Living in an "RV" on your own land?

[Hereandthere]

I doubt we will ever utilities to that land. Like your idea, compassrose, of finding a place with a trashed dwelling. Not sure we'd even go for that anytime soon.

 

[wagoneer]

Get that "my own land" idea out of your head. At best we are Stewart's? of the land. As caretakers use the land to better purpose. I was there once but saw the folly of my way. Do fences make good neighbors?

 

[RogueRV2]

Look in states and counties that have a very low population densities and no building permits required for residential buildings. Look in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and perhaps Utah. Here in my county in Montana, Lincoln County, there is no building permits required. In fact, in my town of Eureka, Montana, we have persons living in travel trailers on their own lots.

I have been searching this for a long time and am finding conflicting answers.

I went to the county to ask them this question, "can I live on my own land in an rv (any class)". The answer was a resounding NO. The only way you may be able to do it is to be building a "normal" :huh::s home. There is no way I can afford to do that. I couldn't even afford the permits!

Today I talked to a guy who restores rv's. He seemed very knowledgeable about many subjects and appeared to be honest. He told me that you could live on your registered rv for three months at a time and leave for 5 days in between each stay. I googled it and couldn't find a thing. I asked him if he knew where I could find the info and he simply said " it's been that way for years and still is".

Soooo I'm wondering if any of you seasoned folks know where I may be able to find this information.

I'm not the kinda guy who would just wing it with the chance of getting turned in by an anal retentive neighbor and end up with a litttle chunk of land that I could do nothing with.

 

[offroad]

You are looking for the right combination. 1) weather should be mostly warm and ice free most of the year. 2). Land should be unincorporated town as they have less taxes. 3) garage sounds great as that keeps you out of the sun and private. Look at the TINY HOUSE movement. They are finding ways around these issues every day.

 

[Trixie]

I have talked to agents in the area. They say there is nowhere in the county where you can do what I'd like to do. The consensus is that you cant do it in this county or any of the adjacent counties.

What I am looking for is a creative loophole. The three month on, 5 day off thing is workable for me. I just don't know if it is accurate. Finding this out is my objective. I just don't know where to look. We all know of the letter of the law and the spirit of the law. The "insiders" know creative ways around things that are legal but unorthodox and or unknown to most.

So my question is how would someone go about finding who to talk to or where to start to find out if there is a way around the "official" ( egregious in my mind) code.

I don't mean any disrespect, so please don't take it as such, but for those who are wanting to do what you are suggesting, then  just be aware of some legal battles, if you go that route.  Most of us property owners are not going to allow this unless there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.  We currently have new neighbors who moved out here in the country, and they are renting out a small piece of their property to someone living in an RV.  Not only is it illegal to park an RV out here to live in, but it's illegal to make money off of it as well.  PLUS, this land out here is zoned for farm use only.  The only way to get around it is, to file with the county a hardship case ( meaning, the property owner is elderly or is unable to maintain his property, and needs help for upkeep ).  The county may make a provision for that, but even with that, there are strict rules that must apply.  

We have a lot of old timers in our neighborhood.  Some have passed away, and others still live here.  My parents bought this property in 1941, and lived here until they passed away. I now live on my parent's property.  Others have come here in the 1950's and 1960's.  We are not going to allow someone to come into our neighborhood and do what you are wanting to do.  Again, no disrespect toward you ( please understand that), but if someone were to try to do what you are wanting to do, where we live, then they would need to be prepared for us to fight them in court.  We want to keep our lands and neighborhoods legal and right.  No matter how long we have lived here, we have to abide by the rules of the county.  And we absolutely expect everyone else to do the same.

