First they came for you,and I did nothing

We've got a rusting bullet-nose Stude sitting next to the barn with lots of old signs hanging on the barn wall behind it. We keep waiting for a "Code Enforcement Officer" to make the 5 mile trek out to tell us it's junk / an eyesore / whatever. Our answer is going to be that it's an "ongoing public art installation". If people can throw shit on a canvas and call it "art", then we see no reason why "Tetanus" (it's what we've named it / her) would be any different.

 

That is fucked up. I had a whole speech typed out but I was drifting off topic so I will leave it at that.

Jason

 

I have thought of this before. Just build a small wood framed "garage", just big enough for the car car to fit in, and cover it in 1/4" plexiglass. That sit is strong, damn near bullet proof, and you car willl be "covered."

Show me the ordinance that says your garage can't be see through.

 

I like the story about the guy who's neighbors were bitching about some sort of eyesore on his property and the city finally made him remove it. this was a rural area, not like something in the driveway in a neighborhood.

so when it was all over he lined the street side of his property with old toilets and put plants in them. there must have been 30 of them. nothing they could do about that. there was a picture in the paper. I bet his neighbors loved him after that.

 

I thought our elected "officials" were supposed to serve the peaple who elected them. Boy,when I'm wrong I dont f&*#@k around! All joking aside, call the A.C.L.U. and let them know your 4th amendment rights are in danger. Although, they sure seemed quiet on the "Patriot" act. I'm more worried about the feds now then I ever was about commies or terrorists.

 

Dont forget the f*!%^ cronies!

 

LOL! Yeah, call the ACLU they'll help you... Well maybe, but first tell them you're a homosexual and want to have Boy Scout meetings in your garage but you have to park the cars outside to hold meatings[sic] behind closed doors.

 

with how much houses cost you think youd be able to park a car in your driveway without being told hat can and cant be there its your property that you payed for i had to move my truck to my work because a neighbor called and bitched told me it would cost $375 a day for every day it was past their 1 one week notice

 

here's one for ya.. a buddy lived in a court with his parents. 3 plus cars for 3 people. you know how in courts the parking is difficult due to smaller lot width in the front (wider in the back) as well as the curved curb.

so they cemented along side the driveway so they could park 3 cars off the street. that city has an ordinance where you can't park 3 cars in a driveway. how lame is that?

 

For you outa stater's Township= Rural Also, if a judge has previously accepted arial evidence, it's acceptable in the future. They have it in the next twp. over from me. The ACLU doesn't deal in zoning law.

I fought them off ten yrs. ago. Bought seven sets of tags for what was conceivably visible from somewhere and put two Rotts in the fenced in car enclosure area. They tried to have a look from the neighboring farmland, guess two 180lb+ dogs goin apeshit behind nothin but a 6' chainlink made em give up. That said, there's really no way to fight em IF THEY ENNACT ZONING. I've heard where in another twp around here, the zoning measure was tabled when everyone who'd be effected showed up at the trustees meeting! Zoning BS It's not just for lib tree huggers anymore, least not round here.
Case in point, local man's family farms land over 4-decades and never sold off one old farm truck. Additionally, old farm equip. is on property. Most is not visible and zoning only in effect last 20yrs. The place does look crappy, but that should be his right. He got cited, fought it all the way to Supreme Court who would not take the issue of violation of Constitutional Rights. Despite grandfathering, despite farm statutes that stipulate what cannot be considered as a motor-vehicle. He's screwed.
Losing a couple cars isn't the scary part. Wait till they decide to enforce the rest of the laws that've made the consitiution a really old piece of toilet paper. Then let's cry about our rights to a hobby...

 

http://star.txstate.edu/content/car-planter-controversy

 

Nothing worse than the zoning nazis. All you can do is register and plate the cars. There's not much else to do because most zoning is so ambiguous it's left up to the opinions of the zoning person. I guess if the Supreme Court won't help, we need to do something more drastic to resolve these problems.... when I see something on the news like the guy who went nuts and drove a bulldozer through town, through buildings, smashing everything he could... I never have to wonder why... you know damned well that someone was screwing with him through all these laws governments use to screw the little guy with.

 

If they decide you are an "evil doer", they can pretty much do whatever they want to you - doesn't matter what the laws say. You're and "evil doer" and you don't deserve to have the respect of proper rights protection. Before long, having old cars on your property will be considered "evil doing" and then it will get bad. "Evil doing" is a nasty 2 sided sword. We need to have all "evil doers" eradicated no matter what the cost to our own rights. That's the new American way.

 

Hole up! Stand off! Tell em they can pry your cold dead fingers... Buy food, provisions, ammo, load guns, and call TV stations. Sweeps week baby!

Or you can go traditional route:

Lawyer's, guns and money!

 

All these chicken shit laws and rules were put into effect by people who were VOTED in their respective positions, I am sure. Did / do you vote? Do you know how to circulate a petition? How to get a 2/3rds majority? Give it a try, worked for us up here in Eye-dee-hoe.

 

I am sorry to say this, but many people on this very board voted for those very same people who are now trying to rule over everything you do and think, and who take everything they can get away with.

As long as voters keep sending more politicians with the mission to "rule and regulate", we will keep on getting more ruling and more regulating.

