San Francisco’s city attorney issued a cease-and-desist demand Monday to a mobile app called MonkeyParking, which allows people to auction public parking spaces that they’re using to other nearby drivers.
In a letter to Paolo Dobrowolny, the CEO of the Rome, Italy-based tech startup, City Attorney Dennis Herrera cited a provision in San Francisco’s police code that prohibits people and companies from buying, selling or leasing public on-street parking and mandates fees of up to $300 for drivers who violate the law.
The warning is the latest attempt by city government officials and state lawmakers nationwide trying to figure out how to regulate Web-based businesses using mobile applications.
Herrera has given MonkeyParking until July 11 to shut down its operations in San Francisco or possibly face a lawsuit under California’s Unfair Competition Law.
Herrera added that MonkeyParking’s app encourages drivers to unsafely use their mobile devices while driving.
