Car dealer who used city garage is cited
HOLLYWOOD We now know which car dealer filled up public parking spaces intended to help Hollywood residents protect their cars from Hurricane Irma.
The city says it’s a Miami dealer who operates Autoline LLC car sales in two Broward County locations.
People who’d sheltered their cars in a Hollywood municipal garage or couldn’t find room to park there had a lot to say about the dealer accused of taking a block of spaces during the storm.
City officials say approximately 47 cars without license plates were cited for not having a current tag, a $30 fine. Seven of the cars bore an orange boot on rear tires, briefly making them immobile.
On Monday afternoon, dealer Keijo Kiilo of Miami arrived at the garage at Van Buren Street and South 20th Avenue and began removing 24 vehicles, city spokeswoman Raelin Storey said.
A code compliance and a police officer met Kiilo and issued him 24 notices to appear in court for using public ways for private business, a city ordinance and a misdemeanor offense, Storey said.
The remaining cars had been removed earlier in the day before police could write citations for the second offense, she said. The penalty for each violation is a $500 fine and a possible two month jail term.
No one answered phone calls made Monday to the Autoline locations, at 600 N. Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach and 520 S. Dixie Highway in Hollywood.
As Broward County’s 10 a.m. curfew ended Monday, residents who had taken advantage of the city’s free offer to park there during the storm were arriving to pick up their cars.
They were not happy that someone took advantage of the city’s offer, and said it inconvenienced them and endangered their property.
“If you own a dealership, you should have a place to put your car,” said Eddie Muriel, who lives in the Regent Park condominiums next door. “Don’t take my spot. I live here, pay for parking here, and I couldn’t get a spot.”
Storey, the city spokeswoman, said public reaction to situation was understandable.
“This is definitely not an example of human nature at its best,” Storey said. “This is an example of someone taking advantage.”
Staff Columnist Michael Mayo contributed to this report.