• Farmington Hills officials are fuming over a glut of unsold Cybertrucks being stored in the city.
  • Tesla has been parking the EVs at a shopping center earmarked for major redevelopment.
  • Officials say the electric vehicles violate zoning codes and are warning the property owner.
    • Nougat@fedia.io
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      106
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 days ago

      Ah, they’re parked on private property, which means the property owner needs to have them towed. Which means the city has to notify the property owner (they have) ahead of the city doing the tow order. That it’s a derelict shopping mall means that the property owner likely doesn’t care. There’s also the complication of the city not wanting to piss off a commercial property owner.

      But yeah, the end result should be towing, with daily storage fees racking up until Tesla comes and pays up. Tow lots don’t fuck around.

      • entwine413@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        54
        ·
        4 days ago

        The only caveat is that they’re violating zoning codes. That means the city can directly act on it.

        Of course, they likely have to go through the notification process before towing them, but they probably don’t have to have the property owners permission to do so. More likely they’ll warn the property owner a few times, then send them the bill for towing.

        • Nougat@fedia.io
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          17
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 days ago

          I imagine the city can tow, after following some kind of notification schedule. But the property owner isn’t going to pay the bill; not their vehicles, why would they give a fuck? Tesla is going to argue that the property owner should pay, since the violation is against the property owner. Tesla might not care, either, they’ve got nothing to do with the vehicles since nobody wants to buy them. If you just leave them in the impound lot, there’s no bill to pay. Since they’re unsold vehicles, there aren’t even titles for the city to put a lien on for the impound fee.

          On the other hand, I know where a bunch of Crybertrucks (I’m leaving it) are, in case anyone has a bunch of extra spray paint they need to use up.

          • entwine413@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            edit-2
            3 days ago

            Because the property owner is responsible for the things on their property, especially if they’re violating code. It’s the property owner’s responsibility to have them removed, even if they don’t own them, so if they don’t after being warned and the city hauls them off, they can get stuck with the bill for the tow.

            They won’t have to pay for the storage of the trucks, though. Just the initial tow. Then they can sue whomever dumped them to try to recoup the cost.

            But literally all they have to do is call a towing company who would be more than happy to remove them.

      • solrize@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        4 days ago

        That it’s a derelict shopping mall means that the property owner likely doesn’t care.

        Reasonable guess is that Tesla is paying rent to the mall owner. Is it usual to store unsold cars out in the open for long periods? I know they sit in outdoor new car lots at dealerships, but I figured maybe it usually wasn’t for very long.