Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Code Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident raises concerns about dealer plates and unlicensed car sales; police and code enforcement to investigate
Summary
A resident told the Hammond board that vehicles without plates — and apparent misuse of dealer or paper plates — are being used to sell cars in neighborhoods; police and code enforcement said they will investigate and pursue citations or license actions where appropriate.
During the public comment period of the March 20 Hammond City Board of Upcourse and Safety meeting, resident Jose Galvin urged the city to investigate unlicensed car sales and what he said was improper use of dealer and paper plates at multiple neighborhood locations.
Why it matters: unlicensed vehicle sales and use of dealer/paper plates can affect neighborhood quality of life, create safety and code-enforcement issues, and may violate state dealer-licensing rules.
Galvin said city inspectors previously cited vehicles with no license plates, but persons began using paper plates and dealer plates to avoid enforcement. He provided the board with addresses and said that some dealers are allowing third parties to use dealer plates to operate informal sales lots in residential areas. Galvin said he had submitted complaints to the state dealers division but was unsure of the outcomes.
Police and code-enforcement representatives told Galvin that they work together on these cases: if vehicles are on private property code enforcement will cite; if on public streets police can tag and run plates. A police representative said the department has an active case on one person Galvin named and that they will research and pursue necessary enforcement. The board asked Galvin for specific addresses and contact information so staff can follow up.
Ending: Police and code enforcement agreed to investigate the addresses and pursue citations or license revocation where warranted; the resident provided information for follow-up.
