A Michigan judge has kicked over 200 Teslas out of a suburban Detroit shopping center parking lot after sitting there virtually untouched for months. On June 4, 47th District Court Judge Marla Parker ordered that the owner of Hunter’s Square shopping mall in Farmington Hills had to remove the vehicles by June 25 because keeping them there was in violation of city code.
City Manager Gary Mekjian said the Teslas were completely gone by June 19, according to Automotive News. At their peak, there were 204 Teslas being kept in that mall’s parking lot, waiting for fools to buy them. Right now, it’s not clear where the vehicles ended up being taken.
Here’s what Mekjian told AutoNews about the situation and an ordinance that barred the cars from being stored at the mall:
“The city of Farmington Hills is committed to upholding city ordinances that preserve the character of neighborhoods and business corridors, encourage responsible development, and protect the safety and quality of life of all who live, work, and visit here,” Mekjian said. “Those ordinances help maintain community standards and consistent enforcement supports the long-term success and well-being of the entire community.”
A long time coming
This whole situation has been ongoing for months at this point. The mall’s property manager had been notified as early as March 13 that storing these Teslas wasn’t allowed on the property. On March 11, a complaint was filed that indicated “approximately 20 brand new Tesla vehicles” had been “parked in the lot suddenly,” according to AutoNews. If I lived nearby, that would definitely piss me off. Nobody wants to look at that many Cybertrucks on a daily basis.
A property manager apparently fired back, saying the store had received approval “by two previous code enforcement officers” since Tesla had a lease for that use. That might have been a lie, though, because the city’s zoning division supervisor said there was “no evidence” of that happening.
Tesla employees who were seen picking up the cars weeks ago told CBS News Detroit that the vehicles are sold and marked for delivery, and the nearby service center’s owner also owns the shopping center. Back in February, Tesla opened a new-vehicle showroom and service center in a former Barnes & Noble store nearby in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
“I thought that was interesting, surprising, must be a zoning issue … It’s interesting the service center doesn’t have space,” someone who lives near the mall told CBS.
