[Mr. Lucky]

The owner of the vehicle can be held responsible because the ticket, in those cases, amounts to a "status" violation and not a crime. The vehicle was where it wasn't supposed to be; a penalty is imposed because of that status, very similar in concept to a parking ticket.

Due process? They don't need no stinkin' due process.

[IronJack]

The owner of the vehicle would have to be demonstrably responsible for the vehicle’s illegal “status.” That this absurdity has passed muster for decades does not mean it’s right or even legally supportable.

The bottom line is that municipalities have to control parking, so they need a coercive tool to do it. They could tow the offending vehicles in every case, but that would be expensive and disruptive. So they’ve taken the easy — and legally ambiguous — way out.