San Diego

RV Dwellers Rally in Protest of City's Overnight Parking Laws

San Diego RV dwellers rallied Monday in protest of the city’s overnight parking laws.

One local ordinance bans RV parking on the streets between 2 and 6 a.m. and another prohibits people from living in a car. After accruing five unpaid tickets, police have the right to impound a house on wheels.

Protestors argue those rules unfairly target the homeless and people with disabilities, leaving them no place to go other than shelters.

For those living in RV’s, shelters offer substantially less in terms of living quality and force residents to make lifestyle changes those living in RV’s, or homes, wouldn’t. For instance, they say the so-called “mega-tents” don’t allow animals or couples to live with each other.

“No one would logically give up their RV, which gives them privacy, which has facilities in it like showers and running water and cooking facilities, in order to temporarily be in a mega-tent with hundreds of people,” said Ann Menasche, senior attorney at Disability Rights California.

Last year, several law firms including Disability Rights California, filed a class action lawsuit against the City of San Diego on behalf of homeless people in RV’s and other vehicles. This week, they will seek a motion in federal court asking the judge to halt ticketing during the pending litigation.

NBC 7 reached out to the city which said it could not comment on pending. Litigation.

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