Roseville man loses in court over ticket for warming car in driveway

(WJBK) - A man ticketed for warming up his car in his own driveway got some good news -- and some bad news Thursday in court.

The bad news was the ticket stands, the good news -- someone anonymously paid it for him.

In January Nick Taylor left his car running in his driveway in Roseville to go back into his house to get his 3-year-old daughter.

While inside a police officer gave him a ticket for $128. Police said the law is there to prevent auto thefts.

But the man's attorney says the law does not apply to a person's driveway and the officer didn't protect anyone.

"The officer said this is a public safety issue," Taylor's attorney Nicholas Somberg said. "When I cross-examined him I said did you knock on the door? The car was right next to the house. Did you knock on the door and let him know? He said no. So you left the car just as you found it running with nobody there.

"Did that improve the safety of it, no."

His attorney tells us they will likely appeal.

Donors have given Taylor a remote starter for his car.

It was frigidly cold and Taylor wanted to keep his car running while he ran into his girlfriend's house. But he left it unlocked with the key in the ignition. Chief James Berlin said at the time that it is a problem.

"This is purely a public safety issue," Berlin said last January. "You can't do it. You see it all the time, people hop in a running car and Steal them. Something bad happens when that occurs."

The ticket shows ordinance listed as 99006 but there is no ordinance in the city or state that corresponds to 99006. Under the description of the offense, it lists VEH/MOTOR ON UNATTENDED 895. Ordinance 895 is listed as being part of 'rodent control' on Roseville's website.