Gross v. Carter

265 F. Supp. 2d 995, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14576, 2003 WL 21221343
CourtDistrict Court, W.D. Arkansas
DecidedMay 22, 2003
DocketCIV.02-5182
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 265 F. Supp. 2d 995 (Gross v. Carter) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, W.D. Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gross v. Carter, 265 F. Supp. 2d 995, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14576, 2003 WL 21221343 (W.D. Ark. 2003).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM OPINION AND JUDGMENT

HENDREN, Chief Judge.

NOW on this 22 day of May 2003, comes on for consideration the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment (documents # 18 & # 23) and the various responses and replies thereto, and the Court,, being well and sufficiently advised, finds and orders as follows:

1. Plaintiff, John Gross, a Bentonville, Arkansas attorney, filed his First Amended Complaint for Violation of Civil Rights Act, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 1983, on September 24, 2002, naming as defendants City of Bentonville Mayor Terry Coberly, Bentonville Police Lt. Dennis Spradlin and former City of Bentonville parking employee, Brandon Carter.

Plaintiff contends that his constitutionally protected rights were violated on February 20, 2002, when a “wheel boot” was placed upon and immobilized his vehicle while parked on the Bentonville Square. He says the wheel boot was placed on his vehicle by Brandon Carter, acting at the direction of Bentonville Police Officer, Lt. Spradlin, and pursuant to ordinances and policies employed by Bentonville Mayor Terry Coberly. Admitting in his amended complaint that the placement of the wheel boot on his vehicle was precipitated by his receipt of numerous parking tickets which had not been paid or appealed, plaintiff contends that the Bentonville ordinance authorizing use of the wheel boot is unconstitutional — on its face and as applied— and that immobilizing vehicles with the wheel boot constitutes a seizure of personal property without sufficient due process. Plaintiff seeks a declaration from this Court that the ordinance is unconstitutional as well as an award of compensatory damages, costs and attorney’s fees; on these claims. He has demanded a trial by jury on his claims for damages, costs and attorneys’ fees.

2. Defendants have denied the allegations contained in Gross’ amended complaint and the matter is currently set for a jury trial during the week of June 16, 2003.

. 3. All parties have now moved for summary judgment in their respective favors and each has evidenced familiarity with the standard to be applied to the motions. Rule 56 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and provides for the entry of summary judgment on a claim

*998 if the pleadings, depositions, answers to interrogatories, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law.

F.R.Civ.P. 56(c); see also Carroll v. Pfeffer, 262 F.3d 847 (8th Cir.2001); Barge v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 87 F.3d 256 (8th Cir.1996). Summary judgment is to be granted only where the evidence is such that no reasonable jury could return a verdict for the non-moving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 250, 106 S.Ct. 2505, 91 L.Ed.2d 202 (1986). Accordingly, all evidence must be viewed in the light “most favorable to the non-moving party.” F.D.I.C. v. Bell, 106 F.3d 258, 263 (8th Cir.1997); see also Bailey v. United States Postal Service, 208 F.3d 652, 654 (8th Cir.2000).

Where a movant makes and properly supports a motion for summary judgment, the opposing party may not rest upon the allegations or denials of its pleadings; rather, the non-movant must “set forth specific facts showing that there is a genuine issue for trial'.” Liberty Lobby, 477 U.S. at 256, 106 S.Ct. 2505. The non-moving party must “make a sufficient showing on every essential element of its case for which it has the burden of proof at trial.” Wilson v. Southwestern Bell Tel. Co., 55 F.3d 399, 405 (8th Cir.1996).

4. A review of the parties’ submissions reveals that the following material facts exist without substantial dispute:

* On June 13, 2000, the Bentonville City Council enacted Ordinance No.2000-95, which Created a Parking Management Commission (“Commission”) pursuant to Ark.Code Ann. § 12-9-108. The ordinance, inter alia, empowered the Commission to preside over administrative appeal hearings for violations of parking regulations. At the same time, the Bentonville City Council also passed Ordinance No.2000-96 which established a two-hour parking area and provided various penalties for parking violations.

* The two-hour parking areas are demarcated by City of Bentonville signs.

* The City Council later passed Ordinance No.2001-140 which imposed new sanctions for parking violations. This Ordinance specifically provides that parking citations for violations in a two-hour parking zone incur a $15 fine and that any vehicle incurring $45 in unpaid fines (equivalent to three (3) tickets) would be subject to having a wheel boot placed on the vehicle. The Ordinance also provides that all unpaid fines, as well as a $25 wheel boot removal fee, would have to be paid in full prior to removal of the wheel boot from the offending vehicle.

* Ordinance No.2001-140 further provides an appeal procedure for parking ticket violations. Within five (5) calendar days of receiving a citation for a parking violation, the violator may submit a written request for an administrative/appeal review before the Parking Management Commission. The appeal request is to be filed at the Bentonville Police Department.

* When a parking ticket is issued, it is placed on the violator’s windshield; the ticket itself states how to appeal the ticket and provides notice that three (3) unpaid tickets can result in the vehicle being disabled with a wheel boot. The language on the City of Bentonville’s parking tickets is uniform and provides as follows:

To Appeal This Ticket:

Please obtain a ticket appeal form at the Bentonville Police Department and complete it within 5 days of the date of this ticket. The appeal form must be received by the Bentonville Police Department within 5 days of the ticket date.
*999 Three unpaid tickets can result in your vehicle being disabled with a wheel boot and an additional $25.00 fee.

* The Parking Commission meets monthly to consider appeals and it notifies parties in writing of its decision. If the Commission denies an appeal, a party may appeal to district (state) court.

* The City of Bentonville’s Parking Monitor at the relevant time was Brandon Carter. It was Carter’s job to monitor parking on the Bentonville Square by marking vehicle tires with chalk and re-monitoring vehicles every two hours to check those marks. If a vehicle was observed parked in two-hour parking for more than two hours, Carter wrote a ticket and placed it on the windshield of the vehicle.

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265 F. Supp. 2d 995, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 14576, 2003 WL 21221343, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gross-v-carter-arwd-2003.