I mostly agree, however, 4 decades of non-enforcement, then a sudden change to enforcement is just as chaotic and just as prone to selective enforcement and corruption. The house was sold with a parking pad and that pad was in use for 4 decades - this isn't a case of a new-comer trying to subvert the rule of law. And why would the city mention an exception if said exemption is never granted?

This appears to be a poorly worded regulation that needs to be amended to something reasonable.

Further there's a bunch of old laws still on the books, but rarely enforced.

These are the ones in my state of Idaho.

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/jan/21/did-you-know-t...

Just because it's the law doesn't mean it's right. Where the law is wrong, we have a duty to fight it.

This is some bullshit that reeks of government bureaucrats with an axe to grind.

This kind of bullshit law or regulation doesn’t affect enough people to cause anyone to fight it, and I would venture to say that the vast majority of laws on the books fall into this category. Inch by inch we are divided and disempowered.

Then change the law. If the law only counts when whoever is enforcing it happens to like it then we are all going to have a very bad time.

There needs to be sunset provisions in laws by default that force them to be re-examined on a regular (3 year? 5 year?) basis showing the impact. The onus should be on the government to show that their laws operated as intended or they should be removed by default.

It’s not “their” laws. It’s “our” laws if you live here and have a vote.

The government doesn’t own us. We elect representatives and leaders who make laws (or appoint appointees who make regulations) following a prescribed process.

As much as I desperately want to agree with you, how often do you feel those who are elected share this sentiment? It certainly feels like an “us” versus “them” situation protected by boatloads of money ensuring “they” get to keep acting this way.

Well... it's "theirs" if the laws were made 50 years ago when you didn't exist.

There's a lot of crazy laws on the books.

The law wasn't enforced until somebody complained. That's selective enforcement.