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

rodknox2 wrote:

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.

My wife and I refer to such a place as having "Rural Sensibilities".

When we talk about a "gated community", we mean a gate with barbed wire.

We were delighted when we tracked down a distant family relation in Kentucky.
His property was not only properly "gated", but had an old falling-down blacksmith's
shop, multiple steam traction engines (including a Case 60HP), and more old
vehicles than you could shake a stick at.

"I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!"
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Re: so the police want to tow my lemon out of my driveway...

One of my neighbors has 6+ cars and no garage so it will be a while before I draw much attention. The neighborhood is simply full of Lemons candidates. I ran errands in our as yet un-themed (actually pretty decent looking for $300) car yesterday. Everywhere I went I was able to park next to something as bad or much worse. Guess it depends on where you live. I work in a very upscale neighborhood and can't wait to drive it to work, stop at Starbucks in the "village" (denial language for strip mall) and park it between a Tesla and a Mercedes SUV. It really is the simple pleasures in life...

Driving like a girl for 33 years.

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

Some time in the last two weeks the city code enforcement stopped by and chatted with my wife. It seems there's a city councilman at the end of the street who makes my auto collection seem less bourgeois. He asked her if I could put my driveway right so that he could start harping on the councilman. This weekend I rearranged the garage, put my Sunbeam inside, and tarped the Jaggernaut. I'm cool so long as they don't realize the Cadillac doesn't start (stupid ethanol gas). The downside is I have no room to walk in my garage unless I move stuff out to the driveway while I'm working.

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

I live in Augusta, GA.  This is about an RV and a car that are both insured and have up to date registration and tags on both.  They sit in the backyard and belong to my dad who is 81 years old and not in the greatest of health.  They have been non running for about 3 years now.  Anyway, apparently a nosy neighbor, who had to have peeked over my fence (the only way to have seen these vehicles) called law enforcement on us.  The officer told us we had 10 days to remove these 2 vehicles from the property.  The officer then proceeded to take pictures.  What can I do?  Is this just a threat. The vehicles aren't even sitting in the front yard, they are in the backyard.  When the officer arrived here, she didn't even know they were back there, just that it was reported anonymously that there were junk vehicles on the property.  I thought if they were insured and up to date on registration/tags it would be alright. 

Please, any input is greatly appreciated!

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

Not sure where you live and that would help.  In NJ if it's registered and insured you're good to go.  If it is not it must be covered.  NJ usually has more repressive laws than other states, but it may be worth asking a local lawyer friend or officer what the law is.  I would cover them just to be safe.

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

whiteclowd1234 wrote:

I live in Augusta, GA.  This is about an RV and a car that are both insured and have up to date registration and tags on both.  They sit in the backyard and belong to my dad who is 81 years old and not in the greatest of health.  They have been non running for about 3 years now.  Anyway, apparently a nosy neighbor, who had to have peeked over my fence (the only way to have seen these vehicles) called law enforcement on us.  The officer told us we had 10 days to remove these 2 vehicles from the property.  The officer then proceeded to take pictures.  What can I do?  Is this just a threat. The vehicles aren't even sitting in the front yard, they are in the backyard.  When the officer arrived here, she didn't even know they were back there, just that it was reported anonymously that there were junk vehicles on the property.  I thought if they were insured and up to date on registration/tags it would be alright. 

Please, any input is greatly appreciated!

What is YOUR local law/ordinance on such things.  Most states in Midwest do not care as long as they are tagged and insured but many municipalities, and even more homeowners associations, have laws or bylaws that prohibit non-op vehicles not under cover (what that means also varies) beyond X days/months.

Next time, do not let him in the back yard.  Be polite and say you would rather not.

Either way, time to work on either mitigation strategies of relocation.

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

whiteclowd1234 wrote:

I live in Augusta, GA.  This is about an RV and a car that are both insured and have up to date registration and tags on both.  They sit in the backyard and belong to my dad who is 81 years old and not in the greatest of health.  They have been non running for about 3 years now.  Anyway, apparently a nosy neighbor, who had to have peeked over my fence (the only way to have seen these vehicles) called law enforcement on us.  The officer told us we had 10 days to remove these 2 vehicles from the property.  The officer then proceeded to take pictures.  What can I do?  Is this just a threat. The vehicles aren't even sitting in the front yard, they are in the backyard.  When the officer arrived here, she didn't even know they were back there, just that it was reported anonymously that there were junk vehicles on the property.  I thought if they were insured and up to date on registration/tags it would be alright. 

Please, any input is greatly appreciated!

Check the local ordinances, but I highly doubt there is a real issue if they are registered and insured.

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

+1 on the registered/insured.

