Unreasonable town ordinance

[Ryan Wright]

Gardner,

I feel your pain. I am big on personal property rights and these sort
of things just hack me off. I can understand HOAs doing this, if you
live in a neighborhood like that, that's your choice. But an entire
city? I think it's way over the line when local government starts
enacting HOA-style laws that affect the entire city. I'd say "just sue
them" but we all know that won't get you anywhere, except lighter in
the wallet.

I live in a city that's full of covenant-type laws, things that should
be dealt with by HOAs but are instead taken up by the city council and
extended to all of us. They haven't flat out said "no" on RVs yet, but
I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I was threatened for parking my
RV on an "unapproved surface" - it was parked on hard, packed soil
next to my house. That's, apparently, illegal. When I contacted a
local councilwoman to ask why, the conversation went something like
this:

Councilwoman: "Because, weeds will grow around the vehicle."
Me: "I've never had a weed problem. When one occasionally tries to
sprout, I kill it. Come look at my yard, it is very clean and orderly,
you won't find any weeds."
Councilwoman: "Well, YOU might be good at that, but other people aren't."
Me: "So I can't park on my own soil because other people don't take
care of their weeds?"
Councilwoman: "That's right."
Me: "But if I don't park there... I can leave the ground bare, as it is?"
Councilwoman: "Yes."
Me: "So what does parking a vehicle there have anything to do with weeds?"
Councilwoman: "They'll grow under the vehicle and present a fire danger."
Me: "So... Why don't you make a law against weeds?"
Councilwoman: "Oh, we have one of those, too."
Me: "So... Why do you need this law that says I can't park there, then?"
Councilwoman (obviously frustrated with me): "Look, sir... It's for
your own protection!"
Me: "My protection? Does the city consider me a child who needs to be
looked after?"

She didn't want to talk to me after that. Suffice it to say I was
threatened with $10,000 in fines and a forcible seizure of my home by
police force if I did not pave or gravel my RV's parking spot.

I put in the gravel. I much preferred the packed soil. It was
comfortable to walk on, nice to lay on when working under the vehicle,
etc. Jerks.

Interestingly, I just found out the other day why they went after me:
A neighbor down the street thinks my RV is "ugly" and tried to get the
city to force me to remove it. They couldn't, no law to that effect
(yet), so they came by and harassed me on minor details instead.

-Ryan

On 4/11/07, Gardner Yeaw wrote:
>
> Mike,
> I'd love to build a bird house, but not enough property. The side,
> front and rear yard restrictions won't allow it. I really have no
> reasonable recourse, I knew there was some sort of ordinance, but no
> one bothered me last year. I usually left it at home for 4 or 5 days
> at a streach while I worked on it, and then took it to the storage
> facility where I normally keep it. It is a 20 or so mile ride over
> one lane back roads through a bunch of construction, so it isn't a
> fun ride.
>
> I am looking for a closer facility which will run the cost up from
> $68/month to $100-125, but I will save on fuel, so maybe it will be a
> wash. The problem may be that many facilities, like campgrounds,
> don't allow you to do mechanical work on site.
>
> Gardner,
> 78FC33
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "mbulriss" <mbulriss@...>
>
> wrote:
> >
> > Gardner,
> >
> > When it's the town, you really have few choices other than move it
> or
> > face the fines. If it's a home owner's association, you can ignore
> > them for a long time. Don't ask how I know! HOAs have almost
> always
> > forgotten/chosen not to enforce some other parts of the covenants,
> so
> > it's tough for them to have unilateral enforcement of 'some'
> > convenants and not others.
> >
> > You say it says you can't store it unless you have a garage. Big
> loop
> > hole? How do you think the neighbors will like your new "Bird
> House"? LOL
> >
> > I find it hard to believe that they can restrict the storage of RVs
> at
> > private storage facilities when they also have ordinances against
> > storing them at home. Are you sure about that one? That's a stupid
> > double whammy that effectively prohibits ownership of RVs in that
> > town. Also seems like an ACLU lawsuit waiting to happen. Doesn't
> > FMCA have a lobby group that tackles such restrictive anti-RV
> problems?
> >
> >
> > Mike Bulriss
> > 1991 WB40 "Texas Minivan"
> > San Antonio, TX
> >
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Gardner Yeaw"
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Well, I guess some %@#$ must have complained about my Bird in the
> > > driveway. I got a registered letter from the town stating that I
> can
> > > only 'store' it on my property for a total of five days in any
> year,
> > > unless I have a garage to park it in. Seems a little ridiculous. I
> > > also found that they don't allow RVs in the local storage
> facilities
> > > because they are afraid you might live in it.
> > >
> > > So now if I am planning a trip I can't load up the night before,
> > > or pull in when I get home from a trip and take it to the storage
> > > facility the next day. And I just put in a 30-amp outlet so I
> could
> > > keep it on shore power when it was at home.
> > >
> > > Also when I plan to work on it at the storage facility I normally
> > > keep it at I need to have everything I might possibly need in the
> > > car or Bird to address all the unexpected surprises I might
> > > encounter.
> > >
> > > Unfortunately moving isn't an option, I just spent a fortune on a
> > > new kitchen addition and other things.
> > >
> > >
> > > Gardner
> > > 78FC33
> > >
> >
>
>
>
>
>