We’re from the government and here to screw up your life.

The City of Milwaukee is about to steal a man’s home. No, this isn’t because they want to build a highway. Nor is it about transferring the property to some private developer. They are taking the man’s home because he failed to pay a parking ticket!

Peter Tubic, 62, is the victim of government theft and his home, valued at about a quarter of million dollars, is going to be sold by the city in order to pay the parking ticket.

Tubic, who is on social security disability because of mental and physical problems, was ticketed for having an unlicensed car. The car, however, was sitting in his driveway at the time. It was parked on private property and not on a public road. The fine was $50. Then the city tacked on additional penalties to the fine amounting to $2,600.

At the time the home belonged to Mr. Tubic parents. Tubic was caring for them at the time. His father had dementia and his mother was dying of cancer. And in spite of his own disabilities he was their live-in caretaker. The vehicle had a broken radiator. In order to license the vehicle the renew the license the car had to have the radiator fixed and Tubic couldn’t afford that. The vehicle was fined for violating city zoning laws.

Tubic says a bureaucrat came by the house and ordered him to fix the vehicle and he intended to do that. But a couple of days later his father died and he was overwhelmed by the death and the tasks he faced.

By the way, the ticket is only four years old. You try to figure out the interest on a $50 fine to reach $2,600 in just four years. If the interest were 100% per year the fine would be just $800. The City of Milwaukee apparently charges interest that is well in excess of most Mafia loan sharks. And apparently they enforce their “deals” with the same sort of brutality. Instead of busting a kneecap the City, however, steals a man’s home. All Tubic’s taxes (payments politicians demand in order to let you use your own property) were paid in full. The only issue was the fine for violating zoning laws by having a van without license plates parked in his driveway.

Of course the compassionate city says that Tubic is allowed to rent his own home from the city until they sell it from underneath him. But then he’ll have to negotiate rent from the new owners.

According to Social Security, Mr Tubic has psychological disabilities that restrict his “ability to understand, remember and carry out detailed instructions”. He also suffers from degenerative diseases of the knees and spine, has a chronic respiratory disease and diabetes.

The City of Milwaukee has a court date set for September 11th, a day favored by terrorists of all sorts apparently. The plan, at this time, is for them to confiscate the house. All this because of a $50 fine for a “zoning violation”. You can contact Mayor Tom Barrett at (414) 286-2200 or at mayor@milwaukee.gov.