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DENVER -- A homeless couple, cited multiple times for expired tags on their RV, is accusing the Denver Police Department of harassment..
Brian Williams told Contact 7 that he and his wife, Susan Hurlbut, moved into their RV after losing their life savings.
He said they spent thousands of dollars to purchase a used Jeep and to have it converted into a monster 'rock crawler.'
"We were ripped off," he said, "and it took all of our money."
The couple, who both work part time at a package delivery company, said they parked their RV on Beeler Street, in Northfield, because it's out of the way.
Williams said they received a ticket recently, for parking in a fire lane, and decided to fight it.
"I took pictures of everything," Hurlbut said, "proving that there were...no 'no parking' signs and no red curb."
Hurlbut said she received a response ten days later saying the city was going to cut the fine in half and just charge her $25.
She didn't pay it.
"Then the officer who wrote that first ticket went on some type of crusade," Williams said, "and every day, for five days straight, we've gotten two tickets every day."
The tickets are for expired tags and "misuse" of license plates.
When asked what misuse of plates means, Williams and Hurlbut said they had no idea.
"I can't afford new tags," Hurlbut said.
Denver Police said they sympathize with the couple.
Department spokeswoman Christine Downs said, initially, they just issued the couple a warning, and when that didn't work, they began issuing tickets.
"We received a lot of complaints," she said, "about trash and the amount of vehicles parked there and not moving."
Williams said they don't plan to stick around much longer.
"We want to go to Florida," he said, "but we're waiting for a pending deposition in the court case, (against the company who they claim ripped them off.)
Hurlbut choked up with emotion while describing their situation, on a side street just two blocks away from a subdivision full of half million dollar homes.
She said they can no longer afford to live in what Colorado has become.
"This is my home," she said. "I can't say it anymore. I can't. I grew up here and I was proud to say I lived here, but I'm not anymore."
