Fines and costs reportedly total nearly $6,000.
You may recall an interesting story we covered back in early May. To refresh your memory, a BMW owner in California was served a lawsuit by two neighbors over the loss of “quiet enjoyment” of their homes. The defendant’s alleged loud exhaust and reckless driving in the neighborhood pushed them to seek over $10,000 in damages. Apparently, the plaintiffs made a strong case because a judge ruled in their favor.
The ruling wasn’t quite as large as the plaintiffs were seeking, but Tire Meets Road reports a total payout of $5,914.74 was levied against Bryan Hillman, the BMW owner in question. The report also states Hillman’s mother was part of the suit, as she is the alleged owner of the house where Hillman lives. The judgment was reportedly for $5,000 and $500 for the plaintiffs, plus court costs and other fees. It’s not quite the amount originally sought, but it’s not exactly chump change either.
Tweets from Hillman appear to show portions of the complaints, with the neighbors claiming five years of loud, reckless behavior behind the wheel. The complaints also mention verbal assault and intimidation, and according to Tire Meets Road, the neighbors made multiple attempts to address the situation before going to court.
Browsing through Hillman’s Twitter account, it appears he owns at least three BMWs including an E39 5 Series, an E46 3 Series, and an E36 3 Series. Whether one car or all three contributed to this legal decision is unclear, but our original story included a tweet from Hillman doing a powerslide through a cul-de-sac that has since been removed. It’s possible that video contributed to the judge ruling in favor of the plaintiffs after just 20 minutes of deliberation. Both the report and a tweet from Hillman state that the judgment has already been paid.
We won’t step into the realm of opinion here. It’s clear the court found ample evidence to hold Hillman guilty, and judging by the litany of negative comments in a tweet he posted on July 26 regarding how “Y’all really f—-d the car scene so badly for a story,” there’s more than enough opinion to go around. Due to strong language we won’t embed the tweet here, but clicking the link above should tell you all you need to know.
There’s nothing wrong with building a car however you want and enjoying it. However, there’s a time and a place for that enjoyment. It’s a lesson worth highlighting, because some people learn it harder than others but it’s a lesson every car enthusiast must face at some point.
Sources:
Tire Meets Road, DrunkBry (@staticb1tch) via Twitter
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