As long as we think we can covet our neighbors paychecks, covet our neighbors belongings, and divide up the booty, passing it on to our own pet causes, then we will always be in this mess.

How many votes do you think a politician who promises to stay out of other peoples' business and leave people alone will get?

How many right here have ever voted for a politician who promised to leave people alone?
They get no votes.

WE are the cause of what we complain about, then passionately vote for more of it.

I keep voting for smaller gov't and fewer rules, but I am vastly outnumbered everywhere.

 

I voted for one twice who said "government isn't the solution. Government is the problem" and he won with landslides.

 

My friend built an addition on to his garage to appease the neighborhood clean up nazis and put in the biggest windows he could find and parked his car in front of the windows. I still drive by just to get a smile.

 

So now he's part of the government and the problem I guess. Brilliant logic. Everybody's against government and regulations until they want something from it - think $700B golden gift horse for instance. They were the first people to vote no government now they are crying for it - well the "free" money part to save their sorry gambling asses anyway. I am sure they would still prefer to keep the no regulations part as well.

 

Fifteen years ago I moved out of the city just so i could have a place where I wasn't bothered by every do-gooder within a mile of my house. NOW I've been served with papers to clean up the area and get rid of a couple of cars. something about "urban blight". I get along with every neighbor within a half mile of my place EXCEPT ONE. She has nothing better to do but sit at the front window and pick out code violations. Then she calls the appropriot authorities and files a complaint. Almost everyone has been the target of her vengeful onslaught so there is no love loss, just frustration as to what to do about her. A couple of us have got some really creative ideas but so far no one is willing to be locked up if thier caught.

Frank

 

I'm guessing you don't know that the quote lewislynn cited is from President Ronald Reagan. And he was all too correct.

I was going to make a remark about how I've never, in my 59+ years, asked for anything from the Government but then I noticed that you're from Berkeley and you probably wouldn't understand. One of the reasons I moved out of the Bay Area 15+ years ago.

The part that always amazes me is that the liberal left seems to have forgotten one of the most famous quotes from one of their most beloved Presidents, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

 

And I thought you guys lived in the land of the free???? Free to do as you are told by the sounds of it. And I don't mean that with any disrespect either, It just sound like you guys don't have no rights anymore. Which I think is really sad considering your elected officials spend so much time sending your troupes into battle fighting for other peoples rights (most of who don't really appreciate it anyway) yet are busy taking away the rights of their own citizens. I feel for you all. I really do.

 

I have a neighbor who had so many non running cars in his driveway (they'd drive in and leave them when they would evidently no longer start) that finally they could barely get the rear bumper of their drivers off the street. Never mow the lawn, never pick up anything. Finally, I called and complained about the eyesore. The scrap value was probably over a thousand dollars, and they sure look like they need the money. The cars did disappear.

Go ahead and get mad , but I keep my project cars inside and/or out of sight. A project is one thing, a yard full of junk is a nuicance, an eyesore and potentially dangerous.

 

Is she voilating code in any way, shape or form? Turn about is fair play.

 

yep, that about covers it.

 

what about the manure spreaders that people will put on top of a gravel "pad" in their frt yards?
is that any less junk?

 

These ordinances are put in place to protect property values... People who have nothing better to do than to wring their hands and worry about how much what they have is worth, annoy the city and county commisions until they write a law... P.S. It's probably your grandma.

Find out who your local code enforcement officer and talk to him/her. Find out what their stance is on your particular "eyesore"... if you wait until the roll-back shows up and try and talk him out of it, it ain't gonna work. He makes $$$ to take your stuff.

Also, go out an meet your neighbors, If they know you and what you are trying to do, then maybe they won't report it.

If those two things fail, put the car in the back yard, chain it to a eyebolt embedded in a 3'x3'x3' chunk of buried concrete or two.

Why do I have to do this every 6 months?

 

Approach it at another angle;
Where are the cars going once they're towed/hauled off properties???
If they end up at a towing/impound yard and become city property, then go to the lien sale or city auction and buy/save some of them.

I don't imagine you'll see many cherry 1930's coupes, etc. there but maybe there's a 4 dr. 50's buick, cad, olds, etc. that would be a perfect drivetrain donor for a traditional rod. Just maybe the previous owner was glad the city hauled it off and there's no hard feelings.

Maybe rather than being put up for bid by the city, it goes straight to a wrecking yard that's on contract with the city to haul away purchase the stuff. They'll at least part it out to make some coin prior to crushing it. Do some digging and find out the path of the impounded cars.

Other than that, get a permit from the city to build a big ass garage or barn in your back yard. If there's no room for that, you'll have to relocate out of the city to a property that better suits your hobby. Livin in the sticks is a great way to go...you can stash all your stuff in out buildings, sheds and make all the freakin noise you want!!!

 

Simplest way to beat this, drag it into plain sight, and put a for sale sign on it, with a very high set price. At that point it is no longer an eyesore, it's mechandise. There is one near me that has been setting just off the right of way for over 30 years, with a for sale sign in the window. It has now pretty much rotted into the ground, but it's still for sale.

FWIW, I live near the original poster, and in my township, the ordinace says they can remove a car, even if it's registered and operable, if it sets for more than 2 weeks without being moved, even in a driveway!

 

Dang, I guess you don't go on the 3 week cruise, could be different when you come home. LOL