 

[TMG51]

I don't mean any disrespect, so please don't take it as such, but for those who are wanting to do what you are suggesting, then  just be aware of some legal battles, if you go that route.  Most of us property owners are not going to allow this unless there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.  We currently have new neighbors who moved out here in the country, and they are renting out a small piece of their property to someone living in an RV.  Not only is it illegal to park an RV out here to live in, but it's illegal to make money off of it as well.  PLUS, this land out here is zoned for farm use only.  The only way to get around it is, to file with the county a hardship case ( meaning, the property owner is elderly or is unable to maintain his property, and needs help for upkeep ).  The county may make a provision for that, but even with that, there are strict rules that must apply.  

We have a lot of old timers in our neighborhood.  Some have passed away, and others still live here.  My parents bought this property in 1941, and lived here until they passed away. I now live on my parent's property.  Others have come here in the 1950's and 1960's.  We are not going to allow someone to come into our neighborhood and do what you are wanting to do.  Again, no disrespect toward you ( please understand that), but if someone were to try to do what you are wanting to do, where we live, then they would need to be prepared for us to fight them in court.  We want to keep our lands and neighborhoods legal and right.  No matter how long we have lived here, we have to abide by the rules of the county.  And we absolutely expect everyone else to do the same.

FYI the post you're responding to is from 2014 and I don't believe the user exists here anymore.

 

[IGBT]

I have to agree with TrainChaser.  Some of the regulations are there just to make money, and some are there to "protect" wealthy people from poor people.   You see this in covenants too.   Saying a house must be at least 2000 sq ft.   Who really needs a 2000 sq ft house and how is that good for the environment and energy conservation?

 

[firebob]

I know every location is different.
I have a friend that has 4 "RV" spots. 2 of the spots have large metal car ports. The other 2 are just gravel pads. All the spots have power.
For him to drill a well he must put in a septic system so it's a no on both.
He did get permits for the power and he had to get a permit for surface water runoff.
The county knows they live in an RV and knows he has friends that hang out for a few weeks at a time.
There is a county code saying you can not live in a "RV" for more than 30 days in one spot.
The county get satellite photos every few weeks and there is someone that compares photos. They are able to send people out to investigate and fine people based off the photos.

 

[eDJ_]

Depending on the property a person had to live on,  if he/she was in a wooded area that wasn't visible to anyone
and they needed a place to winter over they could get a bunch of straw bales and do this to conceal their RV.

I agree that they would need some kind of sanitation facility, out house etc.  A second vehicle too.
I'd say they could cover the top of the mound of straw bales with plastic tarp's to keep the rains out.
some kind of heavy rubber hose to connect to their exhaust to vent it to the outside and a way to
uncover the front of the vehicle so air could get through the radiator so they could run the engine to charge
the batteries. 

But I'd say that if they were in the right place to own property where they wouldn't have nosy or meddling neighbors they could hold up like this for awhile.  The main thing would be to be in the right place.

 

[Ballenxj]

I'm having a really hard time with what I'm hearing (reading) here. Isn't this supposed to be America, land of the free?
So you buy your property, and some government pencil pusher is allowed to tell you what you can, and cannot do on it?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

This thread is really starting to drift into a political discussion.

The conundrum is:  I certainly want to be free to do whatever I want to on my own land.  On the other hand, I wouldn't be wild about my next-door neighbor deciding to run a junkyard or start a pig farm next door.

The libertarian-anarchists never quite explain how the next door neighbor is going to reimburse me for the lost property value their decisions have cost me . . .

 

[jonsun]

This thread is really starting to drift into a political discussion.

The conundrum is:  I certainly want to be free to do whatever I want to on my own land.  On the other hand, I wouldn't be wild about my next-door neighbor deciding to run a junkyard or start a pig farm next door.

The libertarian-anarchists never quite explain how the next door neighbor is going to reimburse me for the lost property value their decisions have cost me . . .

by letting you live freely

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

Fortunately, this country is absolutely enormous, comprised of 50 states and within those states, thousands of individual jurisdictions. There are areas that fit everyone's needs. The more freedom you want, the more rural you have to go. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr said it best "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins" Areas full of people have a lot of noses with in arms reach. It would be total chaos if everyone could just do as they pleased anywhere and everywhere. As much as I don't love government regulations and at times they most certainly go too far, they're a necessary evil in my opinion. People aren't good at governing themselves. Looks at all the trash on public lands and everywhere for that matter.

