Mandeville police warning sellers about where they park their vehicles

By Chad Ruiz
Published on Monday, March 3, 2008 9:20 AM CST

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St. Tammany News

The remnants of winter are quickly waning to the encroaching call of spring with the inviting sounds of birds, the explosion of springtime blooms and the ever visible, florescent glow of parking violation warnings neatly placed on the windshields of several vehicles for sale in the Kmart shopping center on U.S. Highway 190.

It is the time of year the Mandeville Police Department must remind everyone wishing to sell their vehicles that private property is not the legal way to advertise.

"It's illegal to park them for sale on private property in the city of Mandeville," Capt. Ron Ruple said. "Our ordinance says we can cite them and have the vehicles towed."

But in good measure, Ruple said they would rather warn the owners before issuing a citation.

"We've got a pretty good percentage of people that will actually adhere to the warnings," he said.

Even so, he added they have had problems in the past where firmer action had to be taken.

Ruple said people showcase their vehicles in shopping centers because of the exposure. Parking an automobile in a subdivision and slapping a for sale sign on it does not usually equate to a high volume of potential buyers ringing the telephone.

"Parking it in a busy shopping center next to a busy highway is a way for them to have a lot of people see their car," Ruple said.

By issuing warnings, Ruple believes the owners of the vehicles will understand the consequences they could face.

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