Got a letter saying I was in violation of city ordinance. What a bunch of BS. My car is not currently registered because I don't drive it, and it is parked in my driveway on private property. They're trying to say it is an abandoned car and that they may use force to remove it and I will be fined $500 minimum and each day the car sits there a separate and additional offense is committed. The letter says 'after an investigation we have found' ... I'd like to know who complained or how the so called 'investigation' got started. I think maybe I'll just register it under a classic car tag now that it's over 25 years old. I'll pay the $55 for a custom classic car plate and my plate will read: "FCK YOU" Again I'd like to know who contacted the city and said I was violating some code. The car is titled and while the paint job isnt the best it is by no stretch a junk car. Sounds to me like they're trying to "investigate" into my wallet to get some money. It's a classic car I keep on private property and I do-not need tags because it is not being driven.
We had the same thing pop up in our town a couple of years ago. Go to your neighbors, hell, go all around town and get a petition signed to abolish the bull$hit law. There should be certain restrictions on the law: dollar value, age, running condition, etc. that will be stipulated in the lawbooks. Check it out and see what you find
i will be willing to bet it was your neighbor. do you live in a nice area where people got lots of money.. i dont think you would be written up if you had a shiny 05 mustang just sitting there unregistered crapola
After you get your tags, go do a major burnout in the street every day as the person who reported you probably lives close by and will wish they kept their mouth shut. On the other hand the deed restrictions only seem bad when they effect you and for the wrong purpose, but they do keep real abandoned cars from piling up around your neighborhood and protect your property value. If they make and exception for you then image the guy down the street who has a rusted out 78' woody station wagon that is leaking oil all over that does look like crap saying his is a classic too. Or the guy who parks his dump truck in front of his house just down the street, you have to draw the line some where. I agree this seems harsh and miss-directed in your case, but IMO if you want to keep classic cars on your property while it is not registered, put it in the garage. IMO a II should not be out of the elements anyhow......
It was a neighbor complaint. Check into your locla laws. Here where I am, you can't have an unregistered car on the front of the property like that. You can have it in the back yard, as long as it's either covered, or fenced in on all side so that it's out of public view. I had the same issue myself. I found out who it was, talked with them, and they agreed to let me put a cover on it. But the town still contacted me to see if I took care of it.
Called the city, they said it doesnt have to be registered .. just has to function as it did from the factory. HMMM how can they tell it's non-operational just by looking at it. Some person complained and I'd like to find out who. The woman said as long as it looks like it runs she'll just write the case off as being ok. Got an appointment scheduled with her to come look at it.
I would suggest buying a cheap car cover for it before she comes. Shows you are making an effort to work with the neighbors, and it might even get them off your back.
We have a similar ordnance here, I got a 10-day warning once for having a For Sale sign on my boat in my driveway.
All too familiar. I hav a real ( blanked for long explicitives) Bimbo accross from me. Five years of trouble and counting. She hats that I have more than one vehicle period let alone the four in my driveway. Mine all are plated, so that helps. She even put a letter one time in my mailbox (no name of course). We responded in kind. The county even told her essentially to go to hell. Mind you that is only one aspect of the crud she does. You would not believe the stuff and rumors she spreads about everyone on the block. We're just her favorite target. Shes' the kind of people who run a housing association as their personnal empire, unchecked. I could go on for days about her. She hates that I help other people out all the time. Ii is a fairly regular occurance that I am helping someone get their car fixed, including the neighbors. But I've enjoyed the last month or so when her husband had me fix his chevy truck. Yes I took all day, so it would just chaff on her!!!! I agree to a point about the nusicence laws, but there are obvious differences between junked cars and trash everywhere, and someone who has one or maybe a couple of cars they are working on etc. If it such an issue, the neighbors can knock on your door and ask for a car cover or whatever. Sounds like you just got a Bi**H like I do.
Ya John, when I talked to the inspector I specifically asked her how this all came about. She told me an investigation was done due to a COMPLAINANT making contact with them. Someone is trying to be an ass. I have a hell of a lot more respect for people who are forthcoming and honest. I really dislike cowards who are too afraid to confront people on things. If a neighbor had come to talk to me in a friendly or suggestive way I most definitely would've tried to make them happy. Now I'll get some custom plates for it and I'll drive it regularly when I'm done working on it. Not only will they have to see it, they'll have to hear it. And I'll be glad I could oblige.
