Abandoned/Derelict Vehicle Ordinance

This ordinance needs to be rewritten.

You can be charged for having a working vehicle with expired plates parked on your private property, under the abandoned/derelict vehicle ordinance - section 217.040.  I was just cited for this today, for a vehicle with plates that expired 8 months ago.  The vehicle is parked in my driveway, at the end of a cul-de-sac, in fine condition.  This is the same ordinance which prevents citizens from jacking their junk car up, popping the hood and leaving it like that in the front yard for months at a time.  I do not feel that my situation should be included in the same policy.

Please tell me that we are not wasting our taxpayers' money to send cops to go around and check every single license plate on every single vehicle parked in every single driveway in this city. 

Here is an excerpt from the ordinance, which says to me that they can cite any vehicle they so please, under this ordinance:  "The open storage of inoperable and/or unregistered vehicles OR OTHER VEHICLES is a public nuisance and is prohibited." 

Why do we allow our alderman to create rules that give them authority to charge citizens at their discretion like this?  This vehicle is not abandoned nor is it derelict, but this is the ordinance that it has been cited under.  Earlier this year, I purchased a newer vehicle and haven't had the time or money to fix the ball joints on my "derelict" vehicle, which causes it to fail the safety inspection.

I'm astounded that we, as a society, can nit pick at things like this, with all the other problems we face.

So, the city wants me to junk my truck because I can't fix it right away, which will cause me to incur a much higher expense later down the road, when I have to buy another truck. 

Am I completely out of line by thinking I should be allowed a little more discretion over the private property that I own?