Homeowners. Park a trailer behind your garage? UPDATE

[SparkyJJO]

I don't agree with that at all. Many people in this area have their boat, camper, utility trailers, etc., parked alongside their garage or behind their garage. I think what looks distasteful is when they don't maintain the lawn around it - allowing the grass to get 3 feet tall where it's not easy to reach with a lawnmower. Otherwise, I cannot fathom how someone would look at a boat parked behind a garage in someone's yard and say, "that's distasteful." In terms of junk in yards, I could take a ride around this area and show some true slobs - and I think in part, it relates to a point someone else made about the cost of trash removal. When you have to pay separately, a lot of poorer people cannot afford to get rid of their junk. E.g., if you're middle class, you go to the retailer and buy a new refrigerator. When it's old, you buy a new one, and list the old one on Craigslist or some other posting locally and get paid $100 for someone to haul your junk away. But, when you're poor, you cannot afford a brand new refrigerator - you buy a used one. And when yours hits 10 years old,..., but so often, they don't hit 10 years. You have to buy another used one, and pay to get rid of your old one. It broke, you hauled it to the side yard that day to make room for the new one, and it sits there for days, weeks, months, and sometimes years, before the person gets around to getting rid of it. It's often accompanied by other appliances following the same life cycle. Couches that follow the same life cycle (middle class buys new, sells when they decide it's time for a new couch, poor class buys the used couch, and has doesn't have the financial capital to pay for its proper disposal.

Don't look in my basement, I still have my old furnace and water heater down there as both are going to be a pain to get rid of...
Hey, at least they're not rotting out in the yard right?

 

[Scarpozzi]

In my neighborhood a guy up the street had a pop-up camper that he used to park on the side of the street. It was annoying because every time I met oncoming traffic it was always right beside his camper. Luckily, they traded it in for one of those $10k-ish small pull-behind trailers instead. Since it was valued a little higher, they widened their driveway and started parking it in the driveway instead.

You should be able to put a camper in your back yard or front yard if you wish. I can understand the curb appeal argument, but usually codes like that are about taxes and/or fire safety.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

nvm

 

[Carson Dyle]

Gotta admit, I absolutely hate parked boats and RVs in driveways and on the streets. Luckily, I've never had to live with the situation for more than a few days. Not sure I'd feel any better about a neighbor parking an RV in his backyard if that was my view every time I sat on the patio. Around here, many of the self-storage places have RV and boat storage areas that are fenced off.

Seems that some neighborhoods are infested with this behavior. Some years ago I lived in an apartment about a block from a street filled with identical tract homes. When I say identical, I mean exactly that. They didn't mirror them, set them back at different distances from the curb, or even paint them differently to break up the monotony. That street had more RVs, boats on trailers, and pickup trucks on it than I've ever seen in my life. My roommate at the time called it "Bubbaville".


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[DrPizza]

nvm

By tastefully, grass mowing kept up under the vehicle, and vehicle not just parked at some wonky angle in the middle of the yard, but rather, parked alongside a structure - back of house/garage, side of shed, etc.

 

[DrPizza]

Gotta admit, I absolutely hate parked boats and RVs in driveways and on the streets. Luckily, I've never had to live with the situation for more than a few days. Not sure I'd feel any better about a neighbor parking an RV in his backyard if that was my view every time I sat on the patio. Around here, many of the self-storage places have RV and boat storage areas that are fenced off.

Seems that some neighborhoods are infested with this behavior. Some years ago I lived in an apartment about a block from a street filled with identical tract homes. When I say identical, I mean exactly that. They didn't mirror them, set them back at different distances from the curb, or even paint them differently to break up the monotony. That street had more RVs, boats on trailers, and pickup trucks on it than I've ever seen in my life. My roommate at the time called it "Bubbaville".


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I cannot conceive of anyone actually caring that a neighbor owns a boat or RV and has it parked on their land. For what reason could you possibly care? The only vehicle I can think of that could have any impact on your life is someone with a motorcycle who believes that louder = better.

 

[slag]

I cannot conceive of anyone actually caring that a neighbor owns a boat or RV and has it parked on their land. For what reason could you possibly care? The only vehicle I can think of that could have any impact on your life is someone with a motorcycle who believes that louder = better.