Growing up we were always in some sort of code trouble, one time the neighbor invited mr code guy to take a pic over his fence into our back yard. Apparently this is a big legal no no, our crap was well hidden and the judge agreed, tossing out the case and reprimanding mr code guy!

Your results will vary.

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

whiteclowd1234 wrote:

I live in Augusta, GA.  This is about an RV and a car that are both insured and have up to date registration and tags on both.  They sit in the backyard and belong to my dad who is 81 years old and not in the greatest of health.  They have been non running for about 3 years now.  Anyway, apparently a nosy neighbor, who had to have peeked over my fence (the only way to have seen these vehicles) called law enforcement on us.  The officer told us we had 10 days to remove these 2 vehicles from the property.  The officer then proceeded to take pictures.  What can I do?  Is this just a threat. The vehicles aren't even sitting in the front yard, they are in the backyard.  When the officer arrived here, she didn't even know they were back there, just that it was reported anonymously that there were junk vehicles on the property.  I thought if they were insured and up to date on registration/tags it would be alright. 

Please, any input is greatly appreciated!

If they're registered and insured, push them out onto the street.  Preferably, right in front of your neighbors house.

bs

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

Was it law enforcement or zoning enforcement? If a law enforcement officer came out to the house and  didn't give me a citation for a code violation, then I wouldn't do anything. I also wouldn't give consent for a law enforcement officer to examine my property, but I'm a bit of an asshole about that kind of stuff. If a zoning enforcement inspector told me to change something, then I'd do it, because those guys can fine me. Generally if it's not on the street, then law enforcement doesn't have jurisdiction. Zoning enforcement is a lot nastier about that stuff, as they can inspect your property and enforce municipal code. I have had success using car covers with zoning enforcement. It's like if the vehicle is under a car cover, then they have no way of knowing what it is. I once bought six cheap car covers at Wal-Mart to hide my collection of junk cars in the back yard after failing a zoning inspection, and when the guy came back, I passed. I think that car covers are basically Kryptonite to those guys.

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!

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

A car cover says, "something nice is underneath, and I want to take care of it".

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

Start by reading your city code! Here, I looked it up for you in about three minutes...

ARTICLE 16 ABANDONED VEHICLES
Sec. 3-5-134. Parking vehicles with invalid
license plates.
Any automobile, vehicle or trailer of any kind
or type, without a valid license plate attached
thereto, shall not be parked or stand on any
residentially zoned property or other zoned prop-
erty unless it shall be in a completely enclosed
building or on property properly zoned according
to the county comprehensive zoning ordinance.

Sec. 3-5-135. Inoperative or junk vehicle—
Parking prohibition; excep-
tions.
No automobile, vehicle or trailer of any kind or
type, which shall be inoperative or in a junk
condition, shall be parked or stand on any resi-
dentially zoned property or other zoned property
unless:
(a)  It shall be in an enclosed building;
(b)  It shall be on the premises of a business
enterprise operated in a lawful manner,
when necessary to the operation of such
business enterprise; or,
(c)  It shall be on property occupied and used
for repair, reconditioned or remodeling of
vehicles in conformance with zoning ordi-
nances of Augusta-Richmond County.

Sec. 3-5-136. Same—Defined.
An inoperative or junk condition shall include,
but shall not be limited to, any automobile, vehi-
cle, trailer of any kind or type, or contrivance, or
a part thereof, the condition of which is one or
more of the following:
(a)  Wrecked;
(b)  Dismantled;
(c)  Partially dismantled;
(d)  Inoperative;
(e)  Abandoned;
(f)   Discarded;
(g)  Scrapped;
(h)  Does not have a valid license plate at-
tached thereto.

Next, read through it and see if the inspector is full of crap (mine was). Then read through it and see what the easiest way of getting legal is. In your case, I'd see what it takes to build a shack around the vehicles. If that's not feasible, you're pretty screwed.

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

Or just get them running.

Everybody grab your brooms, it's shenanigans!

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

Oh, yeah. You could do that. Probably easier than building a shack around them.

65

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

EriktheAwful wrote:

Start by reading your city code! Here, I looked it up for you in about three minutes...

Crap like that makes me feel less bad about living in my seven-figure HOA-free hovel in Gridlock, California.

66 (edited by jem 2016-03-23 06:54 PM)

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

CPT_Trans_Continental wrote:

A car cover says, "something nice is underneath, and I want to take care of it".

Well, it can also say "XIV Boyz" or some other suitably ghetto gibberish in several colors of rattle-can if you thought of covering your ratted-out race car with it as a kinder, gentler (or at least code-compliant) way of offending the neigbors.

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

CPT_Trans_Continental wrote:

A car cover says, "something nice is underneath, and I want to take care of it".

