Huckleberries: Lawyer can’t get a break – except in her windshield

Anne McLaughlin practices law in Coeur d’Alene. But she’s not rolling in the dough yet. In fact, she’s a fledgling legal eagle, with a boatload of student debt and a 1989 Honda Civic. Her car is the focus of this brief tale. Anne figures it’s worth about $500. Or little more than the cost of a new windshield. Which she needs because her old one was shattered by a foul ball from the American Legion field on June 3. Anne had parked at the lower Diamond Parking lot near the McEuen Field tennis courts during a trip to the lake with her pup. She told Huckleberries that she didn’t see anyone playing on the hardball field when she locked her doors. She discovered the damage to the passenger side of her front windshield when she returned. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have comprehensive insurance on her car. Nor can she afford a big repair bill. So, she sought reimbursement for the damage and feels she’s been bounced around for almost three months since between City Hall and American Legion Baseball. As an attorney, she knows that Idaho law protects the city and Legion from liability in these situations as long as no fee is charged for parking. And there’s the rub. Technically, the city doesn’t charge for parking at the Third Street lot for the first two hours. But the lot seems commercial because parking fees are charged above and beyond two hours. Anne sez it isn’t worth the expense to pursue her claim. But Huckleberries contacted City Attorney Mike Gridley on Friday. He said he’d be glad to look into the matter. Stay tuned … and be careful out there.