JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Grand Park woman is frustrated she got a parking ticket in front of her own home, and now she has to pay a fine that she doesn't think is fair.
People generally think of parking tickets coming in the middle of downtown for not feeding a parking meter or parking in a restricted area, but Marta Klotunowitch got a ticket in her own driveway, and the city said it was because she was blocking the sidewalk.
"I've been parking here all the time, all the time," Klotunowitch said. "And today, I received a ticket. I was shocked, because it never happened, they don't give me warning. Don't give me nothing. Just gave me the ticket and left."
News4Jax contacted the city, and they cited a law that Klotunowitch was violating that says you can't block a sidewalk, even if it's in front of your own home.
"In the Northside, in Grand Park, they're giving us tickets. But you see, look at all the people. They park the same way," Klotunowitch said.
The neighborhood has cars and fences blocking the sidewalk all across Klotunowitch's neighborhood, which she says happens every day, yet she was the only one ticketed.
"I was very upset, because I'm not doing nothing. Full time student, I'm a single mom. I'm not doing something wrong. And now, I'm getting a ticket," Klotunowitch said.
Local attorney Rhonda Peoples-Waters said the city has the law on their side and can force Klotunowich to pay the fine, but if she wants to go to court, a judge may show leniency.
"The Florida statute says that you are not allowed to, unless it's for an extreme emergency or just for a moment to block a public or private driveway," Peoples-Waters said. "I think that in this case, unless she's had a lot of citations before, the judge may dismiss it."
Klotunowitch said she will probably pay the $25 fine and stop parking there, but she plans to go to a future city council meeting to express how unhappy she is with this.