The county hates my car

So I found out the other day that i cant work on my car in the driveway or the county will fine me. They said that a car cant be kept outside if its not running or even if its partially dismantled. And what makes me mad about all this is that my car cant really be seen from the street and that my neighbor didn't have the decency to talk to me first about this instead they went directly to the county. Anyone else had this type of problem?

 

Thats rediculous. We used to have alot of junk in our drive way and there was nothing they could do though because our house is on so many different lots.

 

Put registration and insurance on the car. Keep a current license plate on it at all times. Hawkco and I have have had the same problem, and that shut them up. That would piss me off to, though. Definitely had to be your neighbor, because the way your driveway is, you would really have to be looking to even notice the car sitting down there.

If it comes down to it, I have a truck, a car dolly, and plenty of room 2 hours away in NC where I store my other 8 Mavericks. Just pay the gas money and we can haul it up there and you can keep it there as long as you want while you finish collecting parts and what not.

 

I think this problem is everywhere, there is always some snotty little neighbor why calls the city or county to complain- boo hoo hoo. Up here in Mississauga the whinners are up here too.

 

It is insured and registered and they still want to fine me. so I guess ill just kick my dad out of the garage and hide the maverick in there he wont like it but i dont really have a choice i guess

 

We had a problem with a bad neighbor she had a really nice house next to our crappy house and if we did any thing she would call the police so we just would just start doing real loud stuff at night and she got so sick of us she sold her house dirt cheap and moved now we are good friends with the people that live there.

 

Yeah, sounds like an annoyed neighbour whining to authorities... if you're in one of those "squeaky clean" neighbourhoods I guess there will be bylaws against bathtubs, washers, and old cars being stored in the front of the property. Is it a front driveway, a side driveway, or is there a rear yard? You said it can't be seen from the street.

Personally I'd say you can do whatever you want on your own property - whether it's fixing a bike, a lawn mower, or a car that isn't running.... unless the driveway is like an alley, in which it's considered a public thoroughfare (street). If the back yard is not accessible I'd ask the city/county where else you're suposed to put the car... on the front lawn, or stored in the attic?

Sounds like B.S. to me... but if that's actually a statute in your area, I'd still say it's B.S. and I'd be mad too.

I would find out EXACTLY what the infraction/violation is and get specifics, then find out if your neighbour embellished somewhat in his complaint... ie. the car is dangerous (not supported properly on jacks), or leaking fluid, or is an eyesore, etc. Make sure you have it parked safe and secure (won't roll away or fall of jacks, etc.) and buy a basic car cover to keep it more "discrete".

When I lived in Surrey I had 5 beat up cars in the front driveway but it was a lousy neighbourhood and noone cared. Now I live in a nice "clean" neighbourhood and my "project car" (it's a terrible eyesore) is hidden inside a full 10 x 20 foot canopy under a car cover. Noone is complaining about something they can't see.

 

We have to keep the maverick in the garage. our daily drivers are out front. The car out back that we want the 351 Windsor out of has a car cover over all tied up. Thats what we have to do to keep the city off our back.

 

Are you serious?... then technically you can park the car on the street and leave it there (in front of your house assuming it doesn't leak fluid - I had a neighbour tow my car once because it leaked oil DOWNHILL and made a mess in front of his house).

What's the deal with not being allowed to work on a car... ?

 

yep had this problem to... i solved it w/ my 70 put tags on it and bought like 6 different colors of paint for it because they were crying over the primer. then they called in our other neighbor he went out and bought a junk boat and registered it then didn't cut his grass or trim his tees and bushes for 2 months (the boats still there). i was just a nice neighbor and called in their broke down and unregistered model A.

 

Well the 1st problem you have is your in cal. a beautiful state that is run by crazy tree hugger's, I bet if you had an electric car parked there they would give you a grant to finish it.... But the fact is it's happening everywhere.. we are loosing our rights to do anything. (we need to wake up and say enough!)

 

That's the problem, some people find any car over 10 years old an eyesore, regardless of condition. How about the neighborhoods where you can't have mailboxes, trash cans, or park cars in the driveway (must be parked in the garage). You are told what trees to plant and where (determined by HOA board). Yes, these places do exist. :16suspect

Anyway, back to eyesore. If someone ever calls my car an eyesore and asks me to move it, I've always wanted to call their HOUSE an eyesore and asked them to move IT. After all, an "eyesore" is just a matter of opinion. It doesn't have to be condition, it could also be color or style.

 

I went through a similar issue recently with my Pinto, which is sitting in my driveway. We DO have an HOA, but they have not said anything - mostly because the car is in all original shape (meaning, not an eyesore - original paint, no rust, good wheels/tires), and I ALWAYS am sure to put back things as I work, so the car always looks complete.

After I bought the car, I got plates for it, though I let the registration slip, since it needed work. In the driveway I can do "small" things - pull parts off here and there, do work under the hood, tear down the interior, etc., without it becoming a heap. At one point, I took off the rear bumper, because I was having the insert and hardware sandblasted. With the bumper off, there was no plate on the car. My wife "warned me" to be sure to have the other plate facing out, but I turned it around and left it the "wrong way".

In addition, I also got around to taking off my front end suspension (to restore), and propped the wheels up inside the wheel wells (and put the "frame" on jackstands) so that everything looked fine while it was all getting sandblasted. My wife calls me one day at work. "The City sent you a letter about the Pinto". "Oh, and what does it say?" She reads it. In a nutshell, any car that is in public view must be operating - not registered, not insured, nothing else, but must move under its own power.

I call the lady at the City. She asks me if it is operating, I told her "yes". She asked me if she could come by for a visit to see it run. My heart sank. I set up an appointment for two weeks later, and SCRAMBLED to get everything back together. On a rainy Saturday morning, she comes by; I get in, start it, pull it out and back, and she says "OK, that's it!". What a waste.

As a side note, I had also asked here if someone had "called in" about the car. Interestingly, she said no...as part of the City requirements (beautification and safety), they have people out canvassing the neighborhoods every 10 days, to check on abandoned cars and the like. Apparently, she either noticed that I had no plate, or got out of the vehicle and saw my jackstand setup.

Lesson learned. Here (North Texas, near Dallas), you cannot "cripple" a car to the point that it will not move under its own power, if it is in view of the public. Oh well. Some people have garage space or extravagant shops they can do rotisserie restorations in. I do not; leave me alone. I have no intention of creating an eyesore, and dammit, I am quiet, I keep to myself, and I am not causing any problems for anyone.

Chris

 

Our by-law states that the vehicle has to have the ability to move under its own power. licensed or not.

 

in my county you can call the assesor and find out who called on you .it is public info