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#431055 - 06/21/07 06:17 PM
Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
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Twilight77
New Member
Registered: 06/21/07
Posts: 8
Loc: Maryland, USA
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More and more towns across the US are passing laws which restrict property owners from having vehicles without current tags/registration on their property. It doesn't matter if they're being worked on, were recently wrecked or if your daily driver has a rust spot or two, the town/state/county will charge fines until the vehicles are removed or come and get your car when your time is up.
I am dealing with this problem right now. I live on the outskirts of a small, country town and I recently received a letter in regards to my 1958 Olds. Apparently, even if your car is covered with a car cover, behind a 6 foot tall enclosed fence or in a three walled carport your car is subject to nuisance laws (if it has rust, is wrecked, partly dismantled or doesn't display current plates.) Town officials have the right to enter your private property at anytime, without you knowing, to inspect for such violations.
The sad part is most of these laws get passed by just a couple of clowns that call themselves "Town Managers" that to my knowledge, aren't even voted in! I can't even remember the last time there was an election and I've lived here for over 10 years.
Here is a copy of the letter that I received from my town so you can read the exact wording of the laws. I did remove my name and address from the top for safetly reasons. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/mlp_joy/scrapbook010.jpg
(Sorry if it's small, I'm not sure how to make it bigger.)
So, if anyone is thinking of moving to Pittsville, MD you may want to keep your parts or project cars out of town limits. 
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#431108 - 06/21/07 09:48 PM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: Twilight77]
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mastertech
Member
Registered: 10/15/00
Posts: 55
Loc: DuBois Pa U.S.A.
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hey i got the same thing and i live in Pa. Mine had current plates on it but being that it was rusty it had to be removed. And I drove it once in a while too. So out come the spray gun and some cheap paint over the rust and all and they were happy. thye said even tho it had good plates it was still a nuisance because of the rust!!!! I think it was because it is just a ugly car to begin with a 1951 desoto, of they were jelouis ( I know i cant spell ) because they didnt have one
_________________________
Melvin Schwentner
1951 DeSoto Sdn
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#431414 - 06/23/07 06:11 PM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: mastertech]
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Twilight77
New Member
Registered: 06/21/07
Posts: 8
Loc: Maryland, USA
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That happened to me too! My daily driver, a 1987 GTA Trans Am, had a rust spot on the roof and I was told to fix it or they'll take it. (I was planning on getting it painted anyway. I just had other projects in line first.)I think they just wanted my car.
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#431632 - 06/24/07 10:55 PM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: Twilight77]
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58Mustang
Member
Registered: 02/28/06
Posts: 232
Loc: Sunny SoCal
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My neighbor ratted me off for having non running vehicles on my property. We live in a semi rural area in SoCal, 2.5 acres, zoned for light agriculture, horses, etc. I had to go to a hearing at the Asst. D.A.s office where I was berated for lowering property values (everyone loves that one, even though they have no plans of selling their property), creating a public nuisance/eyesore. I was threatened with a maximum fine of $3000 per violation. A violation is one car or or any part of a car per day!!! I was also told that it is, technically, illegal to even possess a non running/non registered car in The Peoples Republik of Kalifornia. You can place them on non-op status, but they must be parked out of sight. Mind you, this was not a case of one of those pack rats that you see on the 11 o'clock news whose yard is overflowing with junk and old newspapers and 28 pit bull mixes barking and pooping. There was a 40 Ford COE, a 50 Stude PU, and my brothers Chevy Van. All fairly presentable looking, parked in a row. I was given 30 days to clean up the "mess" and told it would be inspected and if even a nut or washer was found on the premises I could be fined. All I could do was to smile and agree with her, all the time thinking that. at this very moment, some degenerate could be raping a child and throwing the body into a ditch.
Scariest words, "We're from the Govenment and we're here to help you."
_________________________
John Callin
25 Ford Roadster pickup(sold)
47 Whizzer(for sale soon)
48 Whizzer (sold)
48 Cushman(for sale soon)
50 Cushman(sold)
58 Mustang (sold)
98 Boss Hoss M/C 350 CID/385 HP
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#431789 - 06/25/07 10:41 PM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: 58Mustang]
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Pontiac59
Member
Registered: 10/14/03
Posts: 885
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You need to read the zoning laws and use them in your defense. If the book only says the vehicle must have current plates, show them the current registration and tell them where to go. I've been through this a few times myself, and I just put plates on the car and it's fine. I don't even get them inspected. The town I am in now the zoning office tried to lie to me and say a car trailer is considered a commercial vehicle and not allowed to be parked in this neighborhood. The code reads that commercial vehicles over 7500 lbs are not allowed - I could park my Suburban on the trailer and it would still be less than that. I called their bluff on it, asking them how people with pickup trucks with commercial plates could park them at home if commercial vehicles are not allowed.. never heard a word back from them.
