HONOLULU (AP) — Several small business owners in Honolulu’s Kakaako neighborhood say they are being extorted to pay for parking in front of their stores.
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports (http://bit.ly/1SfOURv ) that Kakaako Land Co. claims it has the right to rent out parking and tow vehicles parked without authorization because it is the legal owner of several streets.
Kakaako charges $100 or more for each parking space per month, and many business owners say they’re being forced to pay for spots they assumed were owned by the city.
The city and the state’s Hawaiian Community Development Authority say have said they aren’t arbiters in the matter but will try to resolve the conflict.
Kakaako Land declined to comment, but it did issue a brief statement that said people should let the court rule.