The Beginning of a Slum?

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DearMissMermaid

DearMissMermaid

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I read with interest this article:
http://savannahnow.com/news/2011-02-10/chathams-rv-enthusiasts-fight-parking-rights

This is a quote from the article, from  real estate agent Judi Ross:

Ross said homebuyers shy away from neighborhoods with RVs and boats parked in their driveway.

"It's the beginning of a slum," she said.

I had no idea that slum dwellers were affluent enough to own homes,  boats and RV's.  :eek:  I am sure glad to know they are passing laws to keep the real estate agents happy! 

Now I can sleep much better at night, thank goodness.  ;D
 
This seems to be another example of a government fixing a non-existent problem with a solution that causes more problems.  The biggest messes are typically made "with the best of intentions." 

EKB

 
I live in a development similar to that but not quite as restrictive.  According to my HOA, I CAN park in my driveway for 48 hours for loading, unloading.  However, according to local ordinance, I cannot park any truck, RV or boat in my driveway if it extends PAST the front line of the house.  In other words, since my driveway runs from the street right into the garage which is even with the front of the house, my motorhome is breaking the LAW.  Fortunately, the police look the other way, but I wonder what would happen if someone complained?  I'd think they'd have to cite me.

Anyway, what I was wanting to say was, if I was ever hassled to the extent these people in Savannah are being hassled, I would buy a vehicle that was so close to being on the edge of illegal, and I'd park it in my driveway every day.  I'd find the rustiest, most banged up piece of crap and just move it around a bit in the driveway.  Those neighbors would be PRAYING it was a shiny class A instead of a junker. ;D
 
If it's in your title or some type of Home Owners Association bylaws, it isn't a police matter. It's a civil matter. The HOA would give you some type of notice then they would get the lawyers involved. Ugly and expensive on both sides.

I wouldn't live anywhere where neighbors could tell me what I can and can't do on my 6 digit investment, at last within reason.
 
A prime example of the old adage "One man's trash is another man's treasure".  That old beat up '78 RV rotting by the driveway might be someone's treasure, but it sure doesn't add "treasure" to the neighbor's property value.  Unfortunately, HOA's and local governments seldom develop their neighborhood restrictions with input from RV and boat owners.  And, unfortunately, some RV and boat owners could care less about the impact of their "treasures" on their neighbors.

It's a trade-off however you might choose to go.  If you want freedom from restrictions, you have to accept your neighbors "treasures".  If you want to restrict what your neighbor can do with his property, you must accept the same restrictions.

Personally, I live where I live, in part because there are no restrictions.  Thankfully, my neighbors either have reasonable pride in the display of their "treasures" or  live far enough away to not matter.
 
Delicate subject. I currently live in a tightly restricted HOA governed community. We love that everyone's yards are well kept and neither RVs or vehicles not being driven, etc. are parked around. However, we are now listing our home so that we can move to a neighborhood where there are no CC&R restrictions so we can bring our RV home rather than in paid storage when we retire next year. Even still, we are searching for a home where we can secure our trailer next to the house behind a fence and we hope our neighbors do the same.
 
I see the ordinance only applies to RV's over 22'. Looks like it's time to scrounge up a nice old rusted-out class B from a junkyard somewhere, drag it home, and set it up in the driveway. "Hey neighbor, do you like my new RV? It's only 20' long so the ordinance doesn't apply. It'll be parked right here in my driveway every day for your viewing enjoyment!"
 
Joezeppy said:
I see the ordinance only applies to RV's over 22'. Looks like it's time to scrounge up a nice old rusted-out class B from a junkyard somewhere, drag it home, and set it up in the driveway. "Hey neighbor, do you like my new RV? It's only 20' long so the ordinance doesn't apply. It'll be parked right here in my driveway every day for your viewing enjoyment!"
Click to expand...

LOL, yep, that would be one of those unintended consequences! Amazing how people don't think these things through prior to implementing them when some of these things are so obvious to the rest of us.
 
8) I would make sure that I had this old rusty motorhome registerd and t runs and moves. Zoning or another Department may have an ordinance against non running or registered Vehicles . ::) ;D I wish you the best trying to beat city hall. Irover
 
I live in tecumseh Ontario Canada and a year ago last December my neighbour came over to gloat that our town was going to pass a by-law that would prevent me from parking my 34' mallard A-class along with boats,enclosed trailers and such in my driveway in front of my house and being irish i wasn't going to stand for this expecially when i called to town to verify there was no by-law in place before i bought it so i made up a bunch of flyers and went to every house in town with a boat,trailer or Rv suggesting they be present on Dec. 8th at town hall now i fugured i would get a few people but thet were lined up out the door,it was beautiful! Our mayor at that point asked for the person representing the issue and everyone looked at me,i almost passed out,i went to the mike and simply asked if out of the 400+ people gathered is there anyone in faver of this by-law passing?? All that was missing was the chirping of the crickets so they put it to bed.

  The following spring i purchased a 13' haulmaster enclosed trailer for work [i'm a master carpenter] and the same neighbour almost had a stroke,i can't wait until the end of april when we get the 38' daydreamer fifth wheel!!!
 
This is a quote from the article, from  real estate agent Judi Ross:

Ross said homebuyers shy away from neighborhoods with RVs and boats parked in their driveway.

"It's the beginning of a slum," she said.

I had no idea that slum dwellers were affluent enough to own homes,  boats and RV's.    I am sure glad to know they are passing laws to keep the real estate agents happy!
Click to expand...

