City ordinances--what's their motive?

[ccbreder]

You are all living as you please. But you want more from the others. There are few rules. One important one is don't flaunt your sht in my space. So you don't want someone parked next to you running a generator all night, sort of the same thing from a different view. I don't want some one I don't know, sleeping in a van, parked in front of my house.

 

[Canine]

ccbreder, I largely agree with you. Wherever we are living, whether a house, a mobile home, or a van, we expect a certain amount of space when we purchase a dwelling, no matter what it is. Anyone running a generator all night in a residential neighborhood is a diaper bag. However, one night in absolute silence and darkness while parked across the street next to an empty lot under a bright street light wouldn't be so bad for most. (Or maybe not?) Certainly not a long term thing.

I agree with no flaunting. Keep your stuff to yourself. Some do want more from others, but I doubt that is the case with most of us. On the other hand, I've seen landowners deny easement rights effectively locking up public land. This makes the public land their own private playground. Total B.S. And Corner Crossings? Don't get me started.

We live in a society, we have to share. Period. People who live in more densely populated areas like in the city must share more. A homeowner in most cases cannot exert absolute control over public, on-street parking. A vandweller, also, cannot do whatever he/she pleases with public, on-street parking. What is the balance?

Courtesy. Common sense. Not everyone has that. Who has had a neighbor that was a jerk? With their garbage blowing in your yard. Their dogs barking all night. Loud music. Junk cars. All of that stuff is controlled by city ordinance, but it still happens. It's part of life. We also have differing opinions and point of views as evidenced on this thread. Not everyone will always agree, but a healthy dose of courtesy and empathy for our fellow neighbors soothes a lot of conflict- no matter what the law is or isn't.

 

[MK7]

If reality is me being placed in a different caste because I contribute relatively less financially and use fewer services than most of society, then I reject reality and substitute my own.

Yea go ahead, but it's your van that's getting ticketed, then towed, then impounded. But something tells me you're just all talk as you know you wouldn't break such laws by parking and camping wherever you want and risk the above.

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We live in a society, we have to share. Period. People who live in more densely populated areas like in the city must share more.

Homeowners in a densely populated city calling the cops on you because you're camping on the public street in front of their house or nearby is well within their rights.

I've seen landowners deny easement rights effectively locking up public land. This makes the public land their own private playground.

This is smart on the landowners' part, they get to block all of that public land to themselves. And who the hell wants people traveling all over their road and land? Who pays for such roads and its upkeep? Oh, the landowner. People can also sue if some crap happens to them should the landowner allows freedom of access and doesn't post trespassing signs.

 

[Canine]

MK7, I was thinking making a counter argument, but you made my points better than I could have.

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MK7, I'm sorry. Here I am preaching about courtesy and I get mouthy with you. Just because we disagree about something, doesn't mean I need to get all huffy-puffy with you. Or anyone.

I apologize for my poor comment.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

No reason to apologize cc you made your point and didn't attack anyone or slander. MK47 brings another angle to these arguments, it gives you an idea of what you are up against. I think you are better off in areas where there is apartment street parking rather then challenge suburban dwellers.
A few years ago I camped in a small town in N Dakota, it had a toilet, a small field with a couple of hoops, a horse shoe pitch, maybe a volley ball net, surrounded by trees on the edge of town. I was the only camper, a local came over in the evening and threw some shoes. They charged 5 dollars a night, supplied all the balls and shoes to play in a unlocked box. The equipment looked well used. He told me his dad used to run it, he charged whatever you could afford and they made more money doing it that way, the balls have never gone missing and no one has ever been run out of town. It can be done and along the way some of the locals get to throw shoes, with a stranger, maybe make new friends. You got to wonder who looses when someone calls the cops on a stranger rather then bring out a cup of coffee in the morning..

 

[caseyc]

I'm still waiting for the mud slinging so I can takes sides and place bets

 

[Canine]

Since we are off topic a bit, I started a thread regarding access to public lands, private lands, and how that sometimes affects us.

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=5914

Some of you, especially boondockers, may find this interesting. Many of the concepts also apply to urban settings as well.

 

[MK7]

MK7, I was thinking making a counter argument, but you made my points better than I could have.

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MK7, I'm sorry. Here I am preaching about courtesy and I get mouthy with you. Just because we disagree about something, doesn't mean I need to get all huffy-puffy with you. Or anyone.

I apologize for my poor comment.

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Thanks for the apology. I'm more guilty of this than you are....so I apologize too. But I'll probably do it again. Very easy to do such online posting all day. Not an excuse though.

