Some central Ohio residents are finding unwanted surprises on their car windshields--parking tickets for the way they parked in their own driveways.
If you have several vehicles at your house, odds are one of them could be parked in a way that crosses the sidewalk.
It’s how Pickerington area resident Andrew Dancho says he and his family has parked for years.
But that way of parking cost Dancho $55 when he was issued a citation last month by Columbus Police.
"I think a warning would have been sufficient in this case instead of a $55 charge,” he said.
Columbus police tell 10TV that Dancho's fine is rare. They say they usually issue a warning before issuing a citation.
"I've had parking tickets before and I've understood why I've gotten them, for sure on campus,” Dancho said. “But here, at my home?"
Ohio Revised Code prohibits parking on sidewalks, meaning this is a law all across the state. The problem is that many people don't know about it, according to police.
Reynoldsburg Police said they issued more than 400 warnings between April 14 and May 30 to help make residents aware.
Sgt. Mark Moser said the law is all about safety.
“When somebody is parked on the sidewalk, there's a good possibility a small child or an elderly person out walking on the sidewalk is going to have to move out into the roadway to get around that parked car,” he said. "So our concern is that we're going to have people stepping out into the roadway and obviously that increases the possibility of a crash."
Dancho tells 10TV he understands the safety aspect but says there is little traffic on his road and no reason for a ticket.
Even so, he said he's learned his lesson.
"Make sure that you are as far away from the sidewalk as possible and as close to your garages as possible,” he said.