Neighborhood in unincorporated Covina frustrated by resident's 48-car collection

By James Figueroa, Staff Writer
Posted: 10/31/2010 07:03:47 AM PDT

A home at the corner of Aspan Avenue and Kingside Drive is seen Wednesday, October 27, 2010 in unincorporated Covina. Neighbors are frustrated with the owner who has a collection of cars that he parks throughout the neighborhood and a backyard filled with car parts. (SGVN/Staff Photo By Sarah Reingewirtz)



LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Drive around the unincorporated area west of Covina, and you might notice them: a dented and discolored black Plymouth parked near a divider island on Lark Ellen Avenue; a black Dodge Dart with a busted side window on Cypress Street, glass shards still fanned out on the asphalt; a line of three oldies veiled by car covers sitting along Aspan Avenue.
The cars look like abandoned junkers, but neighbors say they all belong to one man, Mark Shoff, who keeps the vehicles spread throughout the area.
"He treats it like his own personal parking lot," said resident Janet Bubbert, who filed a complaint with the county last year.
DMV records confirm Shoff, 51, as the registered owner of 48 cars, although neighbors say he probably has more. There is no limit on the number of cars an individual can own, a DMV spokesman said.
Shoff didn't respond to attempts to contact him, and no one answered knocks at his door.
Shoff lives in the 16000 block of Kingside Drive, and keeps five vehicles - none showing registration more recent than 1999 - crammed in his front driveway. About 10 other cars are parked nearby, many of them showing overdue tags from June and July.
Neighbors say Shoff's backyard is a blackened jungle of discarded car parts, and one tire is perched on a brick wall near an access gate.
The house, which Shoff shares with his 81-year-old mother, is kept dark. The windows are obscured by blinds.
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"I think it's just very inconsiderate," said Henry Sanabria, whose backyard abuts Shoff's. "This is basically a nuisance."
Sanabria was among those who signed a petition in hopes the county could resolve the situation, but many neighbors feel resigned that the county can't do anything about it.
There has been at least one attempt to provide relief. Last year, the Department of Public Works put up signs that forbid Tuesday parking on Aspan Avenue, which runs next to Shoff's corner house. The county uses the day to sweep the streets.
County officials are keeping tabs on the situation, including Supervisor Mike Antonovich's office, spokesman Tony Bell said.
Sanabria and others say Shoff is aware of county regulations and works to avoid trouble. Shoff never parks cars on the front lawn, which is against the law.
But there are few restrictions for parking on county roads.
"If they're savvy enough to move them every 72 hours, then they know the system, and that's frustrating for residents," Public Works spokesman Bob Spencer said.
Shoff doesn't move them far, according to Bubbert. To avoid being towed, he allegedly rolls them a few inches to erase any marks that
A home at the corner of Aspan Avenue and Kingside Drive, at right, is seen Wednesday, October 27, 2010 in unincorporated Covina. Neighbors are frustrated with the owner who has a collection of cars that he parks throughout the neighborhood and a backyard filled with car parts. Some of the cars are seen parked on Aspan Ave. (SGVN/Staff Photo By Sarah Reingewirtz)


might have been left by parking enforcement. Bubbert may be the resident who is the most familiar with Shoff - she was in the same class at Northview High School, although they weren't friends.
Problems with Shoff's collection of cars began about 20 years ago, Bubbert said.
"Now it's gotten totally out of hand," she said.
At least one neighbor became so frustrated by the situation that he packed up and moved away, said Armando Granillo, who lives several houses away from Shoff on Kingside.
"It's like he's sticking it in your face," said Granillo, who added that it's difficult to hold gatherings because there is not parking.
Shoff does avoid parking cars where anyone has complained, and one neighbor said he is respectful.
He also follows the "no parking" law, residents said.
On Monday nights, Shoff and a female companion move cars off Aspan to other streets in the neighborhood. After the street sweeping period ends at noon on Tuesday, Shoff moves those cars back.
"All (the signs) have done is increase his workload," Sanabria said.
But he added that there was one benefit.
The black coat of oil that once covered the street is almost gone.

In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government. Such regions are generally administered by default as a part of larger administrative divisions, such as a township, borough, county, state, province, canton, parish, or country. Occasionally small towns disincorporate, such as when they become fiscally insolvent, and services become the responsibility of a higher administration. An example is Cabazon, California, which disincorporated in 1972.