Salem, OR: Homeless...can no longer stay overnight at Walmart

[John61CT]

If you look at your town's laws, I think you'll find sleeping in a vehicle's usually technically prohibited.

How much it's actually tolerated in public areas varies **very** widely by jurisdiction, even from one neighborhood / precinct to the next.

The ideal is private property, with permission.

Even if that permission is not explicit, as five months implies.

You (actually the property owner) will then be in violation of land-use regulations, but that's a totally different radar screen and usually triggered by neighbors concetned about their property values.

 

[lenny flank]

Like I said, you are asking for trouble.

 

[GeorgiePorgie]

Like I said, you are asking for trouble.

I don't see how staying somewhere where he has never been bothered is any worse than moving around constantly. Isn't the most that would probably happen, is to be told to stop parking there?

 

[lenny flank]

I don't see how staying somewhere where he has never been bothered is any worse than moving around constantly. Isn't the most that would probably happen, is to be told to stop parking there?

No--the most that would probably happen is (1) he is told to stop parking there, (2) nobody ELSE is now allowed to park there either, and (3) the city then passes a law banning parking anywhere in town to "deal with the problem".

Every anti-parking law in existence, came about because somebody was trying to live in someone else's parking lot. It's a terribly bad idea, and all it does is cause trouble and grief for everyone else.

 

[John61CT]

Actually worst thing for him is getting prosecuted for trespassing, but that is 99.9% left to the owner, and seems very unlikely in this case.

Other dwellers generally don't try what he's doing because odds are greater the owner will kick you out.

The overall perception of dwellers being a problem deserving of resources is completely separate from the public vs private issue.

Private property is not of concern to LEO or town officials, other than the zoning enforcement issue already mentioned.

Police patrols are always going to be more attuned to streetside, parks, town property etc, not a business' off-street parking.

Neighborhood residents are always going to be the big issue either way, but that's just a matter of appearance and keeping under the radar.

 

[ZoNiE]

Any thoughts on Corvallis and Eugene?

There is a travel trailer parked on willow creek road in Eugene that apparently has been given a porta potty and a trash can. Saw it when working at the old Hynix plant there. The trailer is still there in the google maps photos...

 

[user 15857]

I've always wanted to visit Oregon. I wonder if any parks from there will be at the event looking for hosts...

Any thoughts on Corvallis and Eugene?

Corvallis aggressively enforces a ban on over night in an RV anywhere in the town on public property (roads and parks). Even the Escapees club warns their members to stay away.

As far as the Salem Walmart, there was a wanted felon who was staying several days there last summer who shot the place up when the cops tried to approach his derelict RV. That will always mess it up for everyone.