Kicked out of my own driveway!

[byrdo]

Byrdo, I'm glad the Code Enforcement Administrator saw the light. The ones I have weren't so sagacious. They construed that ANY large vehicle was a Commercial Vehicle and that was the same "business vehicle" which was the legal term which was the restricted class of vehicles for my Building Zone.

At this point, I'm waiting on the county's appeal (they lost at the first court level) to be denied or granted and then we see what the Appeal's court judge says (DeKalb Superior Court). It would all be fine and dandy were it not for the amount of money I've paid for the court costs.

Rmgill,

Sorry to hear about your situation. I am grateful that mine went as smoothly as it did. If there is anything I can do to help you out please let me know. In the mean time, good luck and keep fighting the good fight. Newly inspired to do something good with the truck I am going to take her to the mall and collect some toys for tots. Maybe, make some kids day taking him/her for a ride.

 

[ida34]

I'm not sure but I believe he would be grandfathered in.

Nothing is grandfathered in unless it specifically states such in the new law.

 

[Billy Bobbed]

I like your style crash.

 

[rizzo]

Ryan, you may want to consider having a Jury trial when you go to court.

 

[tjcouch]

Byrdo: Congrats! Well done! I also echo those who have suggested a nice follow up letter to the agent.

I had a similar problem when my truck lost the reverse gear and I had to park it in my front yard until I could get it fixed.

Although I am not in a deed restricted community, the entire county (Hillsborough County FL) prohibits the parking of a commercial vehicle in a residential area. Commercial is defined as anything over XXX capacity. I let the inspector know that I am just waiting for a lift to open up at the local transmission shop and that it will be leaving the front yard soon. . . . I normally park it behind my home in a privacy fenced yard, that is not visible from the street.

So technically I am in violation, but keeping it out of sight, out of mind has worked for the last couple of years.

I understand where my neighbors are coming from . . . fortunately they just had a problem with it being front and center . . . because they still see it roaming around the neighborhood from time to time. I think I have reached a happy medium with my neighbors (who have never talked to me personally.)

 

[phantomjeep]

Great job on telling the township the facts ,check your zoning book on RV parking!! ours notes the (RV must not be parked or stored in the front lot area for more than two weeks) sound like others have RVs in there drives. just check your zoning book for that so you know. if it is then all the 5th wheels and motorhomes have to move too. If it is in the zoning the whinner will use that next, just tell the zoning addm guy he better site all of them too!!! the end!!! thats to many to fight and they regroup to think. were here to help , how about a SS convoy to your base camp

 

[p3amea6]

I am so happy I live in RED neck land ,my M1008 fits right in

 

[rideni]

Thanks for fighting the fight. Now you need to park it directly infront of the nasty neighbors house over the Christmas holidays. That way you can give back al little cheer and Christmas spirt to them. It should make their Christmas...Any members live close to him who has a spare truck they can park behind his???

I just waiting to see whether you, matt, or I get popped for something like this first...

 

[Bob H]

I haven't had any issues yet. The township did recently enact a blight law restricting the storage of unlicensed vehicles outside.
Michigan ORV license is $16.25

I do keep most of the vehicles behind the house, rarely ever have more than 3 or 4 in the driveway

Byrdo,
Greatlakes MVPA membership meeting Sunday 12/13/09 in St Louis.

 

[Yohan]

I, too, thought of this, but it would only be good for that particular truck or possibly residence. If you wanted to buy another or a neighbor wanted one, he'd be SOL. I believe it's best to keep an eye on them. If any ordinance having to do with MV's (or anything else for that matter) has to have a "grandfather clause" in it, then it can't be good from freedom's point of view. Give 'em a nick of rope and they'll want to be a cowboy. My .02

Nothing is grandfathered in unless it specifically states such in the new law.

 

[mooresM35A2]

congrats byrdo!

 

[bart6453]

I fought a large public nuisance ticket from my grass being too long during a re-landscape and garage building project(the city was looking for money for their budget deficit). From my experience, find out if you are right or wrong, then talk to everyone involved at the city level and explain yourself. You will feel like you are getting nowhere at all. I went so far as to go to a city council meeting and tell them that I would under no circumstances pay the fine. After getting the bill for 6 months and me sending the same letter back with their invoice....they gave up. Someone somewhere just decided that it was getting to be too much work.

