RV Storage Law Zoning Board

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ddtjon

New member
Joined
Jan 25, 2007
Posts
2
Location
Chagrin Falls, Ohio
25 Jan 207

After 30 years of parking my RV's on my property (one at a time), the new yuppie zoning board of this small Ohio village passed a 19' law (I'm 24') Anyone have any ammunition I could use to fight city hall?

Thanks/John/Ohio
 
There is the fact you have parked it there for 30 years w/o complaint, You should be "Grandfathered" since your use of the land in this manner PREDATES the ordnance.  However I would not hold out high hopes for this approach.

There are a few other tricks, but I'm not a lawyer... And right now I'd suggest you and those who you know who are in your position ban together and consult with one, a good one.

Also, make sure your name is on next November's ballot (And as many of those "others" I mentioned as possible)
 
I know that in a lot of places there is a grandfather clause which to wit states usually or is held usually that if you are already out of the new law requirements they have to grandfather you in and let you keep it the way you have it.  Only way they can get around that is if they provide you with a place to store your vehicle at their expense.  Check with any lawyer and you may find that is their option. 
 
It's frustrating.  We pay to buy a property, we pay property tax on that property and at the end of the day, we still can't do what we want on our own property.

Depending on your neighbours and how the local authorities operate, you may be alright as long as your neighbours don't complain.  A lot of times, they only do something if they get a complaint.
 
Both FMCA and Good Sam have committees set up to assist people in municipal parking issues.  Contact either or both of them for help.  They've been through this many times and have some success in fighting unreasonable ordinances.
 
The laws of your state will control your options, but in Pennsylvania, you would be able to have them register you as a nonconforming use, and you would be able to continue the use because you were there storing the RV before the zoning regulation was no the books.  Here, the towship supervisors or borough council passes the law, the zoning officer enforces the law, and the zoning hearing board is the appeals board.

They would have been more effective passing a stand-alone ordinance controlling all commercial vehicles over a certain gross vehicle weight, but the legalities aren't the same everywhere, and it might be a very enforceable law there.

I would approach them indicating my concern and try to convince them to modify the law to prevent the parking of unregistered vehicles instead.  That way, if people were parking junkers and running down the neighborhood, they would have recourse, but it wouldn't effect active RVr's use.  There was probably some cause for the regulation.  Trying to find out why they made the law in the first place, then coming up with a solution might be easier.

Are they regulating all vehicles like boats and landscaper's trailers also, or just RV's?
 
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