Remember last year, at the end of the City Council's last session, when my ward councillor, Larry McCavitt, proposed some kind of ban on people storing their boats on their property?
Well, that died with the last session, and when I spoke with council president James Shanley upon his election to that post, he said that issue was likely to be left by the side of the road.
Before that, while speaking with McCavitt, I had told him that I was more concerned with non-running cars sitting on people's property, in plain sight.
One car in particular.
Every day when I walk out of the cottage where I live, I am faced with this car, that has been sitting there for at least 10 years, I am told. Its tires are flat and neighborhood kids created a huge dent in the hood while climbing on it and allegedly bashed the front grille.
As you can see, there is a weed growing out from behind the front bumper.
This car is the subject of much complaint on my street, but apparently it is not against any city ordinance for it to be sitting there - an eyesore and draining whatever fluids and contaminants into the sand that's under the stones.
The people who own the car don't even live on the street, they live on Old Point Rd., around the corner. The car is on their property, however, since the whole structure is a condo and those parking spots across from the cottage belong to them.
The owners are professional people and own at least 3 other vehicles, two boats, a motorcycle and several kayaks. There is a swimming pool behind that fence.
What do you think? They don't have to look at it, but the people on my street do.
I don't own this property so I don't have any say.
7 comments:
There's a guy in Dracut, or I think he's in Dracut, who has a phone number at 978-804-7535 which a former roommate got off craigslist.
Apparently, this guy likes to take unused vehicles from people who don't want them anymore. For free.
In my last apartment, the landlord left a truck in the driveway for about five years and it wasn't until we found this Dracut guy willing to take the truck away for free did the landlord agree.
Thanks, Ari, but I think this is more a case of staking out territory. At least one person offered to buy the car, which is 4WD, and was turned down. That was before the kids bashed it, though.
This, frankly, would make me insane. This goes along with your "Community" post...people simply having no regards for their fellow citizens.
Hi,
Hold on. So if you don't like whats in my yard that means I should not have it?
It is my land, its not causing you any problems.
That said if my neighbor was trying to sell their house and i was asked, id certainly throw a car cover over it and tell everyone is a '63 Corvair.
Thats just being a good neighbor, but it should not be a requirement.
Also, the proposed ordinance was about storing boats that were too close to others property and interfering with the enjoyment of their land. Many people work on their boats during the winter in their yards. Do you want just the rich people to have boats.
But remember, having regards for your fellow citizens also requires letting others live their life as they chose as long as they don't interfere with yours. What if they painted their house in "puke green" would that also be an issue?
That all said. It is against the city ordinances to have a un-registered, non-working vehicle on your property. One un-registered vehicle is allowed if it is in a building. The owners may have a permit from the city to store the vehicle. So it would be easy to investigate this if anyone really cared to.
thanks,
sds
sds,
The person who lives on the other side of the house called the NPD, an officer came out, and the person was told there was nothing that could be done.
She has since called the mayor's office.
It IS causing me a problem. It sits there, year after year, with weeds growing around and out of it, and it's the firt thing I see when I look out the front of the house.
He has been asked to move it and, I think, to cover it.
I cropped out of the photo the two boats that are parked next to the car and are rarely moved. They don't bother me at all.
If he decided to paint his house puke green it might bother me, yes, but that would be his own aesthetic choice. As it would be if he put, for instance, a huge garden gnome in front of his house.
This is different. That is why, as you say yourself, there is a city ordinance.
Hi,
huge garden gnomes...
this might be an interesting business opportunity...
here's the ordinance from the city.
Sec. 8-123. Unregistered vehicles on private property--Permit required.
It shall be unlawful for any person having control of property within the city as owner, tenant or otherwise to allow to remain on such property without a permit any unregistered inoperative motor vehicle or more than one (1) unregistered operative motor vehicle, unless such vehicle or vehicles are within a wholly enclosed building.
(Code 1971, § 16-61)
Cross references: Zoning, app. A.
shame this person can't not just put a cover over it. and just before someone starts to talk about "carpetbaggers", i remember people like this when i was young 30+ years ago (there was one guy down the street who tried to run over cats in the road whenever he could).
give your councilor a yell. seems pretty straight-forward to me. to bad you've all had problems getting anyone to listen.
thanks,
sds
(ps. it sounds like a pretty cool car. i bet it would start up (its actually a Mitsubishi). i had one many years ago and there are 2 in the south end that still run (just not the 4WD version))
Thanks, sds. I wonder why the NPD told the neighbor there was nothing the city could do?
Perhaps he has a permit, after all? It seems as if a permit would only be granted to a business, though.
Today a mother and her 2 small children were walking by, on their way to the river.
"Look at the broken car, Mom," the little boy said.
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