Montgomery County, MD about to ban "project" cars and more

As the title says, Montgomery county, MD is about to pass a new law making any car not licensed or inoperable illegal to have on your property. This will also ban cars that are legally licensed and not used regularly. Also, you can't park them on the street either.

Since I have been thinking of building another car, and since I only have a 1 car garage, that means moving the RPU outside and covered. This "could" be illegal as I don't always use the RPU, especially in the colder months (no windows, no heat ).

If you want to know more, please discuss here or IM me.

Paul

 

Seems like you could use the political clout of SEMA, AACA, NSRA and any other car hobby organizations to make the county aware of the needs of legitimate hobbyists. Parking your T outside shouldn't be an issue. I'll bet the ordence is more pointed to vehicles that don't get used for years, not just put up for the winter months.

 

At the county council meeting last night, a number of "collectors" and hobbyists spoke up on that subject and the council didn't really care if it was a real project, to them any car not used as a daily driver is junk or junky and an eyesore.

 

The answer to problems like this is for people that are affected by it (like us) to run for office and become one of the voices that puts a stop to these ideas people have to take away your freedom.This country is becoming more and more intrusive and seizing power to take away our rights.Sometimes I don't recognize my own country anymore.More rodders and auto enthusiasts need to get involved with the political aspect to interject our prospective into the situation.
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Oops, I said political,that might get it closed.

 

Like Rich said, the lobby groups like SEMA would be all over that.

I understand politicians are trying to address problems, like a bunch of junk cars laying around a neighborhood, but they have to compromise, what they're talking about there is pure draconian. Are the car-Nazis going to propose random searches of garages? LOL. A lot of times they don't think the whole issue through.

 

I'd move and take my tax dollars with me. Run for office and cast a negative vote every time. Attend EVERY council meeting and be vocal.
STAY TO THE END OF THE MEETING. I left after the subject I was interested in was over and after I left they brought it back up and it passed. I was soooo pissed. that was Apartments. but thats how it works. We just got the clunker law here in Az and I'll be willing to bet that type-o-crap is next. Need a new hobby?
Open a crack outlet store. I'll bet theyre all for that.

 

This is an age old situation and started way back in the early 60's in subdivisions to control old cars parked in yards and on the streets not running. You can beat it but will have to all get together and fight it with a lawyer of get assistance from SEMA or other agencies to stop the city in there tracks. One problem is the officials have the time on there side and can rush things through when so desired and if you don't address the situation this law will spill over to other ridiculous and abused laws violating your rights.

 

Like so many ill-informed 'officials', they have no clue how much money gets spent on projects. The parts house and machine shop guys should be involved.
You should also look at the county funding system and remind 'them' that you can Vote with your pocket book or your feet.
Unless you are really tied to such a metropolis, consider moving to a friendlier location. It is still a really big nation and some small community will welcome you.


.

 

They wont be able to ban cars that are legally tagged and not used regularly - Historic, Street Rod, and Custom tags have limited usage clauses, they arent allowed to be driven daily(weekends, holidays, and special occasions only).
They've tried this before, and the state shot them down(friends of mine have matching 67 Chevelles that they race, they keep them covered in the carport, they got the law shot down previously after a county employee tresspassed, and cut the car covers to check for tags).

Besides, there are already laws in place that are similar- your neighbors can complain about your project cars being an eyesore, and you can be fined and forced to remove the cars if they cant be hidden from street view.

 

Simple solution, gather up your local politicians, tie em to the RPU and drag 'em...or just keep refering to the head "nazi" at the committee meetings as Mr. Hitler...

 

I doubt a local ordinance can ban the parking of legally inspected, registered, and insured vehicles on anyone's property whether they are used daily or weekly or monthly or yearly. The taxes have been paid and that is granting the privelege of having and using the vehicle.

 

exactly. State law trumps County law. If the vehicle is legally tagged, and insured, there aint a damned thing the county can do about it.

