WASHINGTON - The District's used car dealers joined Councilman Marion Barry Friday to blast Mayor Adrian Fenty's crackdown on the city's car lots.

Barry plans to introduce emergency legislation Tuesday that will keep the businesses in business. The law would scrap limitations on the number of vehicles that can be parked on the used car lots, which Fenty claims are actually used as illegal storage lots for vehicles awaiting shipment overseas.

An ABC 7 News camera was rolling as a D.C. inspector surprised used car dealer Domenico Panza Friday with a a $2,000 fine for running an illegal parking lot on the property.

"I'm scared to do anything wrong!" said Panza, who runs A and P Wholesale in Northwest.

Panza showed us his application for a license, dated February 2009. But he doesn't have the actual license. Panza said he's not sure what happened, but because of new stricter city regulations, he's not allowed to keep more than four cars for sale on his lot. He says he needs the parking lot to bring in money.

Under current regulations, used car dealers need to build a permanent structure to house vehicles and their headquarters.

"It's designed to force you out of business," declared James Route, who has run Jimmy's Auto for twenty years.

Route says he's given the city millions in revenue, but if he's forced to build a structure to house his cars -- he'll be forced into early retirement.

Many dealers say they've taken to storing vehicles in their own driveways to keep them from being towed by the city. 

Mayor Fenty defended his new rules in an interview with ABC 7 News last week, saying used car lots create public health and safety concerns.

"The used car lots are blighted. They bring too much blight," he said.

Barry went so far as to say the mayor was lying about the car dealers not being on the up and up. He even spelled it out, "L-Y-I-N-G."

Barry also said he already has the support of seven other council members.

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