Death of the project car

If people would just mind their own business, life would be great. I don't tell you what to do and I damn sure don't want you telling me what to do. I believe people should be free to live their own lives, but some people are sheep and have a need to follow others. The problem begins when the followers expect "free thinking folks" to follow them. Just my 2 cents.

 

Hey Von Finkenstien, that was in Allen Park. Not where I live now. I'm a rural transplant from an urban 'hood

 

Ahh ..still that would blow to have to live near that shit...literally

 

If they make you remove all your old cars, start raising HOGS! Lots of 'em too. That'll show the nosy jerks.

 

sounds to me like you have whiney new rich neighbors that don't want to see that vintage iron in the backyard. Money makes the world go round and there sure is lots of it in SoCal!

 

I moved away from CA for just this kind of stuff, along with the high cost of living.
In the city of SD, they have TOUGH laws. I bought a non-running car and had it registered. Parked it on the street (no room on property) with a car cover and the current reg. showing. Got a notice 2 days later!!!

Here's a link to a pdf of the city's ordinance. Note the daye; this stuff is old...
http://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter14/Ch14Art02Division05.pdf

 

Both your country and my country have brave boys dieing in foreign places, to give people in those countries rights and freedom, whilst back home our own rights are being steamrollered over. Something ain't right!

 

One thing that can be done to help is put yourself in your neighbors shoes, is the veiw of your proporty helping or harming his property value, what can you do to improve the look of your property, build a privacy fence, keep the weeds down around the project cars.
Ive got a ton of project cars but I keep them as tidy as I can and mostly hidden just to be a good neighbor, however the guy across the street has started filling his yard with clutter (I know to him it's cool stuff) and then painted his house a neon lime green..... WTF..... now if I try to sell my house who is going to want to buy a house to have to look at that, I would bet he has cost me 10-15 grand in property value with his "improvements"

Go look at your pile does it need cleaned up? Doing your part to not give hot rodders a bad image and going to your city counsel meetings are about the only way to fight this.

$.02
Robert

 

Exactly.

People being denied due process is what stopped the foreclosure wave.​

 

tall fences with a cover material to blind out your property and no trespassing signs! Without a warrant they CAN NOT inspect your property without your approval. They can bust you for what they can see from the sidewalk, or what they see walking (directly) up to your door (if you do not have no trespassing signs out). An old freind of mine has a sign on the dirt road entry to his property.

"PRIVATE PROPERTY. Anyone not personally invited by owner on this property MUST be holding a warrant above their head to avoid gunfire. NO EXCEPTIONS!"


And he meant it. I saw him fire on everything from Jehovah's Witnesses, to lost motorists, to a cop. (who turned out to be looking for some kids in a stolen car that matched my car at the time, and was none to pleased to be shot at). Had a rifle loaded in every room that faced the entry road it seemed, and an old double barrel on the porch.

 

Glad I live in the redneck part of America...where we can still hang an engine from that big tree in the front yard.

 

Its called SEMA. If you're just now paying attention, maybe you need research on what candidates really stand for.

 

The cleanup the neighborhood nazis are everywhere. Even in my neck of the woods. They don't want trash/junk/even me in public view!

As far as property stored inside out of public view, that's pretty common stuff, I think, anywhere. Of course any building that has already been recognized as part of property tax assessment would be overlooked. A building that is not on the property tax assessment would be subject to inspection, measurement/type of construction/etc. How they would get inside my building without my expressed permission absent a search warrant? Ha.

 

What he said. Almost all ordinances prohibit stuff like that EXPOSED TO PUBLIC VIEW, that is, which can be seen from a place where the public has a right to be (sidewalk, street, etc). So keep your junk (parts cars, piles of metal, unregistered vehicles...) behind your house or behind a fence or in the garage or shed and you should be OK.

I see there is still no posting of the ordinance the OP has complained is being enforced against him, or the conditions involved here...

Oh, I do have a front clip in in public view my yard, but it's not junk, it's "yard art"... maybe the OP is an artist?.....

