Community Forums

Crankshaft · 12-21-2016, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiawah

Well not quite sure what you are looking for on this board. I'm not taking an opinion one way or the other since I have my own fight going on with our Home Owners Association.

However, not being a lawyer but looking at it from a legal perspective, it looks like you've had notice your parking is out of legal compliance for 6 months, and failed to move it. Also appears you HAVE the ability to comply on your property, and are not so because it is inconvenient for you to do so. The fact that you've parked there for years out of compliance is irrelevant, the famous quote "ignorance of the law is no excuse" applies. You also have the ability to comply by paying for a storage area elsewhere and moving it off your property.

I don't think you have any legitimate excuse for not complying and I'd move it back by the 22nd. Be thankful that there actually iIS way to store it on your property and be in compliance, regardless of whether you think it's convenient or not. You're not forced to take it elsewhere. I would also take pictures of it in it's new space and email to yourself so they're timestamped, just in case the tow truck operator shows up and tow's it anyhow. You need to have proof that you have complied with the order. The Christmastime mess is your making by not complying sooner.

I'm looking for nothing other than some reasoning and a place to vent. My apologies.

The city failed to follow through after August. We had contractors working on the house from September to November. No plans to pour concrete in November. Planned to move the fence in March or April, whenever I was able to get a auger into the ground.

Crankshaft · 12-21-2016, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 69Stang

The reason they can remain anonymous is so you can't retaliate. I see nothing wrong with that. You're the one breaking the law and have had sufficient time to fix this.

Best just to comply and find a spot until you can be incompliance with the ordinance.

I don't want to retaliate. I want to learn and educate them at the same time. I want to learn why they dislike us so much and at the same time educate them about Rv'ing. Yes, we are in violation of the setback rule but that setback rule wasn't a formal code until 1969. My house was built in 1962 and the first house was built on the street in 1957. The set back process before 1969 was none. The houses were built fairly inline with each other. My house sits back further than most of the houses on the street. The city allowed us to have other RV's because of the offset of houses. It would take a surveyor to determine the exact difference between the houses and each of their setbacks.

Triker56 · 12-21-2016, 06:33 AM

Mentor, OH. RV 10'X40' outside storage $50 month.

Within 10 miles 10'X45" $45 a month.

tderonne · 12-21-2016, 06:39 AM

Kind of creepy what google knows....

I'd knock that fence down and park it 1" behind the front of the house. Complaining neighbor will still be mad to see it there. Done.

I have read that not enforcing a law for some number of years does weigh on whether or not it can suddenly start being enforced. A real estate lawyer would know more, but it's a 2015 motorhome, the old trailer was a bit smaller perhaps?

raineman · 12-21-2016, 06:41 AM

Sorry. I feel for your neighborhood that is forced to look at your illegally parked RV everyday. From your own words, you have had more than enough time to find storage and prevent this whole fiasco. I would expect to be treated the same as you if I parked my RV illegally for years on my property. Get that thing into storage and move on. There are better things to spend your energy on. Merry Christmas

wajell · 12-21-2016, 06:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tha_Rooster

Build a fence around it with no gate, they can not mess with your property to get it out.

Wrong

69Stang · 12-21-2016, 06:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crankshaft

I don't want to retaliate. I want to learn and educate them at the same time. I want to learn why they dislike us so much and at the same time educate them about Rv'ing. Yes, we are in violation of the setback rule but that setback rule wasn't a formal code until 1969. My house was built in 1962 and the first house was built on the street in 1957. The set back process before 1969 was none. The houses were built fairly inline with each other. My house sits back further than most of the houses on the street. The city allowed us to have other RV's because of the offset of houses. It would take a surveyor to determine the exact difference between the houses and each of their setbacks.

Sorry, didn't mean to insinuate that you would retaliate, but there are some people that would.

At this point your options to fight it are limited. You could get a lawyer, but you'd never get anything done before the deadline of them towing your MH. Plus the money you spent on the lawyer you can use to store the MH until you can be incompliance.

IlliniCathy · 12-21-2016, 06:53 AM

To the original poster. My personal mantra is to be kinder than necessary as I don't know what kind of issues others may have. I am sure you are doing what you think best. I doubt any on here have an idea you have not considered. I would not want to be critical of you. It's Christmas and if you want to vent here, go right ahead. Merry Christmas to you and yours! Good luck and God Bless!

biggcrisp · 12-21-2016, 06:56 AM

Almost exact same thing happened to me.

1959 house on .75 acre with a driveway in front. We purposely bought outside of an HOA neighborhood in order to have a camper in our driveway. The town was laid back...until growth hit! The town then hired a "code enforcement person" and things got ugly fast.

What we did was extreme: first course of action was to put the camper in storage. We then sold our home (that we loved).

Our new to us 1960 house on 1 acre has a large driveway in the rear. And best of all it sits in a smaller (much better) town that is closer to my work.

I first checked with the new town administration about rv enforcement. Their policy is: you can park anywhere on your property as long as there are no weeds growing around it.

ChasL · 12-21-2016, 07:03 AM

X2 on what tderonne said. Happy Holidays.

Lifemember · 12-21-2016, 07:09 AM

The Governor of Oklahoma parked her RV on her property violating the city code a few years ago. She did not have enough clout to keep it parked there. Good luck with your situation.

I would have knocked the fence down and backed the RV up. Then put up a temporary fence for the dogs.

Kiawah · 12-21-2016, 07:14 AM

Looking at the googlemap, I would have already backed up the RV, and planted screening bushes along both the side and front edge. You can tuck that in real nice and reduce the eyesore that others perceive.

That's an easy situation for you to become compliant.....AND a good neighbor. You could even move straight back to your rear property line which would be better yet. Could also move the RV over a couple feet away from your house to give clearance for opening your side door, you've got a couple feet of pavement on that side.

nothermark · 12-21-2016, 07:22 AM

FWIW live in a town that had no ordnance. Bought our first MH and parked with no problem. Different area had an issue with too many cars parked in yards because students were renting for the college year with 4-6 per house with a car each. Now we have an ordnance that is being retroactively enforced as in no pre existing setups are grandfathered. $10,000 worth of driveway work and a new $5000 shed later we are back in compliance. I noticed neighbors all over the place doing similar things for boats and utility trailers as well as RV's. In short, BTDT.

Given that we found that the biggest issue was keeping the town informed that we were making progress even though we could not do the work in 10 days. It took close to a year as we needed a variance to create the approach to the parking pad since we already had a 2 car wide driveway and needed 3 car + to include the front of the pad. Got the variance in September, got a contract for the asphalt in march to be done in June, had a wet June and ended up with the work done in August. That included a couple of months of the MH on the front lawn while the driveway was removed and most of the base replaced 10 inches deeper plus the pad hole dug and filled. Through all that called the Town and kept them advised of the schedule and contracts let so they had a response to anyone complaining.

The point is that you have to work at keep9ing them in the loop or they assume you are flaunting them. A contract to move the fence and pour concrete come spring would probably get you the delay you need. It's at least worth an ask. That shows a good faith attempt at compliance on your part.

computerguy · 12-21-2016, 07:25 AM

Hate to be scrooge. Laws are there for a reason. You can comply, try to get them changed, and/or face the consequences.
As they say, you can't fight city hall. And I add, you can but you better have some pretty deep pockets.
I learned a long time ago to pick and choose my fights. This is one I would no way choose to pick.