CORRECTION: Ask the Mayor: Do I Have Rights Regarding Vehicles Blocking Refuse Pickup?

File Image Courtesy County of Maui.

Mayor Alan Arakawa answers some of the most-asked questions submitted to his office staff.

 Dear Mayor,

Q: I am having an ongoing problem with vehicles being parked in front of my residence, interfering with my refuse collection. These vehicles are parked as close as two feet from the edge of my driveway, which does not provide enough area on the road shoulder to place my refuse container.

Or sometimes these vehicles are parked up against my refuse container after the container is already in place for collection. I cannot place my refuse container on my driveway because it is a sloping driveway, and I do not have a sidewalk fronting my property. There have been many instances when I simply could not put out my refuse container for pick up.

If vehicles are parked in such a way as to interfere or prevent county access to my refuse container, what rights do I have to ensure that I have ample space to place my refuse container out for pick up?

Thanks for your time, and I always enjoy reading your “Ask the Mayor” column.

A: This is indeed a problem when neighbors’ parked cars encroach on the shoulder abutting a driveway. Refuse containers are prohibited on public roads, so to allow ample space for refuse pickup and for other reasons, Maui County Code states that a vehicle cannot be parked “within four feet of either side of a public or private driveway.” (1048.030) A solution might be to put up cones or large stones four feet from your driveway to prevent people from hindering your driveway access. These cones/ stones, however, must not block access to your mailbox. If your neighbors’ cars continue to obstruct access, you may call the Maui Police Department’s non-emergency number, 244-6400, to report the parking violation.

Correction: With regard to dealing with neighbors’ parked cars that encroach on the shoulder abutting a driveway, our Public Works department discourages the practice of placing stones, traffic cones or other barriers in the right of way as the County Code requires property owners to “maintain, and keep clean, passable and free from weeds and noxious growths, the sidewalk or shoulder areas which abut or adjoin the owner’s property.” If neighbors continue to block access to placing your trash bin adjacent to your driveway, you have the option of reporting the parking violation as previously noted.

Want to Ask the Mayor?

Submit your questions about County of Maui programs, services, operations or policies to Mayor Alan Arakawa via email, by phone at 270-7855 or by mail to 200 S. High St., 9th Floor, Wailuku, HI 96793. Questions submitted will be considered for inclusion in the Ask the Mayor column.