shop owner hates Cappleman because unlike the previous alderman, Shiller, Cappleman wouldn't look the other way at the business using the streets as parking for their clients cars.

    Showing that level of arrogance and pissing off people in the neighborhood could result in vandalism to his precious fleet of cars. In the long run this will be regulated and he'll have to pay for parking his cars somewhere. Might as start planning for that because the end is nigh.





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  5. I don't have an issue with it. Regulate it so that entrepreneurs can still succeed. All 38 cars aren't being parked at the same time or else he couldn't afford 38 cars.

    The legislation that was suggested though is outrageous. It effectively kills car sharing and I'd much rather utilize the much cheaper Turo than a big rent a car company.

    "He's operating within the law." What's the issue?!

    Don't stifle businesses, just operate within the rules and find a way for everyone to make money.

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    1. This isn't about making money, it's about having some respect for the neighborhood you live in and not contributing to the extreme parking challenges already negatively impacting it. Sounds like this guy hasn't been completely honest with his condo board about his business dealings. Operating this kind of home-based business wouldn't be allowed by my condo board either if the vehicles were going to be taking up already scarce and precious street parking. Rideshare services should have reserved, off-street parking secured for their fleet.

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  6. I am the president of his homeowner association. He told me some time ago that he was renting parking spaces in a private lot in the area and was not parking cars on the street any longer. Apparently, a B.S line! He has a right to run a business, but disrupting the neighborhood in this way is going too far! Now that Rauner is history, perhaps this industry will be regulated properly!

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  7. Frankly, I was wondering if neighbors noticed what was going on on our block! I've used their service when my car was in for repairs and appreciated the convenience. I didn't know the extent of the business myself and how it was effecting the neighbors... Regulation!!

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  8. Ald. Cappleman said a City Council ordinance limiting the number of cars one person can have in a permit-parking zone must wait until the state legislature takes action.

    Why should this be so? Why does the City Council need to wait for state action on a ride-sharing bill to limit the number of cars that a private resident can park on a street?

    I understand that Michael O. is lending his cars through Turo. But this parking issue seems quite distinct from ridesharing issues, and it doesn't seem helpful to conflate the two kinds of issues.

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