The Dream Cruise is just days away but some Royal Oak homeowners are being told the tradition of parking cars on their lawns has to stop.
Police told residents on Ravena Street they acted following a complaint from another resident.
The street empties out at Woodward Avenue right next to Duggan's Irish Pub, a Dream Cruise hot spot. For years, many of the residents in the immediate block have charged people to park their cars to capitalize on the event's popularity.
Mary Anne Anderson told Action News she has parked cars on her lawn for the last nine years. Last night a police officer and his supervisor came by and told her they had to stop.
Karen Anderson also lives on Ravena. She is not related to her neighbor, Mary Anne, but shares her anger over the action.
She went to the police department, city office and court Thursday to seek clarification on an ordinance that was cited by police and got no answers.
Anderson pointed to a parking ordinance on the city's website that outlines restrictions, which includes:
"On any private property in the City of Royal Oak without the express or implied consent, authorization or ratification of the owner, holder, occupant, lessee, agent or trustee of such property. Complaint of this violation of this section shall be made by the owner, holder, occupant, lessee, agent or trustee of such property."
-- City of Royal Oak, parking ordinance, Chapter 115-3 section K
Despite the language of the ordinance, police told residents they could not legally park cars on the grass on their own property.
Residents plan to present their objections to the enforcement action to the Royal Oak City Council.
