Sandra May, 83, Sues Honolulu Over $590,000 Fine From 59-Day Rental Listing Glitch
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 13
Sandra May, 83, Sues Honolulu Over $590,000 Fine From 59-Day Rental Listing Glitch
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 13
Summary
Federal court filings say Honolulu fined 83-year-old Sandra May $10,000 a day for 59 days after a rental platform glitch displayed short-term availability on her listing.
May says the apartment was set to Honolulu’s legal 30-day minimum and that she missed the violation notice because she was hospitalized after a serious car crash.
The fines grew to $590,000 before she could correct the listing, and the city has since placed a lien on her home and blocked services including driver’s license and vehicle-registration renewals.
Her lawsuit argues the penalty violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on excessive fines; her lawyers say Honolulu has issued more than $90 million in similar advertising-violation penalties.
Honolulu bars rentals and even advertising for stays under 30 days outside designated resort zones, and the city said it could not comment on the pending case.