 

I feel your pain,Ziggy.
We have a "knick-knack n#zi" here in Western MD that feels cars should be abolished unless they have heat in the tire treads.A left over,double-dipping idiot that wants to tell landowners how to landscape their street fronts to appeal to real estate potentials?
I got a memo about my truck."Old vehicle parked unused."
Duh,you could see the legally tagged (yes,it was insured too) license plate from his vantage point.I drove it the day he must've seen the vehicle?
I called him on it."Must've been a misunderstanding by staff?"
Putz.An idiot who had a friend create a job for him.

Now I camouflage everything.Screw em!

 

You might want to find out who is on council and go check out their driveways. Tell me that the bylaw won,t include motor homes,boats,campers,car trailers or trailers of any sort if not used on a regular basis. Feel free to take pics! Go to council and show the pics and ask if they mean stuff like this. If even one says yes they are all fucked.....

 

Don't count on it. I live in Montgomery Co, MD and they are pretty much Socialists here. The judges are some of the worst offenders. Private property rights are not their first concern. Not even close. Love to live elsewhere but the job market here is too good to leave.

 

You'll find that these bureautards all live in nice homes with 2 or 3 car garages and have no hobbies. They want you to live just like they do.

In CA they DO have the power to limit whats on your property, i.e., RV in the side yard, and cars in the drive. I know of many cities that have those regulations, like a town where it's illegal to leave your car in your own driveway for the weekend. 72 Hours is the limit on a public road, and they have tricky ways to enforce it -- like putting a paper clip on top of one tire.

You could get some like-minded people together, buy a junker, paint BITE ME on the sides and park in front of the mayor's house for however many hours it's legal to do so, then move it to another bureautard's house. You have to find out exactly how long it's legal to do so.

Make it clear to the suits that this will become your life's work if they pass such a dumb law.

 

Certain parts of Montgomery County are so overrun with illegals and immigrants not abiding by the laws, that it was only a matter of time before stuff like this happened. The homes and apartment complexes in these areas are riddles with junk. The whole county has changed dramatically in the last decade.

You get run down areas of the county and 5 miles away you have Potomac with 5 million dollar mansions. Sooner or later this was going to happen. The county needs to clean up BAD! But unfortunately its going to make a lot of hardworking law abiding peoples lives difficult. Space in MoCo, city areas, is had to find for a car person

 

this sucks bad! find out what hobbies the burocrats have and move to have them banned.

 

The moral of the story is, FIGHT IT. gather up all of Your buddies and get organized. Now is NOT the time for apathy.

 

Thats bad if one county passes is others will follow...I think Budhaboy is right though saying the state will override the taged ones.It's one thing for untaged cars sitting but tagged cars should not be affected (I hope anyway)
KEEP US INFORMED ON THIS BAN

Steve

 

ask if that goes for new cars parked on dealers lots not tagged. Can't discriminate!

 

If you don't think a local ordinance can preempt state law just ask the people in Myrtle Beach about Bike Week. The only way you will cut that crap off at the pass is with the squeeky wheel theory. The more people you get to complain about these dumb ass regulations the better off you will be. Talk to friends, aquatainces (sp) School Board members, County Board Members, Rotary Club Members, all other civic clubs that want your help when they have a fund raiser, Masonic Lodge Brothers, etc. Push back as hard as they are pushing to pass this silly crap. Then threaten LAW suit because the county will not want to spend a lot of taxpayers money on legal fees.

 

Not if they are allowed to tax them Then they'll be asking you to get another.

 

Here is Largo's

Definition of an inoperable vehicle
Inoperative vehicle means any self propelled vehicle designed for travel along the ground, in the air or through water under its own power which is not capable of such travel in its existing mechanical condition; or any dismantled, partially dismantled, discarded, wrecked, demolished or partially demolished vehicle; or any vehicle not bearing a current license plate or having a current registration.

