I've been living in my current home (which I own) for over 17 years. It's located in a small city of about 11,000 people. My property is a half-acre, fairly level lot on a suburban-style street. The neighborhood was developed between the late 1960's and 1970's. I've kept a travel trailer parked in my driveway for the last 5 years, and I had a popup parked in the driveway for 12 years before that.Last week I got a citation from the city, telling me that I am in violation of a city ordinance. Apparently, from Dec. 1 to April 1 I am not allowed to keep the travel trailer in my driveway in the front of my house. The paperwork indicates that this ordinance was established in 2001 - two years before I moved here. There has never been any indication before now that I couldn't park in my own driveway. The city relies on community members to report violations, so evidently someone decided that they didn't like looking at my travel trailer and they blew me in. I am not happy. I've been given until the end of January to get the trailer out of my driveway.I'm allowed to park it in my back yard, but I can't get the trailer back there without some property modifications. On one side of the house I have enough space to get through, but I have to remove a spruce tree, trim some branches on some other trees, and do some leveling. I will have to drive on the lawn in order to get the trailer back to the space I will park it in. I'm able and willing to do these property modifications, but the whole thing is a PITA. Obviously, an alternative would be to find an off-site storage site for the months in question.Any advice or comments on the choices I face? Anyone else doing something similar to what I'm describing for back-yard storage?-Speak

Other than paying the citation and modifying your property, I don't. Sorry about your situation.

Well, you only have two choices.I park my TT in the back yard on a cement pad for the tires and jack. The only problem is getting in or out after a rain, or in the spring thaw. Otherwise it works for me fine. Only once was rain a problem and I was able to park in the driveway for a couple of days till the ground dried out a little.Blankety, Blank Busybodies!

Before you do anything is it possible you could go to the city fathers and politely plead your case and ask for a waiver explaining how long you have had it there with out any notice?Guy

I would look for a storage space.

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RobWNY
Explorer
Dec 28, 2020
I also live in Western NY. I would find a place to store it for the rest of this winter and then do the work on your property in the Spring if that's what you want to do. Most of those self storage places offer outside storage for RV's at reasonable prices. The weather alone would stop me from trying to do it now. With that being said, I created a pad in my yard that hss pressure treated 4X6's for a border and filled with Asphalt millings. It has worked out great. I don't sink in and millings are cheap. I borrowed a buddy's backhoe and dug out the lawn, put in the 4X6's myself and paid $1000 to have the millings delivered, raked out and rolled. If you're wondering why I didn't go out to the street, it's because code in my area only allows for one driveway on a residential property so I did what I could get away with.
gbopp
Explorer
Dec 28, 2020
SpeakEasy wrote:
Guy Roan wrote:
Before you do anything is it possible you could go to the city fathers and politely plead your case and ask for a waiver explaining how long you have had it there with out any notice?

Guy

I suppose it's worth a try, but my previous experience suggests that it won't help. The people who run our city are the smug, arrogant, elitist type.

-Speak

They may not want to waive enforcing a law for one individual because it will set a precedent?
I would make the modifications and park in the yard.
Huntindog
Explorer
Dec 28, 2020
I had such a nieghbor once. A similar situation. only the beef was a few dead palm tree fronds. The second time I happened to catch the enforcement officer inspecting my house. I pointed out other houses in view from my house with far worse violations. A couple actually had dead trees. I asked why nothing was being done to them. The officer replied that I was the only complaint he had on my street, but if I wanted to file a complaint, he would take action. I said no I do not want to do that. But I would like to know who is complaining about me. He said he could not tell me. I told him "OK, but please give them a message for me. Any more complaints, and I will paint my house pink with big purple polka dots. That is legal as the only thing the law states is that paint must be in good condition." The officer got a big grin on his face. I never had any more complaints.
SpeakEasy
Explorer
Dec 28, 2020
RobWNY wrote:
I also live in Western NY. I would find a place to store it for the rest of this winter and then do the work on your property in the Spring if that's what you want to do. Most of those self storage places offer outside storage for RV's at reasonable prices. The weather alone would stop me from trying to do it now. With that being said, I created a pad in my yard that hss pressure treated 4X6's for a border and filled with Asphalt millings. It has worked out great. I don't sink in and millings are cheap. I borrowed a buddy's backhoe and dug out the lawn, put in the 4X6's myself and paid $1000 to have the millings delivered, raked out and rolled. If you're wondering why I didn't go out to the street, it's because code in my area only allows for one driveway on a residential property so I did what I could get away with.

Very nice setup!

-Speak
time2roll
Nomad
Dec 28, 2020
SpeakEasy wrote:
time2roll wrote:
I would look for a storage space.

That was actually my first thought. But then I got to thinking about how nice it is to have the trailer on hand as an emergency off-grid shelter and a get-out-of-town-in-an-emergency lifeboat. I'd really rather have it here on my property.

-Speak
OK say your house floods or burns or just something in the neighborhood and you are not allowed into the area. The trailer in the same location in a disaster is part of the disaster. Couple miles away and one or the other is more likely to be usable.

Also if you get tired of storage distance and cost you have time to modify the home and yard to make the space ready. You have time to decide if you want to permanently remove the tree and pave the yard etc. You can't give your yard 30 day notice and it all pops back into shape. Some of the modifications will be semi permanent. Easy to quit the storage space.

If you trade RVs easy to change storage spots, unknown if the backyard is still a good option with the new RV.

Just my random thoughts, your call.
jdc1
Explorer II
Dec 28, 2020
The first thing you do is drive around the whole city taking pictures of every trailer parked "illegally". Present them, one by one, to the city council. Ask why YOU are being singled out. Show them a detailed plot map of your property, with elevations, so they understand what you would be up against if you decide to locate it in the rear.
I was told I could not install vinyl windows in a home in a historical district. I showed them over 100 pictures of similar homes in the area with replacement windows. I won my case, easily, saving my customers over $5,000 in the process. Who says you can't fight city hall?
RobWNY
Explorer
Dec 28, 2020
SpeakEasy wrote:
Very nice setup! -Speak

Thanks!
Oasisbob
Explorer
Dec 28, 2020
What could the possible logic be here? Like government has nothing better to do?
bpounds
Nomad
Dec 28, 2020
Last week I got a citation from the city, telling me that I am in violation of a city ordinance. Apparently, from Dec. 1 to April 1 I am not allowed to keep the travel trailer in my driveway in the front of my house.

We've got similar here. Only we don't get certain months free. One thing that some have learned, is that "front of the house", literally means the area past the front facing limit of the dwelling. So if you can park it in your side yard for example, and none of it extends beyond the front face of the house, you're okay. That's here anyway, and maybe side yard isn't an option for you. I guess the lesson is to know the exact text of the code.
JRscooby
Explorer II
Dec 28, 2020
Well, in this instance, somebody did not check the laws about property before he bought.
Often somebody does not like neighbor, or something they are doing. They go to city, ask for a law. Nobody shows up to speak against passing the law, so city council follows the will of the people.
But politics is not important to be discussed...

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