Is this stupid or what?

[deedee]

Just yesterday a cop showed up at my door. Because of the city ordinences, I have to get rid of my 83 datsun 280zx project car. I have to get rid of the car in the next 10 days. Because my car isn't running at the moment. I think that the cops and the city leaders are suck asses. Do you have to go through this were you live???? Tell me what you think

[Pennyman]

Did they tell you WHY though? I don't see why there would be a problem unless someone complained against you, or you broke the law somehow... You could have it towed to a buddy's house and keep it there for a week until the cops cool off. Just a thought.

[CoastGuardZ]

I'm failing to see the legality of this. Have you found it written anywhere that says that a running car can't be stored a private residence? I know that if a car is left on the street side (even if in front of your house) for X amount of time it can be considered abandoned and then towed. But if this car is on your property it just doesn't make since.

[hls30.com]

Double check the actual ordinance, the officer will repeat the complaint, and leave out any part of the ordinance that may be to your benefit-mostly because he probably does not know the wording of the ordinance.

IE: Here in Savannah, I got the exact same notice you did, in researching the actual ordinance, I found I could simply move the car to the back yard and keep it covered with a tarp inside a gate, or put the car on a trailer parked parallel to, and within 15' of, an established driveway and be 100% in compliance. It can realy bother neighbors to find out the person they want to control has a brain and can read-when they find out the car didn't have to go away, and there is NOTHING they can do about it.

Once you meet the letter of the ordinance-assuming your neighborhood has no covenants-you can actually file charges of harassment against the neighbors if they continue to have the city check up on you. Talk about turning the tables-I have had no more problems since I asked the city official who came to check on my cars for the third time in a month to inform the complainer (who had hoped to remain anonymous)that another visit from the city on her behalf would result in not only charges of harassment, but also a peace bond-effectively stopping her from being able to walk her own neighborhood. That was 8 years ago.

In my eyes she wanted a power struggle-if she had not, she would have rung my doorbell, and granted me the respect to look me in the eye and talk to me about the problem. She did nothing but call the city. I didn't call the city, I went downtown and got a certified copy the actual ordinance-officials will back down if you know what you are talking about, and can prove it.

In most areas, an official complaint cannot be legally made with out being able to face your accuser-meaning an anonymous complaints are not enforceable-easly thwarted by the city claiming responsability for the complaint-but most city representatives couldn't really care less, or didn't have time to think that up.

Check the actual law, and conform to it-and only it.

Will

[V8-240Z]

Does the car appear to be not running? or have expired tags on it?

Some cities require current tags even on cars parked on private

property. Look up the trespassing laws for your state, you may

find they trespassed. If the car in on your property post a simple

No Trespassing sign and tell them to get off your property.

[chickenwafer]

This is the kind of stuff that really gets to me. What ever happened to "love thy neighbor"? I remember when I was a little kid, I lived in a culdesak. I was friends with just about every person on that street, over 16 houses overall. And not just that street- the streets parrell to it as well. I had more friends than I knew what to do with, and they were all within walking distance. It wasn't until I was a teenager and we moved into a ritzy community with a golf course and neighborhood association board that things started to suck. With the board, you had to file a motion just to plant new bushes! Bushes! Or flowers, or anything else. You weren't allowed sheds, storage areas, or decks larger than 40 sq ft. It was crazy. If you wanted a pool (I remember my dad having a fit about this), you had to have the board approve it, and then the board selected the company to install it. Then you had to pay a $600 annual fee to the board for just having the pool! And, you couldn't have it filled with water after labor day or before March 1st, weather permitting. It was redicuous.

I remember we had this old retired couple that lived directly across the street. The old guy had nothing better to do than sit in his house and peer through the blinds and evesdrop on the neighbors. I remember my aunt came to visit once and parked her car on the side of the road (our side, not even his!) and he called the cops. They used that white chalk to mark the tires, and if you don't move the car within X amount of days it's towed. It was so ridiclous I couldn't believe it.

Another time, I was about 15, I was in my driveway building a trailer for my lawn tractor out of wood (only thing I had at the time) with my friend. Of course, there was a lot of noise with all the hammering, and one neighbor from across the street came running out of house and started yelling that we were causing too much noise and he had to get up to go to work soon. He said he was going to call the cops if we didn't stop. It's crazy.

There's more stupid incidences like these- like when one of my neighbors bought a new edger and decided to edge everybodies lawn without asking- or the time I was playing catch with a friend in the backyard and a neighbor freaked out because he thought the baseball might hit his house so he said I wasn't allowed to play anymore. Stories like these were dime-a-dozen, and you can bet I will never, ever buy a house in a neighborhood with a community board ever.

Dave

[MikeW]

IE: Here in Savannah, I got the exact same notice you did, in researching the actual ordinance, I found I could simply move the car to the back yard and keep it covered with a tarp inside a gate, or put the car on a trailer parked parallel to, and within 15' of, an established driveway and be 100% in compliance.

My father had the same problem in Savannah. In his case I'm certain that it was due to a neighbor calling and complaining; I'm sure the police have better things to deal with. Someone apparently thought the car was abandoned, in his driveway, because it appeared as though hadn't moved in such a long time. I think he just cranked it up and backed it out of the driveway to prove that it wasn't derelict and that was good enough. It does still need a good paint job, however ...

[hls30.com]

On cars that run, and have paperwork(or tags and insurance) that is all it takes-10 feet under its own power..

When the car is not running, it takes more-even if it is tagged and insured.

Will

[george71z]

When I was working on my friends 72 project, we moved the basically stripped car out of my garage. This was so a body man could come look at it during the day while I was at work. I had removed the license plate to work on the T/L finishers; and left it off; as the car would be at a shop by the weekend. I got a notice from our local fire dept., after the car was gone, about an unregistered vehicle on my property. It seems the F.D. handles building code violations in my city. I explained the situation, and he said OK, don't worry about it. Two days later, another F.D. guy shows up, asking about the car. Again, I explained the situation, and told him it was in a shop. Seems a 'neighbor' complained. The car wasn't out there more than 4 days. Bunch of homeowner assoc. Nazis. Couldn't even come by and ASK.

[cremmenga]

Man I love where I live, only 796 people where I live and I can get away with about anything! I feel for you guys!

[bemmerguy714]

I had this same problem. When i told the officer what was the reason. he said that in the city of costa mesa its an eye sore to have a car sitting out side for a long time. so i put it inside my garage.

[sakijo]

You want ridiculous? In certain neighborhoods in Hawaii, they have Associations with "rules." Breaking these "rules" can mean fines or destruction of the "offending" object. Unkempt yards. Laundry hanging to dry in the carport. Walls too high. Acceptable colors for your house. And my favorite: any vehicle in a garage or carport must be wholly inside the structure.

There were actually people going out and measuring or taking pictures of the offending vehicle. People whose boat trailer tongues stick out by as little as 6 inches were cited by the neighborhood association. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that you can't park on the street and can't keep things in your yard.

And they all wondered why I didn't buy there - all the other young people did. And the homes were new. Ha! I bought a 45 year old house in an established neighborhood with no rules what-so-ever. My house is green, and my neighbors' are pink, dark maroon, yellow, light purple, gray and white. The guy down the street has so much junk in his garage that he has to park his car on the street. FREEDOM!

I feel for all of you who have to live with neighborhood Nazis.