Art & Inspiration HAVEN HILLS AUTO CLUB

I want to take a moment to formally introduce my project and the current struggles it is facing.

Haven Hills Auto Club is part of Haven Hills Farm. Haven Hills Dairy was once a farm where multiple generations of my family ran a prominent and successfully dairy farm in Albion, Michigan. Only the two farm houses and the milk house remains to this day and the name has been lost in time. It has been my life's goal since I was little to build a property to pay homage to that history. In 2013 I bought 6.5 acers in Pennfield Township as a forever property to build my dream and raise a family to respect hard work, God, and country.

Haven Hills Auto Club represents and is dedicated to the preservation of automotive history through art and inspiration. It is more than just a car club that meets on the weekends. The club members are family, close friends, and most importantly the cars and trucks. In 2018 I was finally able to build my shop and start the build of the Haven Hills Roadster and more recently the Yard Art Roadster. Over the years I have become known as the cool property with old trucks lost in time and have had many people come out to do photo shoots with the old trucks and the rustic dairy barn. Pre COVID we started planning for the idea of running an organization where the sale of photography art, calendars, and possibly merchandise could benefit charity and hobby 50/50.

Currently, Haven Hills Auto Club is under attack from one or two neighbors and the township for having blighted vehicles stored in my yard. The trucks were minimally landscaped pre COVID, but we have been tight on our budgets during this pandemic and did not keep up on the landscaping this year. I did burn down the weeds throughout the year and sold or scrapped multiple trucks and parts to clean things up. I was in communication with multiple neighbors during this summer, and they loved what I had accomplished in trying to breath new life into an old farm that had been mistreated for years by the previous owner. Projects in the restoration of the property are ongoing and will be for years. The neighbors say they are worried about their property values being dragged down by me. I had told all of my neighbors previously that if the projects were out of hand to stop by or give me a call and I would make corrections to their liking. Two vehicles from the 60s were being parted out for my daughters someday drag car and two more 70s trucks were temporarily stored behind my garage until I could build the next barn. These I feel are the targets, but since it was brought to the attention of the township and legal action has been taken on my family, the whole property and works of art are also in jeopardy. I'm not sure why a couple neighbors have turned on me, but I guess it is expected with the current division in our country. It's just sad that other people want to project their beliefs onto something they do not pay for or invest in. Because of these selfish acts by neighbors and the township, my families dreams, history, and the community involvement may be lost forever. I am seeking legal action, but with the pandemic ongoing my resources are limited. I'm open to any and all options to save these works of art and inspiration and to keep uplifting the community.

Thankyou for your support. Dan.

 

Good luck with your problem. Could be worse though. You could be like one of the people who live down the road from me with the used toilet planters around the mailbox and down the driveway.

 

Please keep in mind that the photos do not represent their final appearance or presentation as planned. This idea is in it's infancy and the execution is ongoing. The Jeep and 54 F250 are for sale in other adds and on other platforms.

 

Rezone the barn and truck area as commercial (home business), charge for the photo shoots (could be a very small amount), and they will be designated as "scenery" instead of abandoned vehicles.

 

Well that the crazy part. The township is worried about old trucks, but I have an agricultural exemption, so I could have 100 tractors and implements on my property or a large combine with offensive political signage painted on it and the township would have to allow it based on their own verbiage. BTW, the trucks are all retired farm trucks and considered commercial farm vehicles, but the the township does not see it that way. They have called me a scrapper and a chop shop and even called me a hillbilly and a redneck. I am none of those things. It's sad people have to be small minded. I keep my yard mowed nicely and make improvements to my property every year. I work 6 to 7 days a week and these people have no respect for the hard work and dedication I have for breathing new life into this property so it will last another 100 years and inspire the next generation to respect art and history.

 

I wonder how much my taxes would go up if my property was commercial. We have been looking into creating an LLC or a non-profit to protect the trucks considered art. The other non-art vehicles and parts are already in the process of being moved.

 

Sounds like you should invest in a local attorney's opinion.

 

Negotiation and compromise is being attempted first, legal actions will follow if negotiations aren't fruitful, and if all else fails I will have to find other means of entertaining my neighbors for the situation they have put me in. We will see. I hope for all parties to come to an agreement before legal actions have to be taken, but Haven Hills Auto Club will have to be legitimatized in either regard.

 

Wait, the "Township" is calling you a hillbilly and a redneck?

When the government starts calling you names, that means they don't have any legal ammunition and you've won. I agree it's time to speak to a lawyer.

 

I've been doing some reading. An old rusty truck in your yard is not art, but and old rusty truck displayed and used for photography and the intent is display and not storage, the First Amendment and the Visual Artists Right Act of 1990 protect my expression of art, especially on private property, as long as the intent is not to harm another person. It states that government cannot restrict or commission the destruction of artwork. Furthermore, copyrights and trademarks further protect individual pieces of art if applied. Basically, proper landscaping and photographic evidence from patrons enjoying the art give me protective rights. At least as I understand the laws I just read.