 

It's definitely not only a California problem. In Colorado the code enforcers get bored, or a neighbor complains (usually the latter) and you will get threatened with huge fines, and punishment as well. Two of my friends had to build "privacy fences" to get the county off of their asses. Out here they site you with trying to run a business out of your garage. They can't imagine you would be working on more than one car at once. Just because one of my friend's has his company's name on the side of his coupe, and his coupe spends most of it's time around the house, they assumed he was running the business out of his house. In my neighborhood the HOA requires that all cars be in the driveway between 12am-6am. They say it's for safety and to keep the neighborhood clean...who sees the neighborhood at dark. If I'm out that late I'm usually the only car around. I had to keep the Cadillac under a car cover "since they can't legally lift the cover to see if it's plated" before I had it registered. When the brakes went out on my ex's Newport they kept threatening to tow it when we couldn't get it safely in and out of the driveway (not having park on the push button torqueflites made this a royal PITA). (PS can't go in the garage, they are fitted for new small cars...these 19' boats definitely don't stand a chance of fitting). Everywhere has to deal with it and you just have to fight it, and find ways around it. Out here we have horseless carriage plates for anything over 50 years old that costs $15.49 for 5 years, and you can get these without insurance with a certificate that it isn't ready for the road yet, but to prove it's a registered vehicle. Just food for thought...fences, covers, plates, might be a bit of a loophole to avoid these enforcers.

 

In my mostly rural state of Nevada we have seventeen counties, each with it's own constantly changing levels of freedom and tolerance for individual and property rights.

Most counties have more than one town.

I guarantee you that SEMA does NOT have the manpower to supervise what is happening in each of our counties and towns, much less each county across the entire USA.

If they did, we would be cussing THEM, as they would then be the organization attempting to make us all fit into a single mould for what is "acceptable" and more easily managed!

Large organizations deal in Large issues, primarily for their major benefactors and due$ paying members.

Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association, as I recall.
How many of us that are being singled out by county mounties are Specialty Equipment Manufacturers?

It's great when SEMA's interest and ours intersect, I am sure they do a lot of good.
But we as individuals are NOT their primary concern.

"All politics is local", and ultimately has to be dealt with locally.

 

My bother had a neighbor in MD (yes MD, not CA for all you CA haters) that did this exact thing when he tried to run a landscape contracting and plant nursery business on his property that the neighbors objected to for some reason and zoning stopped him on it. It was zoned for a farm so out of spite he put in a bunch of hogs and some junked cars as feeding troughs painted in annoying rainbow colors. The place quickly turned into a muddy disaster but the neighbors and zoning were apparently cool with it. That lasted for about a year or 2 until one day it was gone. I asked my brother what happened and he said he didn't know, but still no nursery. My guess is it didn't work and he got tired of his own FU statement and raising hogs was too much work for him. Now it is just a farm field again.

 

All these folks saying get a lawyer and fight for your rights although it really does sound good, if Miguel had posted a picture of what he's talking about you would understand better. It's ALOT of stuff out in the open, piles and piles of old hot rod goodness.

It's not shocking that they are getting called out on it, Call Miguel, buy stuff, buy lots of stuff, the more the better at this point

when you get done dealing with all this, give me call Miguel I have that roadster panel stashed away out of the prying eyes of "the man"....

 

I would definitely seek legal counsel, immediately before moving or selling anything.

I learned a long time ago that I didn't want neighbors of any kind. We had the kind when I was young that would call the cops immediately on hearing power tools, exhaust or anything else noisy. Or just if they didn't like one of the cars we brought home. Everybody knew they were nuts, but it was still a hassle. Especially wouldn't live in a neighborhood where they tell you what you can and can't store in front of your house, behind it, or anywhere else. Still, people voluntarily move where there is a dreaded "Neighborhood Association". They even get told what color they can/can't paint their own house- yet people still move in. Why?

My advice is to move to the country. We live on 31 acres (in the county) in southern TN, and there is no piece of adjoining property where anybody can see anything of mine. It's just farms and horses anyways. Our gated drive is over 2000 ft long, you can't even see the house till you're all the way down it. We have at least 8 cars outside, who's gonna say something?

Folks don't come down here lost, or snooping around in this part of the country uninvited. They know better.

Around here, I've had more iron pulled on me just asking about old field trucks than you'd even believe. They're not asking questions about 'ordinances', either

 

Everyone needs to sign up for SEMA Action Network (SAN) I just did and get a email up date on the latest legal status of the government actions related to the car hobby. Resently this group fought hard to stop gas from having to have 15% ethenol content.That crap is no good for your engine and fuel system.
The contact email address is [email protected].
I am glad I signed up after seeing it in a popular hot rod mag,GREAT article.

If we stand by and let these green monkeys have their way,we will all be riding chinese bicycles soon.

