Hearing Examiner

Executive Summary

The City of Bellingham Hearing Examiner conducted a virtual appeal hearing regarding the Memorial Day weekend impound of Callie McSpadden's 2012 Toyota Highlander with Nevada plates. The vehicle was towed from Franklin Street on May 24, 2025, as part of citywide no-parking enforcement for the Memorial Day Parade staging areas. McSpadden challenged both the validity of the impound and the associated towing and storage fees, which exceeded $600. The case presents a classic tension between municipal event management needs and resident notification requirements. City staff testified that proper advance notice was given through temporary signage posted by May 20, following established procedures for the annual parade. However, McSpadden argued she received no effective notice due to visual obstructions from hedges, her recent relocation from Nevada, medical mobility limitations, and the lack of door-to-door notification for residents along the staging route. Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice will issue a written decision within 10 business days, by June 30, 2025, determining whether the impound was valid and whether McSpadden is entitled to reimbursement of her fees.

Key Decisions & Actions

No formal decisions were made during this hearing. This was an evidentiary proceeding where testimony and documents were submitted for the Hearing Examiner's consideration. The appeal challenges the validity of a Memorial Day weekend vehicle impound and seeks reimbursement of towing and storage fees exceeding $600. **Pending Decision:** Written determination on the validity of the impound and whether appellant is entitled to fee reimbursement, due by June 30, 2025.

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Notable Quotes

**Sharon Rice, on accepting testimony:** "I'm able to accept your statement that you work remotely. I'm going to accept that at face value and believe that it's true." **Greg Coulter, on enforcement procedures:** "The whole purpose of our impound was to make sure that the streets were clear, so they had adequate space for their preparation." **Callie McSpadden, on notification failures:** "There's no signage visible from that point. We have large green hedges, and there's no ability to have seen any signs that were posted there." **Greg Coulter, on the 72-hour rule:** "Bellingham, as we all know, is a place without a lot of off street parking, and it's getting less and less by the day." **Callie McSpadden, on equal protection:** "That does not fall under consistent enforcement and does violate the equal protection claims whenever making that assumption in a judgment call." **Callie McSpadden, on Memorial Day significance:** "For me to have spent my Memorial day having to arrange transportation to get to a Tow Yard... having to spend over $600 to get my vehicle back, being how I spent Memorial day as a family of the military."