Yes, Miss Mermaid, I too have been amazed that people who own all kinds of expensive toys aren't "good" enough to be among the common folk.  We encountered such discrimination in Redwood City, CA.  We were able to stop the proposed ordinance (thanks to Good Sam for the good legal advice), but saw the handwriting on the wall, so to speak.  We had one couple who used to go around with clipboards looking for city ordinace and local CC&R violations.  They loved to take pictures of our street because probably 50 percent of us had boats, RVs, satellite TV antennas, and other "offending" (read "not perfectly pretty") objects.  The person on our city council who was pushing a really draconian restriction on even small work trucks was indeed a realtor and he wanted every street to look perfect.  Sorry, chum, but life isn't perfect.  Anyway he got voted out at the next election and we left a couple of years later.

ArdraF

 
Miami-Dade County does have an ordinance which states the RV/Boat must be parked behind or even with the front of the home. You would not believe they have an ordinance driving through neighborhoods. BTW Miss Mermaid, I drove past the Florida City campground yesterday and seen several sites open. I don't know what they charge but I do know their sites are pretty close together. Personally I like a lot more space.
 
And that's why we live in the country!  I'm not thrilled with a couple of my neighbors but for the most part most folks are neat and clean. 

We kind of live and let live out here.
 
I guess that here in Tennessee I am lucky as we have a pad with electric.  Water is close by as is a septic clean out.  In our neighborhood there are 9 rigs parked at the house.  Crime rate is low, 4 in last 2 years.  We keep our rig here year round as you can see in the signature.  We camp at least once a month and have had no problems with neighbor's complaining.  I get bent out of shape when someone butts into my business when they try ti "Improve Me"  imho.  Oh yeah the house is for sale.  Going fulltime.
 
At various times when we were house hunting, I delighted in asking about CCR's, when the agent would tell me Oh YES, I would exclaim Oh NO.  Now 3 junk cars on the front lawn is not what I was looking for, but town ordinance doesn't allow that, but not be able to park a rig, or erect an antenna?  Being a ham, I wanted to be sure I could have a tower. 

On that subject, ham friend of mine bought into a CCR neighborhood early on and helped draft the CCR, amazing, towers were allowed!  He just wrote it so that his motorized tower situation was perfectly legal. 

 
You park a 200,000 motor home beside a 75,000 stick house and this LOWERS property values?!!!!!!!!

Though I can see a ban against junk vehicles, even if I once got a ticket for violating same (Dismissed since the vehicle did not meet the defination of disabled.. (A motor vehicle, Incapable of being started and operated safely upon the highway, and without a valid registration showing,,,,, Trailer is NOT a motor vehicle unless hooked up, Could be safely operated if hooked up (IN Fact had the tow vehicle not been in the shop it would have been on the road the day it was ticketed) and had valid registration, expiering on the court date) 

But no RV parking just does not make sense.
 
Timing - apparently the problem exists everywhere;
http://blog.cleveland.com/brunswicksuntimes/2011/02/brunswick_leaders_need_to_enfo.html
 
I guess I'm in the stark minority on this issue.  We just purchased a townhouse near Phoenix.  While shopping we specifically looked for tight CC&Rs.  Our daughter and SIL bought a home here four years ago in a new development.  Houses all around them now have multiple families living in them with many, many cars parked all over, parties till all hours and beer cans thrown over the back fence.  I am not implying that these are bad people but I choose to live in a different enviromemt.  This is likely to be the last "home" I ever purchase so I don't want to be exposed to the types of thing our daughter and her family have seen happen to their neighborhood lately.

Our CC&Rs are about the most restrictive and controlling that I have ever heard of.  As an example they paint the exteriors of all homes in the HOA every other year to keep the area looking congruent.  I guess this could change in the future but the HOA has been doing it's thing since 1985 and the place still looks like it could be a street out of Disneyland.

Having said all of this, I wouldn't not have felt this way during my child raising years when we had all the boats, jet skiis, dirt bikes, etc.... but for my retirement years I reserve the right to live in an environment of my choosing and like them to be enforceable via civil action.

Good Discussion...

Rick
 
I'm sure the Realtor trying to sell the house next door is cursing me today.  I have our TT diagonal in the driveway (the only way it will fit) and it fully hooked up.  We just purchased it on Tuesday and I want to run through the systems this weekend.  Plus, my daughter is having her 14th b-day party and we told her that her and her friends could sleep out there.

The part about the Realtor... he is having an open house today from 2-4.
 
I've gone through the same thing in my small city. There is an ordinance against vehicles over 20-feet in length in spite of guidelines for housecars over 6,000 lbs being parked behind the house on concrete.

So, I took the issue to the city fathers asking for a variance. My neighbor, bossy old dude that he is, complained bitterly at the meeting saying "he had never had difficulty with neighbors." Of course, I hadn't either until moving in this past November. (It seems the guy has a reputation for living in the negative tense).

We contacted an attorney. As it turns out the attorney had represented a homeowner in a more exclusive (read that "wealthier" neighborhood) part of the county where my wife and I now live. The county has a zoning commission and can enforce off-street parking guidelines and ordinances. The sixth class city where we live has no zoning authority and can't enforce off-street parking limitations. The circuit court judge found in favor of the homeowner and against the small city.

I'll all come out in the wash at the next council meeting.

Oh, my neighbor is claiming that the motorhome will bring down property values. I told the council that I'd like to see some empirical data that states that a motorhome brings down property values. So far, none seems to exist.
 
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