Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

bshorey wrote:

To us it may be a treasure, to most of the human race it's an eyesore.

And to me their stupid lawn gnomes, garish bric-a-brac and annoyingly too-green-for-nature grass is an eyesore.  Oddly, I would never dream of calling the city on their personal taste in decoration.

I have made a point not to live in a neighborhood without stupidly restrictive covenants and where I see a decent mix of older and newer cars.  No gated community wants me as a tenant and the feeling is mutual.

Also helps if most of your neighbors are elderly and need occasional help with things around the house...if anyone were to call code enforcement on me, they would ferret out who they are (nothing else to do all day) and I could address their concerns.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

OnkelUdo wrote:

Also helps if most of your neighbors are elderly and need occasional help with things around the house...if anyone were to call code enforcement on me, they would ferret out who they are (nothing else to do all day) and I could address their concerns.

I find that the "nothing else to do all day" is typically what precipitates the call to code enforcement. Then again, I don't speak with any of my neighbors. Perhaps part of the problem. *goes back to Ivory tower*

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

I elected to buy a house in a decent middle-class neighborhood without a mandatory HOA. My next-door neighbor (one of the HOA leaders, and the daughter of the old lady I bought my house from) was mildly passive-aggressive about my lack of yard maintenance for a while, but she gave up eventually. No pressure legal or otherwise about the series of wrecked cars or terrible beaters clogging up my driveway, but I'm pretty sure the City of Houston doesn't care about tags and inspection as long as it's off the street. I have received a ticket for being parked on the street in front of my house for longer than 24 hours, though. My roommate was also dinged for blocking the sidewalk on the driveway. I did not know those were laws, but now the daily drivers live on the street.

I almost feel bad, but then I remember that I'm not the one doing speed runs down the street late at night. I'm also pretty sure my other neighbor deals drugs, but he was also nice enough to come warn me when someone was casing my cars one night, so he's fine in my book.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

derekste wrote:

Then again, I don't speak with any of my neighbors. Perhaps part of the problem. *goes back to Ivory tower*

Yep...that's your issue.  All told I spend maybe 4-6 hours a month doing little things for the neighbors on either side (replaced a sink strainer basket on Saturday) and all the neighbors know where the keys to my pickup are.  In exchange, my front lawn is always mowed, my driveway and sidewalks snow blown and my personal habits ignored unless I make too much noise before 8 AM.  They save hundreds in handyman fees, I get fed and looked after...it is a symbiotic relationship.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

Ugh, bad neighbors. Find something your snooty neighbor violates and call it in on them.

I'd recommend a car cover just to keep things out of the elements, but absolutely don't do it because of you fartknocking neighbor. Do it to keep crap out of your seat.

That neighbor needs to be told to pound sand, IMHO. Remind her of the actual code and tell her to stuff it. If she takes offense to that, good. She can move, and your 'hood will be better for it.

If the cops show up to act on anything unactionable, do the same: print out the code and (in a nicer manner than you would with your neighbor) gently remind them that you're within your rights to keep your own property in that space...on your own property.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

There's a story of a guy in the Placerville area who had been collecting cars for future restorations and sales to restorers. He had some nice stuff on his land, in the country, in mostly a forest. The county changed some rules and suddenly he had 30 days to move them. He had nowhere to move them too, so the county took the cars and rumors are some people made some nice money selling them.

Be proactive when necessary. I've got a 20-minute cam break-in coming up in a day or so so I'll be visiting the neighbors to let them know, ask when is the best time, etc.

And car cover keep cats out, too. I'm neither pro or con-cat, but when I smell cat pee anywhere near the car I am sorely tempted to buy a crossbow.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

m610 wrote:

And car cover keep cats out, too. I'm neither pro or con-cat, but when I smell cat pee anywhere near the car I am sorely tempted to buy a crossbow.

darn near obligatory link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIbkLjjlMV8

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

I know the pic sucks, but you can see the dog eared camouflage on the lift, above the top of the fence. Fences make great neighbors, especially when you neighbors are retired and nothing better to do. I can't wait to retire, because racecar.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/20708720/Couna_Way_small.jpg

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34

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

A car cover was the only thing I had to agree to when we bought a new house.  Half the time it blows off and all the uptight neighbors who looked at it funny have changed their minds about it now that I let their kids climb in it when I'm out working on it.  I hear the kids walking by asking there parents if they can get in the funny car.

People suck in general, easier to keep the peace put a cover on it.

Duck it racing #97

35

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

I guess I see 2 ways you can take care of this.  You can scour the neighborhood to discover which neighbor complained, and then confront them and start a large argument after they deny it, all while also arguing with the police showing explaining why your car is perfectly legal and should stay there, or buy a car cover which would end this and also may make some other neighbors who didn't rat you to the coppers happy in the process.

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

According to my town laws it's illegal to have unregistered vehicles on your property unless in a garage:

http://www.toh.li/permits-and-applicati … rtment-faq

That said my race car has been in my folks driveway for 6 years with no issue, if the neighbors aren't dicks and the fact I keep a cover over it probably helps. 