I'd tell them to stick it if they whined about a rust spot or two. The letter above says nothing about rust - only that it have current tags on it. Especially if it's a driver - let it go to court and drive that vehicle to the court... tell the judge that you drove there in the "non-operating" vehicle and you'd be happy to show it to him if he wants to step outside. A vehicle can be 100% operable and have a hell of a lot of rust on it, one only need look at the beater Suburban I drive daily to see that.
Antique policies for older cars with low stated values are pretty cheap, cheaper than paying for a storage unit all year. Registration costs are usually annual or biannual. "operable" usually does not include requiring having a current vehicle inspection in the definition.
What it all comes down to is they really want for you to build a building to keep such vehicles inside, so that they can raise your assessment and get more in property taxes.
If I was given the line of crap about lowering property values, I'd state that living in a neighborhood where I'm not free to own the vehicles I choose and work on them greatly devalues the property for me. Probably wouldn't fly, but it begs the question of when my rights and freedoms are trumped by other people's complaints, and what country do we live in again?
_________________________
Those who can, build. Those who can't, criticize on the internet. If you can't, don't click here:
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#433631 - 07/06/07 08:28 AM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: Pontiac59]
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rocketraider
Long Time Member
Registered: 12/05/01
Posts: 3110
Loc: the Last Capital of Dixie
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What it all comes down to is they really want for you to build a building to keep such vehicles inside, so that they can raise your assessment and get more in property taxes.
Bingo! We have a winner. Also remember that if the vehicle has plates, they can get even more personal property tax money off it. Not currently registered, the locality can't assess it.
Putting up my 36x50 pole barn has DOUBLED my real estate taxes. I can only imagine what a garage with foundation would have done. The property is roughly 2 miles from Virginia International Raceway which didn't help any- I told my local county Supervisor that all VIR had ever done for me was jack up my taxes, when they beat the drum loud with promises of improved electric and phone service (hasn't happened) and better road maintenance (finally happened after 7 years).
_________________________
Glenn Williamson
Rocketraider
member AACA and all major Olds clubs
"That's a strange concept, Son" said my father as he sampled the day's run of silvery-clear moonshine for taste and quality. "Good 'shine, that. Your grandpap would be proud that the gift has passed on to another generation. But yes, it's real strange that some folks feel like a varmint has more right to illegally inhabit and destroy your property than you have to prevent it from doing it."
"Come to think of it, that's why your Uncle Reade sold off all them rental houses he had. It was costing him more to fix what the varmints tore up than he was making off 'em. And the govamint wouldn't let him evict them."
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#434282 - 07/09/07 10:35 PM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: rocketraider]
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Pontiac59
Member
Registered: 10/14/03
Posts: 885
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Well, fortunately they don't tax personal property here. Not sure how they can legally do that, what I have to declare everything I own down to my last pair of undershorts? But they do get that annual registration fee.
_________________________
Those who can, build. Those who can't, criticize on the internet. If you can't, don't click here:
Cars and other stuff for sale
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#439698 - 08/04/07 03:49 AM
Re: Old cars subject to nuisance laws in Pittsville, MD...
[Re: Twilight77]
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Ronnie Johnston
New Member
Registered: 08/04/07
Posts: 1
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Hello from Glasgow, Scotland.
I have been reading the posts about nuisance laws and find it astonishing.I thought America was the land of "light touch" government but it seems this may not be the case.
If these laws were enforced over here we would not have the fun of unearthing some old thing from a barn where it had been lying for years.
I run a pre-WW2 Morris 8 and only a month ago I acquired a van load of spares from a farm in England where an old Morris had been left lying for many years.
It seems the authorities over here are much more reasonable when it comes to classic cars.
The annual roadworthieness test (we call it M.O.T.)is much less strict for old cars with no emmission test or requirement for seatbelts.Broadly speaking if the brakes, lights and steering work something like they did when the car was new it will pass the test.
Cars first registered before 1973 are classed as "historic" and do not have to pay the annual road tax although they still have to produce an insurance & roadworthieness certificate.
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