Question: I procrastinated. Is it too late to get help finishing my taxes, with that program you mentioned a while back?
Answer: No, although you should contact the AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program directly, to confirm that your preferred site is available; many wind down over the next few days.
For specific information, call 888-227-7669 and follow the voice prompts, or go online to 808ne.ws/taxaide2018 and input your ZIP code. Either method will give you nearby locations, hours, contact information and whether an appointment is required.
Once you are assured of assistance, be sure to bring all necessary identification and paperwork, including a copy of last year’s U.S. and Hawaii income tax returns. You can find a list of required documents on the website.
This free, annual program relies on trained volunteers to help low- to moderate-income taxpayers prepare basic federal and state income tax returns. AARP membership is not required. The program generally kicks off in early February and ends by mid-April.
Q: What is the law concerning parking along a cul-de-sac in a residential area? We have a neighbor whose boarder has parked the car there for 24 hours at a time. Large trucks and TheHandi- Van have difficulty maneuvering the turn and have to back up. Our concern is what if an emergency arises and firetrucks or ambulances have to get to the neighbor’s house (or ours) in a hurry?
A: It is illegal to park within a cul-de-sac, per the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu Section 15-14.1(a)(27), which you can read at 808ne.ws/nopark.
Parking is prohibited within the turnaround area of any dead-end street; it doesn’t have to be in a residential area. No sign is required designating this as a no-parking zone. A violation may carry a $35 fine, according to the Honolulu Police Department.
As you noted, emergency-response vehicles, garbage trucks and other large essential vehicles need cul-de-sacs clear so that they can turn around easily.
Q: Auwe. There are so many cars and trucks parked on our street now — both sides — that we can barely make it in and out of our house without scraping the sides of those vehicles. OK, I am exaggerating, but not by much.
A: Get out your measuring tape. Parking so as not to obstruct traffic is covered by ROH Sect. 15-14.3, which prohibits parking in such a manner that leaves less than 10 feet of the width of the street or alley for the free movement of vehicular traffic.
If the situation on your street is as dire as you describe, perhaps it is overdue for enforcement.
Financial literacy fair
April is Financial Literacy Month, so a state department is hosting an informational fair to help people learn how to avoid scams, invest wisely, plan for retirement and more. The event is scheduled for today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tamarind Park, 1001 Bishop St., in downtown Honolulu.
Hosted by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs’ Office of the Securities Commissioner, the fair will feature government agencies and nonprofit organizations sharing information about saving and investing, insurance, preparing for homeownership, dealing with credit, preventing financial fraud, saving for retirement and other personal-finance topics.
Mahalo
I would like to thank Scott, a gentle giant with a mohawk, who is a driver for the opala recycling. He’s so kind to this senior citizen by returning my emptied bins to my garage on Saturdays, especially when it’s raining. Some people do unexpected good deeds, and Scott is one of them. — Gratefully, a Kaneohe senior
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
