A 102-year-old wheelchair-bound Auckland man and his 70-year-old son have been ordered to paint a vandalized fence or face a hefty fine worth thousands of dollars.
Victor Silva painted over the black and red graffiti on the backyard fence of his home of the past 80 years after the city of Oakland set a March 19 deadline. According to KTVU.
“[I] I grabbed a roller and a paintbrush and just painted,” Silva told the outlet.
If Silva fails to comply with the order, he will be fined $1,100, including an additional $1,277 for each re-examination he fails.
Ms. Silva said she had been overwriting the recurring graffiti herself for years without any problems, but as she advanced into her later years, it became increasingly difficult.
“It was pretty easy because I was a contractor. I’m going to be 103 in about two months, so that slowed me down a little bit,” Silva added.
Silva’s family condemned the city’s “absurd” actions over the recurring issue.
“It was so ridiculous, it felt like a joke. When you drive around town and see graffiti everywhere, you don’t know what to say,” said Elena Silva, Silva’s daughter-in-law. told the magazine.
The burden now falls on his son, Victor Silva Jr., 70, who insists that no matter what is done to prevent vandalism, the graffiti will continue to appear.
“It’s hard to keep doing it because as soon as you draw, it gets graffitied again and it doesn’t last long,” Silva Jr. said.
Mr Silva’s family pointed out that a utility box just yards from the fence was covered in graffiti, further incensing why his 102-year-old father had been threatened with a fine.
“I don’t want to think that that will happen, but [are] There are other 100-year-olds who are being harassed like this,” Silva Jr. said.
Unfortunately, Silva Jr. has grown accustomed to the city’s rampant corruption.
He manages a small nearby commercial building run by his family, which he says has been broken into three times in the last year alone, and once had an encounter with a vagrant inside.
Silva Jr. said he calls 911 every time, but the problem hasn’t subsided.
“We’re being put on hold every time. So it’s hard to understand where our tax dollars are going. They can’t answer 911, but they can hassle you about the fence, right? Do you want it?”
“Auckland has to change,” Silva Jr. said, adding that if crime is not tackled, the systems in place are simply “not working.” But his elderly father is facing a hefty fine for something out of his control.
According to KTVU, city inspectors are aware of the issue and plan to inspect the fence immediately. The inspector general also said he would consider revoking the subpoena.
While the city targets elderly people for property vandalism, crime appears to be on the rise in Oakland.
The number of robberies in 2024 increased by 34% compared to the previous year.
Police respond to sudden increase in robberies public safety advisory March 13th.
The advisory says Oakland police are making “progress” in reducing rampant crime, but still asks the public to remain vigilant.
Car theft is also a major problem in the city.
Auckland’s car theft numbers in 2023 were the highest in more than a decade, with more than 14,700 thefts reported. KTVU.
