ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Another meeting of the Allentown Parking Authority (APA), another group of disgruntled residents.
For a second consecutive month, parking authority board members on Wednesday heard from residents who complained the city's parking ordinances are unfair and need to be amended.
- Allentown Parking Authority heard complaints from residents about unfairly being issued parking tickets
- Board chairman Ted Zeller plans to call a special meeting next month to specifically review the parking ordinances
- Some residents have accused the APA enforcement employees of being predatory
Twelve residents were allowed 10 minutes each and voiced frustrations including a perception of unfairness and, in some instances, predatory treatment by employees issuing parking tickets.
Specific complaints by residents being ticketed also included parking along a sidewalk that lacks "no parking" signs, to parking too close to a fire hydrant at a curb where the yellow paint indicating a parking violation has worn off.
Board Chairman Ted Zeller told residents he understood their concerns. He said he will schedule a special session for March to specifically review the parking ordinances.
“We’re going to review the ordinances in their totality and see where we can make improvements,” Zeller said. “We need to deal with this sooner than later. We’ve been languishing.”
'Nobody likes a parking ticket'
Zeller said parking authority personnel are working around the clock to ticket violators, as has been the case since city police ceased issuing tickets in 2018.
Zeller said he understands why some residents may feel they’re being targeted, but disputed those issuing the tickets are acting in a predatory manner.
“Nobody likes to get a parking ticket,” he said. “The second you get multiple parking tickets, you believe you’re being preyed upon.
“But I do think there’s a perception that no doubt, people feel and believe that. But there’s no predatory activities on the part of the parking authority to target somebody.
"If I ever would believe for a moment that anybody is acting in a predatory manner, well, I’d have no tolerance for that whatsoever.”
“We’re going to review the ordinances in their totality and see where we can make improvements. We need to deal with this sooner than later. We’ve been languishing.”Ted Zeller, chairperson of Allentown Parking Authority
Betty Cauler of West Allentown told the board she believes she is being targeted by a specific APA employee.
“One time, I was parked on the north side facing west, but was ticketed for opposing the flow of traffic,” Cauler said. “How is that opposing the flow? And all my tickets are in the wee hours of the morning. It seems like a joke with this municipal worker, the same one every time.”
Cauler has called for the dissolution of the parking authority, and for the Allentown City Council to intervene on residents' behalf.
She is a member of the Facebook group Allentown City: Issues, Discussions and Information. This week on the site was posted a notice urging residents to attend the APA meeting, and an image with the message, “The Allentown Parking Authority is a corrupt and UN-NECESSARY evil … close it down!”
On Wednesday, Cauler was asking for signatures on a petition to limit the scope of the APA, to reduce its ticketing hours to standard business hours (8 a.m.-6 p.m.), with no Sunday hours.
Also, the petition calls for limiting numerous tickets for minor and controversial reasoning in residential areas, and to encourage the APA “to do their job ethically.”
“How powerful and vengeful this group has become,” Cauler told the board.
'Residents can appeal'
APA Deputy Director Christina Dayton reported the results of customer service calls and handling of complaints for Jan. 26-Feb. 17. The authority served 2,842 customers in the APA lobby and 2,300 by phone.
Dayton also reported on the number of appeals APA received from ticketed residents. Of the 214 appeals in January, 24% were found valid, 41% were dismissed, and 35% were redacted to warnings.
So far in February, 42% were valid, 32% were dismissed, and 36% were redacted to warnings.
In the targeted enforcement area on Seventh Street, 211 tickets were issued for double parking. On Hamilton Street, 28 double parking tickets were given.
Solicitor Dan McCarthy explained to the residents the process of filing an appeal of a ticket, starting with the APA.
“In a nutshell, residents can appeal to the authority, or appeal to an MDJ [Magisterial District Judge], then to the Court of Common Pleas," McCarthy said. "And so far up the chain to the PA Supreme Court."
'People in your organization that are vengeful'
Melissa Rogers told the board members she may be left with no alternative than to go to the state high court to get justice.
A resident of Pennsylvania Street, she said her problems began in 2022 when her car parked at the curb in front of her home was ticketed for an expired inspection sticker.
When she told the APA she couldn’t afford to pay the fine immediately, she said she was immediately fined $70 and was issued yet another ticket.
Rogers said she went to a magistrate to work out a payment plan. But from September until her car was impounded in February, she was issued 45 more tickets.
The APA requires full payment for those receiving a parking ticket.
McCarthy said the issue comes down to the current city ordinance, which says no car is released until all fines are paid in full.
He said magistrates have the authority to put an offender on a payment plan, but the APA has no jurisdiction.
"However, some magistrates believe putting an offender on a payment plan constitutes payment," McCarthy said. "But the parking authority says no."
Rogers said: "I don't know how the parking authority could overrule a judge's decision. This has become a situation where I’m doing the right thing, setting up payment with the courts, but that doesn’t seem to matter to the parking authority.
"I owe thousands of dollars in bills. That miscommunication between the two offices leaves me lost and hopeless.
“There are people in your organization that are vengeful.”