Are you fawking kidding me? It's your private property! The car and your land! My mustang has set broken down on many occassions! I got in trouble once because it was at an apt complex and the tire had gone down from sitting too long. We fixed the tire and they left us alone.
Simple solution is to keep it plated/tagged/registered..whatever they call it in your area. Plates for a II here are only about $20, I can't imagine they're much more anywhere else. I realize most (all?) states have a compulsory insurance law, but at least here you can still tag it w/o insurance (although it gets a distinctive sticker). Glenn, I understand what you say about people coming to you to discuss it, but you have to remember that it's 2005 and people are just plain nuts. Nobody knows their neighbor any more, and people have been killed over stupid stuff like this. Lots of people fear the unknown, so they just let the law handle it. Might not be a bad idea for all of us to be proactive rather than reactive...get out, meet your neighbors, and let them know that your car(s) are not junkers, that you're doing your best to make them look as good as you can, and that you too care about the quality of your neighborhood. And lastly, do we take an honest look at what our stuff looks like? I mean to us,4 or 5 different colors of body parts aren't a big deal, but to the average non-car fanatic, it's an eyesore. Kinda like my lawn to the mowing freak that lives next door...nice guy, but does anybody really need to mow 3 times a week?
Another solution..........build a garage and work on the car That's where I'm at right now....needed a place to work on the car(s) so I found a house with an attached garage and detached pole barn. Yeah, I'm in second heaven. White Cobra in progress Black Cobra resting 88 GT needs fuel lines 76 T-top (Stang2Man's) needs interior, engine, tranny
So you wouldn't mind if your neighbors decided to store toxic waste on their property? Or old oil rigs, semi trailers, or any of a thousand other things that most people would rather not look at? Someday, when you grow up, you'll understand about things like property values, getting along with neighbors, and that things you do/leave in public view affect those around you. It costs nothing to get along with neighbors, and goes a long ways towards public goodwill for the old car hobby, which if you weren't aware, is under almost daily attack by those who seek to legislate old cars out of existance.
Forget having her come and "look at it". Is your driveway long enough to spin the tires for a couple of seconds without leaving your property? That's one SURE way of showing her (as well as the annoying complainant) that your II is anything BUT derelict or abandoned
But seriously, If you're going to get plates on the car, at least contact your insurance company and get storage insurance. I've seen it multiple times where the state will send out letters requesting to see that the registered vehicle is insured. A lot of times, people get their licenses suspended because of this. Options: Make nice with neighbors / car cover / get plates / or just say pi$$ on the law
You know that, I know that, but obviously someone in Glenn's neighborhood disagrees. To them, it's the same as any "undesirable" item. As 74ProII demonstrated, the world is full of busybodies, and the squeaky wheel usually gets the grease. Sure, my example was extreme, but it's really no different than not cutting your grass...let it go long enough, and the city is going to enter your property and do it, regardless of your wishes, then bill you for it. Best bet , live out of incorporated areas. But it's not for everybody.
This is a bone of contention with me. I've lived in the same spot since 1979. Since that time town has encroached on me. I was way out of the city limits back then, now the city wants to annex me and make me abide by the cities covenants. Not only do I get higher property taxes but they are trying to force me to take things like city water, since the new line runs by my house, at a cost of over $9000. I've lived fine on the water I've been drinking for all these years but they will hear nothing of it. They will put a lien against the house if I don't comply and it will be paid when/if I sell the house. I have found that in most states (FL excluded) you don't "own" land, you are merely renting it from big brother. If you don't believe that, try going without paying property taxes and see what happens. I'm all for rules and regulations but I think it's getting ridiculous. BTW I know all my neighbors and am friendly with all of them and they have no objection to all my old cars but I keep the nice ones in the shop and projects/parts cars in the barn. However a few of the parts cars have made it outside behind the barn and I guess I'll be in violation of a law that until this year didn't exist. I moved out of the city for a reason but what do you do when the city moves to you? I was here first but in the eyes of the cities forefathers, that has no merit. They have lawyers on retainer and will wear me out in court, so I just have to suck it up. God Bless America.