 

Uh...wrong. This IS a left/right thing. TRUE right-ists are staunch defenders of individual liberty. Staunchly defend the RIGHT to private property and defend the individual's right to do with that which is his as he pleases so long as harm does not come to others. Do I want a bunch of junk cars next door to me? NO. But is it governments right to take private property from him because it's ugly?!? no again. This is just creeping communism. Period. I'll take a few junk cars over the arseholes I have next door right now - holes in the siding, bricks falling off, un mowed yard, etc ad nauseum. A realtor has told me [quite accurately I believe] that I cannot sell my house because of the dump next door. No one would buy it due to location. I understand that - I wouldnt stop and look at my house if I were in the market! But is it the governments place to bulldoze it because its offensive to look at? If so, I wish they'd remove the woman that lives behind me...
Early in the 1900's , what has become the FDA decided they were going to round up and innoculate cows for some [probably made up] potential disease. This was an obvious ploy, but thats not the point. They came to my great grandfathers farm and informed him that the government would be back to take his cows on a certain day for shots and dipping. He advised them that they wouldnt. They showed up and were met at the gate by great grandpa and great uncle wielding Model 94s. The cows stayed home.
People, the time is past...Wake up before its too late. If it isnt already...

 

problem is you could be totally in the right and them totally in the wrong, but now YOU have to hire a lawyer to prove you were in the right all along , that becomes very expensive for the average working joe, they just expect people to buckle ...most do...it criminal close to my home town there has been a race track for propably 40yrs. someone decided to put a housing developement next to it ...all of the sudden no more noise after 10:00 ...all the people complained about the noise !...you kiddin me you moved next to a race track!...you expected it to be quit?

 

they been pulling this shit with small general avation airports all over the USA..airport was there before the houses moved in..yet these assmunch people think the airport is the problem..hello they moved or built near an airport..what the fuck did they think ? some people are idiots, they should not be allowed to have more idiots of their own

 

You should be able to keep your junk where you want to, when it's on your property. You should be able to hang your laundry any which way you want to; and I also. You presume to think you can judge wheter what I have on my property is acceptable or not? That's laughable. But, there are code nazi jobs availble, that apparently would be a lot of fun for you.

 

How about taking your own advice and keep the politics to yourself? None of this remotely has anything to do with communism, let alone cows. Not sure where CSA is, but if you knew anything about the San Diego area, you would know it is decidedly a bit more rightwing than left. So blaming the left on this one is just stupid. Try understanding the situation before you spout off the mouth. And read the hamb rules where it says no politics.

 

You've been given ten days, so you know when they are coming back. Load up a trailer (or trailers) with all of the "offensive car parts" and park it (them) around the block. Build a fence (if you don't already have one) and (neatly) return everything to your backyard after you pass the inspection.


In my little corner of Ontario Canada they have inspectors that come onto your property and measure decks, sheds, etc. and then try to look in your basement windows to see if you have a finished basement. They are looking for any home inprovements that have been done without a permit (it's all about taxes ... bring up the value of your property you will pay more taxes). I do not have a finished basement, my shed is to code as is my deck, but I sure as hell am not letting them onto my property PERIOD. I have a fenced backyard and I built a gate that appears to be just part of the fence, not an entranceway. I personally watched an inspector (she was probably 20 years old) knock at my door (I was across the street at the time). When there was no answer she tried to find a way to enter my backyard ... she failed (to my amusement). She then moved over to my neighbours house and knocked at their door ... no answer, so she opened their gate and strolled right into their backyard (good thing they didn't have a Rotty or a Dobie lounging back there). I phoned in my complaint about them tresspassing. If they can get into your backyard, they will ... make it hard for them.


Keep it neat, make it damn near impossible to see your shit from the street and they shouldn't have the right to assess your property without your permission ... Oh and joining SEMA seems like a damn good idea.


I also agree with consulting a lawyer ... the fifth constitution sounds like it might come in handy (as mentioned in an earlier post).

 

Here's my two cents worth we are lucky, so far, up here where I live, but there are butt holes around that make it hard for us to enjoy our vehicles. You should fight the bastards with everything you got the more voices you have the better chances of making change.
After all we don't have "EVERLAST" on the front of our t shirts and " WELCOME " on the back , so we are not punching bags nor door matts. I feel your pain and you have my support. Rob

 

Who the heck hangs out Dirty Laundary anyway.
I always wash mine before it gets hung out.

 

In Chi town this has been the law for 40 years, no cars in your yard.