Man could lose house over parking ticket

MILWAUKEE, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A Milwaukee man could lose his house because of an unpaid $50 parking ticket, officials said.

The city foreclosed on Peter Tubic's house several weeks ago, The Milwaukee Journal reports. Over several years, with interest and late fees, the amount Tubic owed the city had grown to $2,600.

A hearing is scheduled next week. The house, built by Tubic's parents in 1967, is worth about $245,000.

Mayor Tom Barrett said in August he would find help for Tubic.

"I can't sit by and watch a man who is clearly suffering from mental debilitation lose his home because of a $50 ticket," Barrett said. "My next step is to reach out to the mental health community to see whether they can have contact with him."

More recently, the mayor has said he believed Tubic had the help he needed because he had a lawyer.

The case began in 2004 when Tubic parked an unlicensed van in the driveway of what was then his parents' house. They have since died.