LA is TICKETING fire victims?!

How does California help victims of the Eaton Fire? By ticketing the RV they live in out front their damaged home. This is Derek and Shirley Collins. Since 1968, Derek has lived in this Western Altadena home when his mother purchased it. And the Collins' son and daughter were raised here. So when the wildfire ripped through their neighborhood,

they literally used garden hoses to fight it and save their home. While the house survived, it suffered major damage. It's contaminated with toxins and basically unlivable. To complicate matters, their mortgage company won't release the cleanup funds paid out by their insurance company.

The Collins are part of the 80% of fire survivors still displaced, so they've lived in an RV on the street out front their home for over a year. The RV feeds off their electricity panel, uses a city water hose, and has proper disposal for sewage. So it's not like Cousin Eddie and Christmas Vacation. Or everyone on Skid Row.

And plenty of other people in Altadena do it too. There's RVs and storage pods everywhere. But for the Sheriff, this is not included in the recovery plan. The Sheriff suggested they just move to a trailer park. But they have some cool vintage cars, and worry leaving their property unattended could make them a target for theft. So LA County Parking Enforcement gave the Collins two tickets, for $68 each, and the

sheriff showed up four days in a row. The first ticket they successfully appealed, but the status of the second is unknown. If they don't pay the ticket, they incur additional penalties, or even a boot on the RV. And if the RV isn't moved, it could be towed. But moving an RV under their property isn't that easy. It would require the Collins to get a permit, which would include a diagram of where the trailer and its connecting utilities would be. They'd

have to empty their storage shed that's used for a drum house, move the shed, hire a company to move the storage pod, and tear down the front gate. But the LA County Parking Enforcement Lieutenant didn't care. They gave the Collins two weeks to figure it out. After the news caught wind of this, and plenty of public backlash, L.A. County Supervisor Katherine Barger issued a statement saying the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion to evaluate housing options for fire victims. So there's a pause on ticketing for now, and the RV remains on the street. But why is California making it harder, ticketing for now, and the RV remains on the street. But why is California making it harder,

not easier, for fire victims to recover?