It’s almost that time. The Woodward Dream Cruise is just around the corner.
But some Motor City motorists are already pumping their brakes, after getting hit with some hefty fines.
These folks are fed up and they want action, fast.
More than a dozen metro Detroiters have teamed up to get a lawyer. They are fighting the city of Royal Oak for tickets they received for violating a noise ordinance and defective equipment on their vehicles.
The tickets are between 100 and 280 dollars.
Royal Oak passed an ordinance last year stating any car noise at all from 50 feet away is a violation.
The cars that seem to be in question are muscle cars and tuners.
Attorney Barton Morris says that is unlawful and he plans to put the brakes on it, once and for all.
“The state specifically says that the city can not enforce an ordinance that is anything but identical to what the state stature says.” Morris explains. “The state statute is very specific, and says on a road that exceeds 35 miles an hour, the decibel level has to be 83 at 50 feet away before it becomes a violation.”
Morris drafted a letter to the Royal Oak city attorney, David Gilliam, calling the city’s ordinance unenforceable and calling on Gilliam to do something about it.
“I think I was somewhat targeted for having an old Nissan 240 and being a young, punk looking kid,” says Christian Faloppa, who got a ticket recently.
Morris says, this all stems from everyday noise complaints from residents in the area and from those who aren’t looking forward to the Woodward Dream Cruise rolling around.
Morris claims hundreds of motorists have received tickets and vows, to get the tickets thrown out for his clients.