In my case it says, "This is an ugly piece of shit and my wife insists I keep it covered so the neighbors don't burn the place down."   It sits in our very short driveway, right at the street.

On the other hand, she has me take the cover off any time potential buyers come to look at the vacant lot next door.   If someone built there, it would block our great view.

"I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it!"
IOE winner in the Super Snipe -- Buttonwillow 2012
IOE winner in Super Snipe v2.0 -- Buttonwillow 2016
"Every Super Snipe in Lemons has won an IOE!"

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

CowDriver wrote:
CPT_Trans_Continental wrote:

A car cover says, "something nice is underneath, and I want to take care of it".

In my case it says, "This is an ugly piece of shit and my wife insists I keep it covered so the neighbors don't burn the place down."   It sits in our very short driveway, right at the street.

On the other hand, she has me take the cover off any time potential buyers come to look at the vacant lot next door.   If someone built there, it would block our great view.

It is what you tell your nosey neighbors who have nothing better to do. I think in the HOA bylaws it defines "project car" as something similar to "illegal day care" and "puppy mill".

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

So I just came home to a notice that I have to mow my yard and get the Buick and Olds out of sight. Not sure if new neighbours or random city noseyparker. Guess I'll buy a lawnmower and car cover this weekend - hopefully selling the Buick to a new team ...

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

TeamRadicus wrote:

So I just came home to a notice that I have to mow my yard and get the Buick and Olds out of sight. Not sure if new neighbours or random city noseyparker. Guess I'll buy a lawnmower and car cover this weekend - hopefully selling the Buick to a new team ...

Attach this to your Buick or Olds and retheme.

http://houston.craigslist.org/grd/5637286187.html

http://images.craigslist.org/00h0h_1h0THHvlbX0_600x450.jpg


It only takes a little green and yellow paint and you're in business
http://www.murileemartin.com/UG/LSPW15/0993-UG-IMG_0937_t.jpg

Can't imagine they'd give you a hard time about leaving your lawn tractor out front in your driveway, now would they!

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

In my state there has been case law that a town can not lift up a tarp to see if a car has plates or not, or to check a VIN.

Does said "building' need to be more than a tent?



Bill

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

-SDR- wrote:

In my state there has been case law that a town can not lift up a tarp to see if a car has plates or not, or to check a VIN.

Does said "building' need to be more than a tent?



Bill

from my understanding, lifting a car cover constitutes a search, which requires a search warrant, or consent, so something on your property isn't "an unregistered/illegal car" unless you tell them it is. basically. ymmv. I don't worry, because there are no local laws keeping me from having 40 "cars" on the property

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

As an update to my post from last year in this thread, I did eventually get a visit from city code enforcement (Houston) about the non-running vehicles in my driveway. I think this was in December. I was surprised to learn that any vehicles in sight have to be "operable," which the code official tested by having me start them up and drive 100 feet forward and backward. The "Art Car" passed, although I had to use a can of starting fluid on it. The race car was in the garage, so it didn't count. My hooptie-ass Mercedes W123 failed due to a deader-than-dead battery, and my friend's quasi-hooptie Mercedes W124 failed because it didn't have a cylinder head installed at the time. The guy slapped a big orange sticker on both Mercs and said I had 30 days to make them operable. If not, I think I'd get a citation or something. I don't think they would've be towed immediately, but I don't remember.

Anyway, I recharged the battery on the 123 and instituted a policy of pulling the negative battery cable when I'm not driving it. With renewed motivation, my friend finally got around to finishing the head gasket job on the 124 and drove it away. Although the code enforcement guy told me that vehicles in the driveway are not required to be registered or inspected by city code, I went ahead and renewed all the tags just so things would look more kosher.

Of course, I'm curious how the neighbor down the street, on a corner and subject to a lot more traffic, has gotten away with leaving a PT Cruiser parked in the same spot in his driveway for the last 3+ years with a run-flat space-saver mounted on the back, but I imagine it has something to do with him not living next door to a pain in the ass HOA official. I'm not the kind of jerk to call it in just out of spite, because he's got nothing to do with the reports about my stuff. Selective enforcement just really grinds my gears.

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

I used to live next to a guy who took pride in calling the HOA. Always bitched about my pine needles, but since I welded stuff for him, he left me alone. He was "taking care" of "his" neighborhood.

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

CPT_Trans_Continental wrote:

I used to live next to a guy who took pride in calling the HOA.

When we were looking to buy a house a couple of years ago we made it abundantly clear to our agent that it would be a waste of time to show us anything within an HOA, as that was an automatic deal-breaker. I like to think my wife and I are good neighbors but neither of us is at all interested in volunteering to be micromanaged on our own property.

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