Dear Dr. R.V. Shrink:
We just came home from our first winter of RVing in the sunbelt to find that we can no longer legally park our new 5th wheel on our property. I’m so mad I could spit. Before I even unloaded it I was told it could not be parked in my driveway for more than nine days in any 30 day period. I thought this was the land of the free. I think I should fight city hall, but I would most likely just be spitting into the wind. Is this legal?
--RVeeeviction
Dear Evicted:
RV’s are changing the way we live in multiple ways. The same local ordinances that keep you from parking overnight in some Walmart parking lots can keep you from parking long- term on your own property. Local governments are cracking down on people living in their RVs on public streets, storing RVs in their driveways, and letting friends camp for short visits. Some municipalities will only enforce RV parking regulations if you have neighbors complaining.
Before buying any over sized vehicle, it would be wise to find out whether you can park it legally on your lot. Your community might have specific vehicle size, screening or lot location requirements for parking. This information should be available from your city clerk, township manager or neighborhood association.
Part of any RV purchase decision should include the cost of off property storage if that is going to be necessary.
Being able to park it today does not guarantee what regulations might be enacted to prevent it tomorrow.
These regulations are not all bad. If you are parking an RV larger than your neighbor's house in your driveway, it may not fit into the neighborhood decor. If your neighbors were long haul truck drivers would you want them to park their 18 wheelers in their driveway while at home?
RV parking and/or storing at home should be done with the objective of being a good neighbor and keeping a low profile so as not to call undue attention to your rig. By doing so, you may be preserving the rights of other owners to continue parking at their homes.
--Keep Smilin’, Dr. R.V. Shrink
11 comments:
Buy a TrailManor. It will fit in most garages.
Your nonchalant reaction is part
of why communties infringe
upon property owners/taxpayers rights.
Somewhat like u when i moved into a different neighborhood i could park my RV in front of my home,then township changed it n said i had to move it by 2 ft. every other wk. if u r starting to laugh ,well they then changed it n said i could park it on my property but only if it did not extend ouy to my front line of my home,i hope they don't change it again.
At least you can park there sometimes; in my community in South Carolina, I can't even park my Quad Cab pick-up truck in my driveway overnight !
Regarding the S.C. Quad-Cab: Sounds like its time for a major attitude adjustment in the city council, aka Adolph Regime!
Whats wrong w/these people?!!!!
They changed the rules without notice? I thought only wives could do that. Seriously, if I were in that situation I would consult with my councilperson and/or an attorney to see if I were "grandfathered" since I had established the use before the change. If not, since these restrictions are usually part of the zoning code, I would see if I could get a use permit, waiver, rezoning, variance, or exception from the Planning Commission or the Board of Zoning Appeals. Good sam used to have some assistance available for parking issues also.
Often parking restrictions are not community rules.
Sometimes "protective covenants" are
set by the developers of subdivisions and are written in the property deed.
Like most of you we are not allowed to park any trailer on our property even behind a fence, it has given the local storage facilities a license to steal as the city doesn't regulate what they can charge to park your trailer at their locations. The lowest price in a 30 mile radius is $65.00 and as high as $125.00 a month, if the cities wont let you park your trailer on your own property then they need to see to it that it is affordable to store it somewhere else.
Be a good neighbor , can't we all just get along on and on. BS who is paying the taxs on you land who did you buy the land for? This let the Gov. handel it ,be a good guy is why the good ol USA is going to the pot more and more ea. day.
I bought my 2 1/2 acres in a community where I knew I could park anything I wanted. I could care less if someone parked their 18 wheeler on their bought and paid for land. My next door neighbor had 40 plus dogs till recently....I am happy that they are gone however... I guess if you choose to live on top of each other...city...you have to bend to many different requirements.
Has "Evicted" tried to find out if there are allowances for loading/unloading? We lived in a high-end community where our 38' fifth wheel didn't fit in our driveway so we had to park it on the main street while we packed and unpacked. We even put an orange cone out to alert drivers about the step and to make it a little safer for us. We notified the local police and all was okay for the few days we needed. We paid a monthly fee to store it off site in a secure lot.
If Evicted's town council or police force isn't flexible, they need to be educated in a town council meeting about the growing number of RV owners.... it's a matter of finding the right balance between community aesthetics and resident needs....
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