It used to read "or any part of an inoperable vehicle" after partially demolished vehicle... which meant my 1 car garage probably had 200 "inoperable vehicles" in it... the ordinance states:

Sec. 9-3. Inoperative vehicles prohibited.

(a) No person shall knowingly leave any partially dismantled, wrecked, discarded, junked, or unlicensed vehicle on any street or highway within the city.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to store or keep any inoperable vehicles on any property within the city.

(c) Exceptions:

(1) One inoperative vehicle or a vehicle registered as a collector’s item by the State Division of Motor Vehicles and provided that such vehicles are maintained in such a manner that they do not constitute a health, safety, or fire hazard and are contained in a fully enclosed structure.

(2) Vehicles stored or kept on the property of a business enterprise operated in a lawful place and manner when necessary to the operation of such business enterprise, provided that any dismantled, discarded, wrecked, demolished, or partially demolished vehicles are stored in a fully enclosed structure or in an approved junkyard as provided in the Comprehensive Development Code.

(Ord. No. 97-29, § 2, 7-1-97)


So with the old wording, I was 200 or so times out of compliance...

I went to the city council meeting when they passed this (if anybody thinks that they didn't already discuss how they were going to vote in the "work sessions" they hold before the actual meeting, you are being niave) 200 people there, lots of speakers against, none for...the city attourney spoke and said the ordinance would be applied on a "by complaint" basis, not and not as a tool for the city to use as a weapon against people it suspected were repairing cars for profit at their homes... It still passed 6 to 1.

Big surprise...

So I came home and wrote a open letter to all my neighbors, asking them to come to me if they were unhappy with the chassis under a tarp in the front yeard, not the cops... I put a copy on each one's door... Nothing but positive responses...

Until one day back when I had the rolling chassis under a tarp in the front yard while I was working on the body in my one car garage, the ordinance officer came by and told me I had three days to move it... I asked them "who complained about it", and he said, "Nobody"...

Then I asked if he had attended the city council meeting where this ordinance had passed, and he said "no"...

I repeated the above story about the city attorney and asked him to use his autonomy when it comes to such things and to NOT put a yellow sticker on my door. I showed him the letter, and he asked how long it was going to take to finish the car... I said 1-5 years (I was only off by 8 years ) and he never came back... until the woom-ba-bus angry lesbian ordinance officer took over a few years later... Thats when I had to rent the barn...

So...

You may buy some time by talking to your neighbors and the local ordinance enforcement... but better yet, BE A HUGE PAIN IN ASS to those who propose and decide on the ordinances, instead of trying to ask for favors later on from those who enforce them.

 

i feel your pain Paul..

 

That sounds like some kind of half assed,crap law to me,sound like something that they would think up in Massachusetts(my home state,but dont tell anyone)come on down to Florida,the pay sucks,and you,ll sweat your ass off,but no one gives a shit what you do,no car inspections,no bumper laws,no emission testing crap,hell we got 4 wheel drive pickups down here you can walk under,hell step it up a notch and get a permit to carry,buy a bunch of guns,it will make you feel good.come on down.Gerry

 

Buy a car trailer or an enclosed trailer register and park it legally. Anything on or in the trailer is legally freight and is by law neither parked or stored. Anything in a garage is stored and not parked.
Where is the accountability to regulate those sworn to office of the public trust who have sworn to uphold the private property ownership and use rights guaranteed by the constitution?
The county sherrif is elected, his deputies are appointed under his authority. He is THE premier law enforcement officer in a county with authority to enforce the state constitution in that county even to nullify bad law which offends the rights and priveleges of his electorate. He is elected by the people of that county under the direct authority of that states constitution and holds jurisdiction over the police. Legally, The police are public security guards hired by the city and have to "do their job without question" or risk being fired or censured.

 

I often wonder if a boat in the yard is ok? If so get a real big one hinge the stern to open and use it as a garage.