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Kokua Line
Question: I am renting a house in Kaneohe. In order to get to my house, we have a long private driveway that looks like part of the road. We are having problems where the neighbors will park their vehicle in our driveway. We and the owners have approached the neighbors, advising them verbally and putting up signs saying this is a private driveway and no parking is allowed for safety reasons. They continue to ignore our request. Will the police assist on private property or must I seek private legal action? Towing threat may
deter illegal parkersAnswer: Police will assist, but only if you post a sign prohibiting parking without authorization and stating where the vehicle will be towed and held.
According to the Hawaii Revised Statutes (Chapter 290-11), "The notice shall be of such size and be placed in a location reasonably calculated to call the sign to the attention of potential parkers."
A property owner "has to meet all the requirements (for a sign) before police can take action," said Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
Since you must say where a vehicle will be towed, you'd have to line up a private towing company in advance, she said.
Without such signs, police could be sent to check on your complaint, but they will not issue any citations, Yu said.
Q: I am concerned that police at night are traversing areas without their blue lights on. Is this a new stealth tactic by police? Are they supposed to have their lights on and be visible so people know where they are if they have a safety or traffic matter? The way it is, people don't know who the police officers are. Is there a way for the public to find out what rules police have to follow on the road?
A: Generally speaking, officers are supposed to have their blue car lights on in "an area of darkness," said HPD spokeswoman Michelle Yu.
However, there may have been extenuating circumstances. The officer may have been part of a police operation that "required they not use lights," or the officer may have been on his way home, Yu said.
Call or write to Kokua Line with the date, time and location of the police cars you observe driving without their blue lights on and any other details.
Q: Whatever happened to the wiliwili tree in the triangle lot at the Queen's Hospital construction site? That tree was rare.
A: All the trees that were in the Miller Street triangle were donated to the city for its new soccer park in Waipahu, said Queen's spokeswoman Karen Winpenny.
"Our employees actually replanted them over there," she said.
Of tennis and toilets
Sometime between the answer given to Kokua Line about construction at the Diamond Head Tennis Center and last Saturday, when the answer was printed, something happened."Portable toilets have been put in and will remain until construction is completed," is the latest word from the city parks department.
That was in answer to a complaint that the center's restrooms were closed for more than a month as work to reroof an office building began. The first time, Kokua Line was told that tennis players were surveyed and nixed the idea of installing portable toilets.
Meanwhile, work did not finish yesterday, as initially stated, but will continue for another month.
At least, that's the current word.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Email to kokualine@starbulletin.com