The key course was to remove all drama from it. I kept it very matter of fact and simply stated what I intended to do (or not to do more accurately).

 

[4x4 Forever]

Uh, you might want to check for any liens against your property.

Dont know about up there, but down here your lucky that the city did not hire someone and then charge back the cost to you. Dont want to pay, no problem, they just attach your property for the bill. When you go to pull a permit, sell, etc, you have to pay the lien before you can do anything.

 

[jas67]

I think it looks great in the driveway!

Looks like a big pickup truck to me. What's the problem. Besides, you gotta have something to pull that boat.

 

[bart6453]

Uh, you might want to check for any liens against your property.

Dont know about up there, but down here your lucky that the city did not hire someone and then charge back the cost to you. Dont want to pay, no problem, they just attach your property for the bill. When you go to pull a permit, sell, etc, you have to pay the lien before you can do anything.

Thanks for the info....I did already check on that.

They specifically threatened to do that to me. But in Minnesota the lien dispute immediately goes to the court system. The city knew it would be a lost cause as I indicated that if a lien was placed on my property my attorney would be handling things from there.

Was an interesting journey.

 

[mistaken1]

In most cases the government officials act not because of their desire to act but because they are getting pressure from a citizen aka your loving neighbor who hates you and your stuff and is using the government to do their dirty work for them.

 

[AN/ARC186]

Congrats on the win! You handled it very well and are to be commended.......hey wait a minute....is that a BOAT?? in the driveway????
quick, call code enforcement!!!! it's the end of the world!!!!!!!

Seriously though, you handled that really well, way to go!

 

[Stan Leschert]

OK, here is how we handled this problem. Even though my neighbours know that I am crazy, unless I coax the men into buying big green things , We are cool. Up here, RVs and antiques are allowed to be parked in the rear driveway of your house.

We ebmbarked on a PR campaign which established the Army Truck as a valuable asset to our community. Every parade or important event is supported by the Big Green Thing. The Press is always invited along. Please send photographers! They got some really cool stories which sold papers and made their editors happy. Our Mayor is an ex-Paramedic and is really pro Legion. With important persons on board, the whiners do not even have a chance to whimper. City council just granted our club "Freedom Of the City" and re-named our 1 block of street to be"Veterans' Way." That only took me 2 years to get! Done!


An example of how much the M-135 has become a normal part of our community is posted under Christmas Toy Drive, and my most recent one about the 2010 Olympics. You can check our website, for some of the things that we do around town. Legion 118 Home Page
The locals know the truck and are not threatened by it.
They can see the good that it does, and for an alledgedly peaceful nation, have heartily embraced what we do.
Yup, we're crazy, but they love us!

 

[miltruckman]

I tried the PR concept and have taken one of my M35's in the 4th of July parade in town every year for the past 8 years. Sometimes I carry veterans, sometimes the boy scouts, and sometimes the local softball team.

I also keep all my trucks inside my garage.

But my next door neighbor is on the 5 member town council (along with her brother) and does not like the fact that I own army trucks. Or have a large garage, etc.

First "The Village" where I live enacted an ordnance that prohibited any truck with more than two axles from parking on any street. (not that I ever have) Then they created a second ordnance prohibiting any truck with more than two axles from driving on any street except Main street. (They couldn't include main street as it is a State Rt.) When I ask for an exclusion for classic vehicles they denied it and the council president said he didn't think I should be allowed to own vehicles that size in town and that he would go to the zoning board and see if he could force me to get rid of them.

Now they have changed the rules for the 4th of July parade (that goes down Main St.)to prohibit any vehicle with more than two axles. Busses are O.K., Tractors and hay wagons are O.K., fire trucks are O.K. (even if they have more than two axles as they are emergency vehicles)

Even my wife is finally fed up with them and says we should boycott the parade. I hate to let them win, and could now use my bobbed deuce, but I am getting the message that they really hate military trucks. I guess symbols of the US Military are not acceptable in this town, even though it's the only remaining 4th of July parade left in this county.

Bill
Michigan

 

[swbradley1]

Bill,

I think that right before the 4th you should make one of your little "buys" on GL and make it look like the Army is taking over the town.

I don't like the government telling me what I can and can't do. (Yeah I know sometimes it's unavoidable.)

steve