A 102-year-old wheelchair-bound Oakland man was ordered to paint over his vandalized fence with his 70-year-old son or face a hefty fine worth thousands.
Victor Silva painted over the black and red graffiti on the back fence of his home he had lived in for the past 80 years after the City of Oakland implemented a March 19 deadline, according to KTVU.
“[I] Just had a roller and a paintbrush and just painted it,” Silva told the outlet.
If Silva failed to comply with the order, he would face a $1,100 fine — including an additional $1,277 each time he failed a re-inspection.
Silva said he had painted over the recurring graffiti himself without issue for years, but it’s become more of a struggle as he gets deeper into his twilight years.
“It was very easy because I was a contractor, you know. I’ll be 103 in two months or so. That slowed it up a little bit, you know,” Silva added.
Silva’s family slammed the “absurd” actions by the city over the reoccurring issue.
“It was so absurd, it’s like a joke. If you drive around the city and see the graffiti everywhere, it’s just I don’t know what to say,” Silva’s daughter-in-law Elena Silva told the outlet.
The burden now falls on his son, Victor Silva Jr., 70, who claims the graffiti keeps popping up no matter what they do to prevent the vandals.
“It’s hard to keep up with it because as soon as we get it painted, It’s gonna be graffiti on it again, and it won’t last,” said Silva Jr.
Silva’s family pointed out that a utility box only yards away from the fence was covered in graffiti, further infuriating them as to why their 102-year-old father was threatened with a fine.
“I would hate to think that there [are] other hundred-year-old people that are being harassed like this,” said Silva Jr.
Silva Jr. has unfortunately grown accustomed to the rampant decay of the city.
He manages his family’s nearby small commercial building, which he said has been broken into three times in the last year alone — once coming face-to-face with a vagrant inside.
Each time, Silva Jr. told the outlet, he’s called 911, but the issue is not subsiding.
“I’m put on hold every time. So it’s hard to understand where our tax dollars are going. They can’t answer 911, but they can come out and hassle you about a fence?”
Silva Jr. noted that “Oakland has to change” and that the system in place is simply “not working” if crimes are not being addressed — but his elderly father is facing hefty fines for something out of his control.
According to KTVU, the city inspector is aware of the issue and will immediately inspect the fence. The inspector also said he would consider canceling the citation.
While the city is out targeting senior citizens for vandalism on their property, crime in Oakland seems to be intensifying.
Robberies were up 34% in 2024 compared to last year.
The surge in robberies prompted police to issue a public safety advisory on March 13.
The advisory states that the Oakland Police Department is making “progress” to reduce the rampant crime but still wants the public to remain vigilant.
Motor vehicle theft has also been a major issue in the city.
In 2023, the number of car thefts in Oakland was the highest it’s been in more than a decade, with more than 14,700 thefts reported — a 44% increase in auto thefts compared to 2022, according to KTVU.