I wish I still had the photos, but my old neighbor parked his motor home on his driveway and it extended right out to the edge of the street. It was also up hill from us and made it somewhat dangerous when backing out of the driveway as you couldn't see around it. Also, things like that tend to lower overall property values as curb appeal is lessened when people park large old vehicles in their drives or alongside their houses. The ladies across the street from him really despised him for it because looking out their front window or whenever they left for the day, they had this view of the motorhome and it really irritated them.

There's an expectation when living in society that you will maintain your area and keep it similar to what everyone else is doing. If everyone in your area parks trailers, motor homes, etc at their house, then thats fine. If you're the only one doing that, then its not the norm for your neighborhood and you are being "that guy". If you want to be a good neighbor, then don't do it.

I think its just a different way of looking at things. At our old house, I parked jetski trailers and boat trailers in the driveway and left them there all summer. I couldn't fathom doing that at this house though because of the different type of environment.

 

[SparkyJJO]

I wish I still had the photos, but my old neighbor parked his motor home on his driveway and it extended right out to the edge of the street. It was also up hill from us and made it somewhat dangerous when backing out of the driveway as you couldn't see around it. Also, things like that tend to lower overall property values as curb appeal is lessened when people park large old vehicles in their drives or alongside their houses. The ladies across the street from him really despised him for it because looking out their front window or whenever they left for the day, they had this view of the motorhome and it really irritated them.

There's an expectation when living in society that you will maintain your area and keep it similar to what everyone else is doing. If everyone in your area parks trailers, motor homes, etc at their house, then thats fine. If you're the only one doing that, then its not the norm for your neighborhood and you are being "that guy". If you want to be a good neighbor, then don't do it.

I think its just a different way of looking at things. At our old house, I parked jetski trailers and boat trailers in the driveway and left them there all summer. I couldn't fathom doing that at this house though because of the different type of environment.

I kinda, but don't, get this this. Yes, you should keep your property neat and orderly (mine is a still a bit of a mess, but it is a slow project fixing it up as money and time permit). But "keep it similar"? What is this, a commune? My property, who cares what someone else wants my stuff to look like, I'm the one paying for it so I'll paint it how I want, park the vehicle I want, and plant what I want... If that makes me "that guy" then so be it.

Aside from visibility issues when backing out of my driveway that motorhome probably wouldn't bother me. Where else do you think he should park it, in his yard? Driveway was the only place to put it.

... I guess it is a good thing I live out where I do where no one could care less lol.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Again the key is keep the grass & weeds around it under control, don't use it as an in-laws' apartment, keep it clean & maintained and actually use the damn thing.

 

[slag]

Aside from visibility issues when backing out of my driveway that motorhome probably wouldn't bother me. Where else do you think he should park it, in his yard?

Storage facility, the same place other people park their recreational vehicles. He used it one time and it just sat there in his driveway, along with a boat trailer with no boat.

A driveway isn't a long term place to store your stuff.

 

[thestrangebrew1]

This is where I park my travel trailer:





Our code requires you to park a trailer or RV at least 20' from the front property line & screened with fencing. I go out with code enforcement quite a bit when people complain and they're usually compliant within a few weeks. If they're parked on the street, they can only be parked there for 48 hrs and must be relocated and not returned for 24 hrs I believe.

I completely agree that if you're going to buy a trailer, you really need to not park it up front. The worse ones are the ones who buy the trailer, park it up front, then get a car port or awning to shade it. Looks really bad.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

^^^I'd have zero problem's with your set up if I we're your neighbor.

 

[twinrider1]

UPDATE

The legislation has been pulled. VICTORY!

Last night was the 3rd of 3 public readings they have to have before voting. I couldn't make it to the council meeting, but I did spend the past week stirring up the constituents. Any time I saw someone outside of their house I stopped to talk. I also cornered a few councilmen at two local town events (we have a summer concert series and a food truck fest). There are a few FaceBook pages used by city residents and I posted up conversations there.

All in all, I'm happy. I'm not an activist and I wasn't looking to publicly go at them (Not trying to get on their radar by going at them publicly). I like working behind the scenes. But I will keep a closer eye on what is going on and learn more about how council works. They pulled it but I don't know if they can just try a 3rd reading again in a few weeks or if they have to start from zero.

Gotta go, time to mow my backyard.