 

[PathofAsha]

As much as I don't love government regulations and at times they most certainly go too far, they're a necessary evil in my opinion.  People aren't good at governing themselves.  Looks at all the trash on public lands and everywhere for that matter.

Well said.
As far as I know CA directly regulates and oversees most mobile home parks so they may shut it down when the management doesn't keep it up to par. 
When you want to use your own land for your RV, be sure to change the terminology to "recreate" instead of "live". Perception is everything sometimes.
Smile4uinc.com is knowledgeable about this type of land. If anyone is actually looking.

 

[TrainChaser]

OP: "The libertarian-anarchists never quite explain how the next door neighbor is going to reimburse me for the lost property value their decisions have cost me . . . "

And you can't explain to your neighbor why he can't live in an RV or a small house with a simple septic system, rainwater harvesting, and solar power. Right?

 

[jonsun]

freedom, liberty, gated communities, HOA's

which you would THINK would be the thing that lowered property values

 

[highdesertranger]

related to this subject. my buddy and me delivered some car parts to a guy in Golden Valley Arizona on Saturday. Golden Valley is a little west of Kingman. I saw hundreds of people living in RV's. in some parts of the valley there were houses but for they most part people were living in RV's. the guy we delivered the parts to lived in a RV, his 2 closest neighbors lived in RV's. I asked and this is what I was told. the county allows it, no water or power to most lots. water is available cheaply in certain locations but you must haul it. lots are 2.5 acres and go for about 2-5k depending on the location. there are access roads to all the properties the conditions vary from asphalt, to graded dirt, to unmaintained dirt. I talked to one of the neighbors she paid 200 bucks down and 200 a month for 8 months so 1800 total for her 2.5 acres this was just over a year ago. just thought I would pass this along. highdesertranger

 

[Kathleen]

Depending on the property a person had to live on,  if he/she was in a wooded area that wasn't visible to anyone
and they needed a place to winter over they could get a bunch of straw bales and do this to conceal their RV.

I agree that they would need some kind of sanitation facility, out house etc.  A second vehicle too.
I'd say they could cover the top of the mound of straw bales with plastic tarp's to keep the rains out.
some kind of heavy rubber hose to connect to their exhaust to vent it to the outside and a way to
uncover the front of the vehicle so air could get through the radiator so they could run the engine to charge
the batteries. 

But I'd say that if they were in the right place to own property where they wouldn't have nosy or meddling neighbors they could hold up like this for awhile.  The main thing would be to be in the right place.

That's great info you provided at your link re vanconversion. I love the apt size w/d in the cargo trailer concept! Good ideas, thx.

 

[Ticklebellly]

Lots of arguments locally as a couple of people want to live in Tiny Houses on house blocks they own. Local authority laws are that all human habitation must be in a "house" of minimum size and having minimum facilities. One of those problems caused when technology outstrips local ordinance rules made a long time ago. Will not be sorted soon.

One person I know, lives in an RV located at the rear of an existing house. What the local authorities don't know is OK if you get away with it.

Latest info is that Local authority is using satellite imagery to check for unauthorised buildings and compliance with swimming pool fencing regs. Satellite image robots only find changes between passes so my friend is fine until he moves the RV and then comes back

 

[TMG51]

OP: "The libertarian-anarchists never quite explain how the next door neighbor is going to reimburse me for the lost property value their decisions have cost me . . . "

And you can't explain to your neighbor why he can't live in an RV or a small house with a simple septic system, rainwater harvesting, and solar power.  Right?

Some of us who live simply and responsibly managing our own services might say those laws affect us.

Others might say those laws keep irresponsible people from squatting in their own filth without services.

Both are true.

Laws should be written to say what they mean. "You can't be unsightly and pile up poo in your back yard."