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A few years ago I camped in a small town in N Dakota, it had a toilet,

It can be done and along the way some of the locals get to throw shoes, with a stranger, maybe make new friends. You got to wonder who looses when someone calls the cops on a stranger rather then bring out a cup of coffee in the morning..

You try way to hard to oversimplify things by interjecting remote situations that are quaint, picturesque and such. What's the population density of this small town in N. Dakota vs. that of the suburbs of a major metropolitan area where there are murders, rape, other violent crimes, burglaries, more violent crimes, etc.? Most people in such densely populated areas are usually busy and would rather not take such risks no matter how cute and cuddly you are.

And parking a giant truck in some remote field of someone's property in the boonies is NOT the same as parking it in front of someone's home in the suburbs. It's a freakin' eyesore. No one wants to look out their window and see a freakin' bread-truck there everyday. Some developments don't even let the homeowners, who are wealthy contractors, park their 3-5 or more white cargo vans/work trucks on their own driveway, let alone in front of their house on the street. They have to park them in designated areas of the development, which is usually an inconvenient hike.

Letting someone park in front of my house in exchange for a game of horseshoe? No thank you. If a drunk driver mows your snoozing butt down in the middle of the night and drives off, you'd probably sue me for letting you camp in a spot that's not zoned for RV's and crap....and may actually win. No thank you again. Calling the cops is still the best choice.

 

[jeanontheroad]

I think one of the biggest concerns we suburbanites have is that we just don't want strangers parked outside our houses, watching when we come and go, marking when no one is home, keeping track of when our kids might be home alone or vulnerable. We don't know you! We do see the news every night and it's usually something bad. We don't want strangers in vans hanging around.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

well I guess all I can say to you two, is stop watching the news, and cops and robbers shows, in fact throw out your televisions it is entertainment it has nothing to do with reality, get out of your gated communities, you are not Michael Jackson, no need to be a prisoner.

 

[Unchained]

Actually, a gated community (or private road) is the perfect solution for those who want to control the street in front of their house.

For myself, I would have to be really desperate to attempt overnighting in the 'burbs of any city in the US. I hated living in such places, due to nosy/ pushy neighbors, and having made my escape, have zero desire to park in one now.

 

[Donedirtcheap]

Actually, a gated community (or private road) is the perfect solution for those who want to control the street in front of their house.

For myself, I would have to be really desperate to attempt overnighting in the 'burbs of any city in the US. I hated living in such places, due to nosy/ pushy neighbors, and having made my escape, have zero desire to park in one now.

Of all the houses I have owned, I have never considered having the ability to control the street one of my buying parameters. But I did know that those houses in non hoa settings had ordinances against overnight camping/parking/living on the streets. When you pay property taxes you do get the benefit of a campground not forming in front of your house. If the city code or ordinance DID allow it I would price that property accordingly and know what I bought into.

I have also owned houses in HOA's also and expected them to abide by the rules in the HOA documents.
Home owners associations are created to maintain property values. NO ONE can buy into an HOA without knowing they are buying in an HOA. Its disclosed during the closing process. You are given the legal documents before the closing and you sign a paper stating that you were given the documents. If you dont read them thats your fault. All the rules are stated and if you don't agree with them you don't have to buy the property.
I cant imagine how someone can buy in and then complain about the rules that they agreed to. The last house I had in an HOA was very easy to sell when I decided to move. The area was still just as nice as when it was new. The HOA did exactly what it was intended to do.

If you want to break that contract that you signed and go against those rules they will indeed take your property at the end of the battle. YOU SIGNED A PAPER ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.

If a person wants to have junk laying around they need to buy in an area that allows that. Areas like that are usually zoned agricultural or industrial. It doesn't mean farmers have junk yards, it means that they know they will have all sorts of equipment, sheds, crap etc.
I have seen a neighbor buy land, build a nice house with a lap pool in the basement and then a couple years later start complaining that the farmers equipment next door is an eyesore. He bought in an area zoned ag. I had another neighbor come around with a petition because he wanted the high school band to stop practicing outside because it was too noisy. I told him Im not signing anything and that the school was there when we moved in and they are not making noise those kids are practicing their music. They aren't over here hanging out, busting windows and partying.

How many people never gave it any thought while they owned a property and didn't have someone camped out front but now want to raise hell because they cant do it.
Many probably never even knew that there was an ordinance and benefited from it but now think that ordinance is wrong. Amazing.