City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

[jasoutside]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Yah, I'm with bigprarie, I'd make that garage taller/longer and get both of those boats indoors. Maybe something like this...

 

[bassman284]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

This neighbor wouldn't have complained, Erik.

I have a guy in my Missouri neighborhood that has two old cuddys sitting in view in his backyard. The one with the good hull is on a trailer. The one that's donating a motor was pushed off on the ground. They have been there, uncovered, since 2006.

And probably will still be there in 2016.

 

[gibletts]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Heres what I would do... I would try and slow things down, I know people who have managed to draw these things out for years and years, just keep sending in stupid letters to the city asking for clarifications or explainations or whatever else you can think of but remember just one query each time, it takes these organisations huge amounts of time to respond, and yes they are obligated to respond regards of how trivial. Also chuck in the occasion "its too cold", "its too hot", "leg cut off with a chainsaw" or "the dog died" story to delay things a bit more, as long as you are seen making an effort there is not much they can do. By the time they get fed up with your antics and set their lawyer after you the project is finished!

 

[DaNinja]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

And probably will still be there in 2016.

.I have no doubt about that.

When we first moved into the neighborhood, he made it a point of conversation that he had $850K that he couldn't access until age 59 1/2. That was five years ago and when I left, the bank's realtor was pricing the property...again

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

We all have our choices on where to live. If we choose to live in a suburban area, or City, we have to be good citizens and respect our neighbors.
They have $$ invested, just like anyone else. If one person decides to take on a project that effects the neighbors-guess what, they might get upset. It's you that decided to rebuild a boat. Your neighbors did not.
If you want to continue on the path chosen, you have two choices: Move or assure your neighbors that your projects are temporary.
That's just good citizenship. We have to have mutual respect or we lose everything.

 

[logan944t]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

I had issues with the village I lived in. I had bought a house that had been foreclosed on and proceeded to gut the entire 2800 2 story brick house. Mind you, before I bought the house it had sat empty for 5 years with grass 4 ' high.

It took about 5 weeks for the citations to start rolling in. Turns out that the house was on a street where the mayor would drive home every night. Took me 18 months and a lot of pissed off code enforcement people before I was done.

My advice is to put in a fence right across that driveway so the backyard cant be seen from anyone's yard-- and just be prepared-- I caught the code enforcement guy trying to take pictures ...with a ladder up against my fence.

 

[bigdee]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Private property used to be sacred, not communal. In my county the city evicted an elderly lady and tore her house down because of neglect. the poor woman was so distraught that she parked her car on the empty lot and sat in that car every day.....she died this summer when temperatures got over 100 degrees.
Find as many loopholes as you can to stall for time...if they have a temporary clause move it to somewhere else then move it back.....if it has to be covered, buy a tent....if they allow kids toys fill it with sand.....since it is Christmas put a tree on it and call it a tree stand. Every time you do this it resets the bureaucracy.

 

[JRJ]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Just going by your pics, I'd be happy to have you as a neighbor. You will have to leave the snow there, however. Good luck.

 

[mudslinging79]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

that isnt all as bad as it sounded, did you pi$$ in someones cereal for them to call the city on you, new neghbors possably?

 

[Beefer]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Erik, judging by the pics, you had to have pi$$ed someone off. That does not look bad at all from the street. And what's in your backyard is (or should be considered) private property. If it's not visible from the street, it shouldn't be a problem. The only 'problem' I see if that the Bayliner is visible from the street. And yes, you're a habitual. Habitual what, not sure. But seriously, I really think someone has it in for you, cause other then 1 being visible, it's certainly NOT an eyesore. Unfortunately, I think you're S.O.L. when it come to fighting the issue regarding the boats. The firewood and the other stuff I would tell them to, well... stuff it!

 

[bruceb58]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

I agree too. That doesn't look that bad. Plus it looks like everything is behind the front corner of your house.

 

[DaNinja]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

I'm guessing that Code Enforcement is full of those SeaRay snobs. Bastages...

 

[dolluper]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Humm if it was me I'dd ask your neighbour with all the junk if you could put your boats back there...the city wouldn't notice if they missed all that carp when checking your place...they get complaints move them back to your place....you get complaints move them back to their place and so on for years till the city gives up or you have your projects done and gone

 

[erikgreen]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Erik
Will they let you renovate your existing garage to a slightly larger or higher 'RV' style? If so that would probably swallow a project pretty easily based on the current square footage size it appears to be?...maybe bump up the length or width by a foot or two?
All Good
BP

Potentially, if I wanted to pay the cash. The garage has a thin, cracking slab and is "home built" so pretty much I'd need to rebuild it all. Even then, it would only allow me to store the boats, not work on them.

Erik

 

[erikgreen]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

I'm guessing that Code Enforcement is full of those SeaRay snobs. Bastages...

That's actually funny, considering the 22 foot hull was in fact originally a sea ray

 

[dingbat]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

It sounds like a lot of other people don't looked into the city ordinances or read the deeds to their property before buying their home.

 

[rbh]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

I would like to read the ordinance, did you post it yet??
It would be interesting to see how they can stop you from doing work for yourself, your not in business, not for profit!

As for the boats, not a mess in my books!! Go with a higher fence and privacy slats or privacy fabric.

 

[coFLounder]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Having been on a HOA in the past and knowing they operate similarly to code enforcement offices you are pretty much screwed. I had to quit because too many people wanted to try and rule with an iron fist instead of working with the homeowners. The problem you have now is you attracted their attention. From what I am reading on your posts you decided to tell them that they are out of their minds and that just pi$$ed them off. Your neighbor probably gets away with his mess because it is behind the fence. The fact you have several unfinished projects all going on at the same time does not help your case either. I would build a garage as big as you can get in there legally (make sure you do not violate any height restrictions) and put as much in there as you can. You moved into a location with these restrictions and are now stuck with them until you either decide to move or get them changed. I wish you luck but fighting them is not going to work at this point.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

Potentially, if I wanted to pay the cash. The garage has a thin, cracking slab and is "home built" so pretty much I'd need to rebuild it all. Even then, it would only allow me to store the boats, not work on them.

Erik

I would like to read the ordinance, did you post it yet??
It would be interesting to see how they can stop you from doing work for yourself, your not in business, not for profit!

As for the boats, not a mess in my books!! Go with a higher fence and privacy slats or privacy fabric.

If it we're me I would totally ignore the can't work on them part of the ordinance. Their's no way their going to enforce that if your just working on your own personal stuff and you do it out of site.

Since your neighbors yard is an absolute joke compared to yours and no one says anything because the mess is behind a fence that sure seems like the best immediate option until you can afford a new garage.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: City outlawed me owning boats or working on them (MN, USA)

I agree, I would put a small fence up across the side of your garage.