Zoning Law
Hi Guys, i tried doing a search here and a google search and cant seem to find the information i need. I own my house in SoCal , Northridge Area. in my backyard i have a RV pad and it is off an...
Forum Discussion
I spent the better part of two years in a friend's driveway in SoCal. I wasn't in your exact jurisdiction, but I can tell you about my experience.
First of all, unbeknownst to me, my friend was in a bit of war with the neighbors and inspectors before I got there. He had lived in the neighborhood all his life, and it was now in the middle of being gentrified. People didn't like his non-traditional front yard. When I got there with my van, it was just another thing for them to complain about.
The good news is, the inspectors give you a notice before they come out. And if they find something they don't like, they give you a chance to fix it. Then they set a date to come out for re-inspection. They don't technically fine you if you fix the problem, but they do charge an inspection fee, which comes down to the same thing.
They can't really prove you're living in something if you say you are not. So what they objected to about my van was the electrical cord and water hose. They said that this was an extension cord used as permanent electrical wiring, and a hose as permanent plumbing. Pretty silly since I had no intention of being there permanently. But the cure was just too unhook the electricity and the water before they came out for the next inspection. All of this of course took countless hours of phone calls. I don't mean to make it sound simple. But it did end up being successful.
But then the neighbors tried another tack. Apparently in the city where we were, it was technically illegal to park in a driveway rather than inside a garage. Of course every house on the street had one or two cars parked in the driveway. My van was not unusual in that way. But when a neighbor filed a complaint based on this obscure law, there was nothing I could do.
I pointed out to the inspector that all the other houses had cars parked in the driveway, but he just said no one had complained about them. I didn't want to get in a complaint war, so I left.
First of all, unbeknownst to me, my friend was in a bit of war with the neighbors and inspectors before I got there. He had lived in the neighborhood all his life, and it was now in the middle of being gentrified. People didn't like his non-traditional front yard. When I got there with my van, it was just another thing for them to complain about.
The good news is, the inspectors give you a notice before they come out. And if they find something they don't like, they give you a chance to fix it. Then they set a date to come out for re-inspection. They don't technically fine you if you fix the problem, but they do charge an inspection fee, which comes down to the same thing.
They can't really prove you're living in something if you say you are not. So what they objected to about my van was the electrical cord and water hose. They said that this was an extension cord used as permanent electrical wiring, and a hose as permanent plumbing. Pretty silly since I had no intention of being there permanently. But the cure was just too unhook the electricity and the water before they came out for the next inspection. All of this of course took countless hours of phone calls. I don't mean to make it sound simple. But it did end up being successful.
But then the neighbors tried another tack. Apparently in the city where we were, it was technically illegal to park in a driveway rather than inside a garage. Of course every house on the street had one or two cars parked in the driveway. My van was not unusual in that way. But when a neighbor filed a complaint based on this obscure law, there was nothing I could do.
I pointed out to the inspector that all the other houses had cars parked in the driveway, but he just said no one had complained about them. I didn't want to get in a complaint war, so I left.