Once I move the whole deal to my house this year it will be behind a fence so that will hopefully keep the status quo....

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

ninjacoco wrote:

Ugh, bad neighbors. Find something your snooty neighbor violates and call it in on them.

I'd recommend a car cover just to keep things out of the elements, but absolutely don't do it because of you fartknocking neighbor. Do it to keep crap out of your seat.

That neighbor needs to be told to pound sand, IMHO. Remind her of the actual code and tell her to stuff it. If she takes offense to that, good. She can move, and your 'hood will be better for it.

If the cops show up to act on anything unactionable, do the same: print out the code and (in a nicer manner than you would with your neighbor) gently remind them that you're within your rights to keep your own property in that space...on your own property.

IMHO, the best course of action in situations like this is one that de-escalates the situation, rather than that which inflames it. It's less chest-beaty, but it produces superior results in the long run. Who is on the "right" side of the law is almost irrelevant if you're planning on living in your house longer than when the lease expires, triply so if you own the house. IMHO.

Pat Mulry, TARP Racing #67

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

Going to war with your jerkoff neighbors over stuff like this never pays off. Seen it many times.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

I have a big shop now so our race car lives indoors, but before I just parked it beside the house with a car cover on it.  My neighbors could give a shit regardless, but my boss said get a car cover, and it kept the elements out as a bonus.

If buying a car cover is all it takes to get along with your neighbors, I'd say it's well worth it.

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

Living in the south side of Chicago, I can get away with a lot of car relate hi-jinks. I have a side mechanic business to fund my lemon habit so it allows me to make nice with the neighbors with helping them with car-related issues. Neighbors can get bend out of shape if you have non-op cars on the street taking up spots or being an eyesore.

Here is an idea: Offer the problem neighbor a seat in the next race. Maybe he/she want to be a racecar drive but couldn't. Help him or her live out their dream.

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/outdo … gQodQwsAlg


you should cover it.

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42 (edited by EASY908 2015-03-11 09:55 AM)

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

I would get the car in the garage. Yes, covering it will satisfy the letter of the law, but it won't appease your disgruntled neighbor.
If your car gets towed you will not get it back. It is gone forever and can not be re-registered. I know, it probably isn't registered anyway but the point is that it will not be returned and can't be by law.
Did you know that your car can be impounded even it it is in your back yard? Yup, it can!
The Police are just doing their job.

Ciao

Jim

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

EASY908 wrote:

The Police are just doing their job.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no.  Their job is to enforce the law but if the letter of the law has not been broken even without the car cover (my read from the original email) then they should turn around and leave.  If they have the car towed in violation of the letter of the law, then they are not doing their job.

All this being said, having grown up around law enforcement (not my family, all my neighbors and former-father in law) the only thing they hate more than nuisance complaints is meth lab raids and domestic violence calls.  The first one seemed to annoy them as it is not their "core" job and the last two are just unstable, explosive situations.  So be polite, be accurate and do your best not to waste their time in the future by doing whatever it takes not to get the same visit from them again.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

I ended up throwing a cover on it.

But you know what? Another neighbor a few houses down had a clean but aging f body camaro parked in his driveway, I hadn't seen it move in the last 6 years I've been in the neighborhood.

(I would have offered to lemonize if it hadn't been a v6 auto)

It had the same notice on the window. The car is gone now.

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45

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

Well there is one neighbor you can remove off the potential suspects.

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

BoB wrote:

Well there is one neighbor you can remove off the potential suspects.

One down....180+ to go.

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

A little off-topic, but one of my favorite X-Files episodes ever was the one with the sewer demon that enforces HOA rules.

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

almitydave wrote:

A little off-topic, but one of my favorite X-Files episodes ever was the one with the sewer demon that enforces HOA rules.

Hot Fuzz should be mandatory viewing at HOA meetings.

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49 (edited by danio3834 2015-04-21 09:38 AM)

Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

Years back when we first built our Lemons car I lived in a nicer suburban neighborhood. The immediate neighbors were cool, both car guys, both did restorations in their garages. Apparently someone else down the road took issue with us rigging up a makeshift paint booth in the carport and called the city.

A few days after by-law enforcement stopped by and said that someone reported I was running an illegal body shop out of the garage (what of it!?). I informed the nice gentleman that all of the 6 cars in the driveway did in fact belong to me. He asks, "So this is a hobby?".

"Yeah...just a hobby."

And he left, never heard from them again.

Since then I moved out to the country and all my unregistered cars now rot free-range without fear of being caught by the car-catcher. The best neighbors are no neighbors.

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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

The best neighbors are no neighbors.

Here in Nor Cal country we call it 'yard art'.  I have a broke down 1960's something Case 580 backhoe, a AMC Spirit, Pinto, Maxda 626, RX2, VW bug, and a Cortina.  I had a broke down John Deere 1010 dozer but some fool...ummm, strike that...I mean some great guy bought it for $1K.

I can't see any neighbors and visa versa.