Question: Must a trailer have a boat on it to be considered a vehicle? A neighbor got rid of his old boat a long time ago but left a trailer on the street, taking up parking space. Another neighbor discouraged me from reporting it as abandoned because there’s no boat on it. This is on Oahu.
Answer: No. If the trailer is abandoned on a city street you can report it to Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services using the online form at 808ne.ws/vehab, which lists boat trailer (BOAT TRL) as an option in the pull-down section describing types of vehicles. Or you can use the HNL 311 app to report the problem; see details at hnl311.com. (Don’t use the old Honolulu 311 app, which the city scrapped late last year).
If you can’t use the online form or HNL 311, you can report the problem by phone, email or regular mail, according to CSD’s “Report a Concern” webpage, which lists various contact methods; see 808ne.ws/49JEMQ2 for details. By any method, you’ll need to describe the vehicle and provide its location (street address or closest intersection).
According to the online form, “an abandoned vehicle is a vehicle parked on public roadways that has not been attended to for more than 24 hours. A derelict vehicle is a vehicle parked on public roadways that is missing major components and renders it inoperable.”
The public list on the HNL 311 website showed 88 abandoned/derelict vehicle reports pending as of Tuesday.
As for your question about whether a trailer can be considered an abandoned vehicle, the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu are clear on this point. Section 15-13.8(a) says “no person may abandon any vehicle, including a trailer, on a public street or highway. The chief of police or director of customer services is authorized to remove or cause to be removed the abandoned vehicle from the street or highway, and the person abandoning such vehicle shall be liable for all reasonable expenses incurred by the city due to such removal. Leaving vehicles unattended for more than 24 hours constitutes abandonment within the meaning of this section.” Violators are subject to fines of not less than $150 nor more than $500, it says.
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Moreover, trailers must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles, which you can read about at honolulu.gov/csd/trailer-registration.
Q: Shouldn’t kids on skateboards be wearing helmets? We hear about helmet laws for bicyclists, but what about skateboarders?
A: Yes, a state law that took effect in May says “no person under 18 years of age shall operate a skateboard upon a street, roadway, or bikeway, or any other public property, unless the person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened helmet … .” It also says this state law “shall not be construed to legalize the use of skateboards in violation of any county ordinance.” So where any of Hawaii’s counties do allow skateboarding on public property, riders under 18 must wear a helmet. See Hawaii Revised Statutes Section 291C-139.5 for details.
By contrast, the statewide helmet law for bicyclists applies to those 16 and younger, per HRS 291C-150.
Mahalo
In early January, I tripped and fell on Maunakea Street. It was quite a blow and I couldn’t move for a while. Everyone was so good to me, asking what they could do to help and what I needed. Eventually, I was ready to stand up and two or three people lifted me up. One of these was Christian, who, along with his lovely lady friend, even drove me home! Chinatown gets a lot of bad press but I could not have wished for better neighbors that day. My thanks to all of you. — Ann B., Chinatown
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email [email protected].
