Parking tickets are nothing new – until they’re issued on your property.

The Irmo Council adopted a law Jan. 16 to fine residents for parking on their lawns.

It went into effect Aug. 1.

An educational period filled the months in between.

The council aimed to improve the community’s appearance.

Increased property values were a hoped-for side effect.

The law’s benefits are being debated.

Irmo mayor Hardy King said it’s good for the neighborhood.

It will increase resale values. Before the law, they were in decline, he claimed.

Fewer people wanted to move in because of “eyesores” in town, King said — like dead grass and cars in lawns.

Some residents disagree.

They say the ordinance is costly and parking pads are unsightly.

Council candidate Dan Newbanks said offenders can be fined up to $1,087.50 with possible jail time.

For first offenses, 2 weeks notice is allowed.

The second time, a ticket can be written immediately.

Only “temporary” parking is allowed on lawns.

“It shall be unlawful to park any vehicle anywhere in the front yard of a residence except in the driveway or a parking area approved by Zoning Administrator,” the ordinance states. “Parking on the grass, front lawn area of any residence is allowed for visitors and for temporary parking as long as it does not kill the grass. Parking on dirt areas in the front lawn area of a home is not allowed, except for temporary use by visitors.”

King said the educational phase was effective.

Originally, 522 homes were found with cars parked in their yards. At the beginning of August, only 22 of them, and 144 others, were in violation.

Of the 166, only two were ticketed, King said.

One paid a $50 court fee. The other, nothing.

Opponents say some can’t afford the parking pads now required to park on their property.

The ordinance does list a number of low-cost parking pad materials, King said.

Pine bark, pine straw and mulch are a few. There just needs to be a defined border.

Street parking has become an alternative.

Some members of the community are voicing their concern.

They have spoken out online and at council meetings.

“There’s a massive uproar,” Newbanks said.

One Irmo business paid for a full-page, color ad in The Lake Murray News endorsing a petition to repeal the ordinance.

Gloria Jordan and Brandi Clarkson are two Irmo residents who founded it.

“The council won’t listen to us,” Jordan said.

They said they went through the SC Election Commission to create the petition.

With enough signatures, the council will have to readdress the ordinance.

If still upheld, Jordan said a referendum for its repeal will be placed on the ballot.

At the Okra Strut, many out-of-towners approached the petition booth to sign too, Clarkson said.

Newbanks is on board with the repeal.

“[Its repeal] will be the first thing on my list” if elected, he said.

Calling himself an advocate of private property, he says the government has overstepped its bounds.

King disagrees.

“Rights also come with responsibilities,” he said. Residents have a role in maintaining Irmo.

Clarkson and Jordan think the appearance is worse now.

They despise the patchwork of parking pads. Clarkson said it will devalue the town.

Beyond that, pine straw is a fire hazard under cars, Jordan added.

It’s still being used since it’s the cheapest option, she said. Some can’t afford anything else. “It’s a lot of people’s grocery budget.”

King said the cost can be low.

“I fuss, too, when I pay my electric bill,” King said. “That’s life. We’d all rather spend our money on something else.”

Parking on the street can create hazards on narrow roads, Newbanks added.

Irmo reinstated street parking only after residents were being fined for parking in the street and cited for parking in their yards, Jordan and Clarkson claimed.

Hit and runs are a looming concern, Jordan added.

There have been issues with mail being delivered. Street-parked cars are blocking mailboxes, she added.

They could block emergency vehicles.

Newbanks calls this ordinance a “waste of resources.”

Some visitors have been harassed with warning tickets for even temporarily parking on lawns.

“Several people’s visitors have been approached by the police,” Clarkson said, adding that her grandma was one of them.

“That’s not something that screams ‘welcome to Irmo,’” Newbanks said.

This ordinance was a compromise from the original version. It banned all yard parking, King said.