Chalking up another win for the Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled Monday that cities can’t chalk tires to enforce parking regulations. Marking tires with chalk has been an easy way for local governments to track—and ticket—cars that have parked too long, particularly in areas without parking meters. Taylor also sued the parking enforcement officer behind the chalking, who Taylor claimed was “the most prolific issuer of parking tickets.” Taylor v. Saginaw imperils chalking not just in Saginaw, but throughout the rest of Michigan as well as Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee, which are all covered by the Sixth Circuit. And the court’s ruling is even having an effect outside of its jurisdiction: Tampa has stopped chalking tires as of this week, while some municipalities in Maine are already considering alternatives. “We don’t think everyone deserves free parking,” Taylor’s attorney, Philip Ellison, told the Associated Press.

Source: Forbes April 24, 2019 16:41 UTC