TORONTO -- Residents of a Toronto neighbourhood are fed up with a mystery car, with expired licence plates, that was abandoned outside their homes three months ago.
Lorie Stewart has lived in her home in Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood for 40 years. She said in all the years she has lived in her home on Craven Road, she has never had major issues with people abusing parking on her street.
That was until one day about three months ago when she noticed an old and rusty red Honda parked outside her house. She says the car has licence plates that expired in February 2019 and hasn’t been moved since.
"I don’t even know if this car is in good running order," Stewart said. "I doubt it. It was just left abandoned there."
Stewart and her neighbours have contacted the city multiple times to try and have the car removed but have had no luck. She says the city told her that because of the Toronto's COVID-19 emergency orders the car cannot be removed.
According to the City of Toronto’s website, parking enforcement has been suspended for a number of offences while the current emergency orders are in effect, including on-street permit parking, on-street time limit offences and expired vehicle validation licence plates.
"It's just not fair," Stewart told CTV News Toronto on Sunday. "I just want this car gone."
The 65-year-old said she has been mostly self-isolating since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and was hoping she could have friends park in front of her home for physical-distanced visits.
"I'm a senior and the only way I can visit with friends is if they pull up. It's inconvenient for me because now I can't have porch visits."
Stewart said that about a month ago she left a note on the windshield of the car asking the owner to move it. She said a few days later she saw a man come and remove the note but he didn't move the car.
"I saw him take the note off and get into another vehicle," Stewart said.
'The car is growing mold'
Stewart's next-door neighbour Allan Munro lives with his wife and two children. He said that he's tried everything he can to get the car removed but has gotten nowhere.
"The car is growing mold," Munro said. "It's growing up the side of the car."
“I’m positive if this was in Forest Hill they would remove the car. We are being abused.”
"We'd like them to come and take away the piece of junk car."
CTV News Toronto contacted the city of Toronto for comment. They passed the information over to Toronto police who confirmed the case is now being handled by an area supervisor.