 

The township has called me to my face a scrapper and a chop shop. The neighbors have called me a hillbilly and a redneck. Its hard to make uneducated and shallow minded individuals understand their actions are hurting me more than I am hurting them.

 

BTW, the trucks are named Henry "35 Dump", Harriet "41 Chevy", Harold "40 Ford", and Elmer "Red 54 Ford". Have been for years. Their names and setting give me the right to copyright the works of art if I so choose. The Jeep and the Green 54 Ford are for sale and not part of the art display.

 

Well If your allowed to have big tractors or farm implements and other junk items as you stated with "offensive signage" perhaps go that route. Make them wish they would have left you be. Then maybe your nosey neighbors will learn the benefits of minding their own business.

 

I agree with Lone Star . Give them a run for their money . The simplest ideas can have an impact . Brush some green and red paint on the vehicles and see if that makes them back off a little.​

 

Just a quick update. The township is giving me 30 days to complete the removal of "stored" vehicles. I just drove a backhoe ten miles to my place yesterday from the in-laws. That was fun... I can already tell the yard will be damaged really bad given the wet weather we have been having. Looks like the neighbors are going to be looking at a mud pit after I'm done moving dirt and parts. They were also complaining that I didn't take care of a dirt mound after building the barn. So I'm financially strained, the yard will be tore up, the art trucks are in jeopardy, and still facing legal action if not completed in 30 days all while going into winter. If it snows all bets are off. Oh, and three vehicles need to be sold in those 30 days too. 1970 Opel GT parts car. 1940's Jeep and parts, and a 1954 F250 project. I'm screwed. There goes the holidays....

 

Sounds to me like you bought property in the wrong place. When I bought my first property as a young man, the first thing I did was move a couple dead cars out there from my parents place, which immediately put me on the bad guy list. After they were playing games to get a building permit, I brought in a lawyer, and he wisely told me " we can win this battle, but you wont win the war". Good advice, I sold and found the place I am still at 44 years later

 

Set up a mini-putt golf course and use the vehicles as obstacles

Clean up the grass around your collection and put flowers/plants in the boxes of the trucks ... that ain't yard art or derelict vehicles, those are my wifes planters

Jeeze, you thought you could move into a place called Battle Creek and live peacefully

 

I hear ya. But, I've got this place half paid off, a great shop, 2000 sqft house, Herbert the steer as a pet, and 6 acers of Gods country. We were married here, had the baby shower in the new barn, and have already buried a great pet out back. I'm not usually one to back down. If the neighbors don't like beautiful trucks, then maybe they will like 4ft x 4ft NO Trespassing signs all the way down my frontage and facing the snitch to the side. My imagination is running wild. Maybe doll heads on polls all over the yard. I may be a little twisted, but I learned a log time ago. Wear down your enemy. They complain because they're sensitive, I retaliate for sport. It will depend on if my yard art has to be moved or not. Let the games begin! This is why you never complain about your neighbor, unless serious laws are being broken. People should, for the most part, mind there own business. And to find a new property in this housing market to match mine is almost impossible or inflated beyond reason. Can't sell right now. I'm in it for the long haul. The more I'm inconvenienced, the more I will annoy them within the townships by laws.

 

I agree, now is not the time to sell and move. Rumor has it some clown in your area is dragging prices way down so you're kinda stuck

 

Sounds like one of the neighbors is trying to get you to sell up at a cheap price so they can snap it up and turn it into a residential slum suburb.

 

I wouldn't use a local legal person as they are probably related to everyone in town.

 

Sounds like it’s ag property to me.

 

You have six acres? Isn't there someplace else on the property to put the stuff? Would a fence satisfy the local ordinances, or do the trucks need to be absolutely gone?

 

I bet planting some flowers around the vehicles you want to keep as "art" would go a long way. Having them complete with no missing lights, grilled, etc will probably make them a lot more acceptable to your average person.

If the other vehicles you listed are going away make that happen or get them out of sight ASAP. It's hard for the uncultured non car people to distinguish between "art" and "junk". Make it easy and just stick with the art and get rid of the distractions, work bench, stuff stored in the boxes.

I somehow get away with doing all the bad habits I just listed living in town. Over 5 years and now and no one has said a word. Most of my stuff is in plain view, pus much more is hoarded out of sight. I try to keep the noise down at night and always help plow snow for my neighbors.

 

My property is hard to explain. From the road, most of my back yard is hidden because I'm on a hill. I'm am already in the process of smoothing out a section out back to hide a couple vehicles. The 70s trucks are moving to another property of a friend for the winter. The township bi-laws state that no vehicle unlicensed and inoperable may be "stored" outside. Even if they are out back or behind a fence out of sight they are still in violation. Plus google maps doesn't help.