Disabled grandmother Ameera Shaheed survives on a fixed income. So, she panicked when the police repeatedly ticketed her legally parked car in Wilmington, Del.
Confident she could win a dismissal, Shaheed appealed the $340 assessment. Before her hearing, the city impounded her car and held it hostage, demanding full payment within 30 days as ransom. When Shaheed failed to deliver — because she lacked the money — the city allowed a private tow company to scrap the car for parts.
The vehicle was worth more than $4,000, far more than the fines and fees, but Shaheed received zero compensation. Instead, the city continued coming after her for the exact tickets with added penalties. Mob bosses would not need to break knuckles if they could come after people with the same force.
Shaheed was stuck. Even if she could find new transportation, the city could repeat the process with as many cars as necessary until she settled her debt.
“I kept going to the City of Wilmington, and I explained to them that I need my car because that’s the only way I can get around,” she said.
This was not an isolated case. Wilmington and two contractors routinely towed vehicles as leverage in parking disputes, seizing and destroying property without due process as the Constitution requires.
At least in Wilmington, this abuse will never happen again. Frustrated by the built-in unfairness, Shaheed and another vehicle owner, Earl Dickerson, challenged the rigged system in 2021. Our public interest law firm, the Institute for Justice, and Delaware attorney John Shaw represented them.
The lawsuit paid off on Dec. 17, when the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware approved a 30-page settlement that ended the case. As part of the deal, Wilmington will compensate Shaheed and Dickerson for their losses while ending the constitutional violations for everyone.
The city will now give people repeat notices of violations before towing their vehicles in non-emergency situations. The city will also offer easy payment plans and convenient hearings for parking tickets. When impoundment occurs, people can get their vehicles back without being forced to pay, so long as they attend a hearing or enter into a payment plan.
“Wilmington treated so many of us unfairly,” Shaheed said. “But the city has done the right thing and created a fair impound system.”
These reforms should be a model for policymakers nationwide. Litigation should not be necessary. Yet far too often, municipalities dig in. They tow vehicles and hold them as leverage in a quest for cash.
Baltimore recently vowed to double down on aggressive parking enforcement. Already, the city collects more than $100 per resident annually in parking ticket revenue. San Francisco and Washington pull in similar amounts. New York, meanwhile, made nearly $1 billion on parking and camera enforcement in 2023.
Chicago goes further. The city impounds tens of thousands of vehicles yearly for infractions that have nothing to do with parking. Some cases involve littering, loud music or other random offenses.
Jerome Davis and his wife lost their car in 2019 when they brought it to a Chicago auto repair shop. An employee took their vehicle for a joyride and got caught driving with a revoked license. Police did not care that Davis and his wife were innocent. The city impounded their vehicle and started imposing daily fees.
Philadelphia has its own problems. Residents complain about confusing signage, lack of court access, excessive fines and fees, and rigged impound rules. A recent lawsuit accuses the Philadelphia Parking Authority of operating a towing monopoly.
Parking enforcement is broken nearly everywhere, allowing cities to find safety in numbers. Rather than comparing their practices to the Constitution, the “supreme Law of the Land,” they look around and compare themselves to their neighbors.
As a result, drivers have few protections when they return to their parking spots and find their vehicles missing.
Wilmington will provide one safe haven, thanks to the tenacity of Shaheed and Dickerson. The rest of the nation must shift into gear and follow.