Only had my bus for 12 days and cops already hassling me

[cadillackid]

I drive my bus all over columbus ohio and much of the state and have yet to be stopped... or anything other than complimented on the bus (even once by a cop).. my home owner association did send me a letter reminding me RV's arent supposed to be permanently parked in front of our houses.. but I had just gotten the bus and first storage place had fallen throiugh so it lived there for a couple weeks.. now that I have a storage unit and only bring it home to work on it and only once in a while overnight even they havent said a word.. sounds like someone keeps calling it in.. but if its legal there isnt much they can do esp if you keep good records and pictures of how its parked and such..
-Christopher

[onenationundergoat]

Our bus has been over 14,000 miles back and forth and up and down the country, and we only ever had a problem once, in Gainesville, FL, parked in a residential neighborhood. Neighbors kept calling the cops for the eyesore, the police came three different times and told us we weren't doing anything wrong. Then code enforcement came and said the bus was ok but our pet goat wasn't allowed. After some tears from 5 year olds who thought they were arresting Dan and an irritated 9 month pregnant New Yorker talked to the code enforcement he gave us another week of leeway as long as we kept the goat in the bus and the bus in the driveway instead of parked in the street.

[livinthelife]

Originally Posted by milkmania

Cuz you're a rebel!

Lol... I could have left this at you're a rebel. But the picture just added the right touch. Very nice

[EastCoastCB]

My first brush with them was when my lawn had grass longer than 5 inches. The letters and warning started.
Then when I got my first bus it was an all-out war with the city. Which I lost.

[livinthelife]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

My first brush with them was when my lawn had grass longer than 5 inches. The letters and warning started.
Then when I got my first bus it was an all-out war with the city. Which I lost.

I wasn't bashing on you that picture was just funny. I worked for a city and have seen both sides of the coin. It can go smoothly for some and then like you said all out war. Sucks in general

[livinthelife]

Originally Posted by Vireo

Thanks so much for the kind and encouraging words, living the life I've been looking for a place to put the bus in case things don't go well. I'm also looking into getting a consultation with an attorney. ...just don't completely trust the "code enforcers"

OK now see that just sucks and that does play a roll if you. Ant trust. Sorry. Don't give up though. I hear Steve has a party by his place..lol

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

My first brush with them was when my lawn had grass longer than 5 inches. The letters and warning started.
Then when I got my first bus it was an all-out war with the city. Which I lost.

That's when you go to the psychiatrist and get a letter stating that goats are therapeutic to you... And they have a calming effect on you.

Then you start EastCoastCB's goat farm!!! Call it Charlie Brown's Goats R Us LLC
And go pick up a bunch of Nigerian Dearf Goats






You like the idea...
I know you do

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by livinthelife

I wasn't bashing on you that picture was just funny. I worked for a city and have seen both sides of the coin. It can go smoothly for some and then like you said all out war. Sucks in general

No worries! I love funny imagery.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by milkmania

That's when you go to the psychiatrist and get a letter stating that goats are therapeutic to you... And they have a calming effect on you.

Then you start EastCoastCB's goat farm!!! Call it Charlie Brown's Goats R Us LLC
And go pick up a bunch of Nigerian Dearf Goats






You like the idea...
I know you do

I've started adopting stray dogs! too funny! Goats are a GREAT idea!
This pit mix was abandoned/neglected/abused out in Sorrento. SO MANY of these get dumped off I finally fell for one and took her home. We normally end up having to shoot them, its so sad but the county won't take them.

[superduty_59]

This is one of the MANY reasons that I live in the country. I might become belligerent if someone (cop, neighbor, any nosy a**hole, ect) tried to tell me what and what I can not do on my own property! My buddy dealt with issues like this a few years ago. He had a few basically junk cars and trucks (which were tagged and insured) parked in and around his house. Cops hassled him a lot. If he lived in the country he could have made a bigger mess and nobody would have cared. Cops are no better than anyone else. Just like anything else in life there are some really nice cops who want to do a good job and help people. Around where I grew up in small little rural town cops were all a**holes and want to (protect and serve the s**t out of you) and only concerned with how much money they could extort from you. They called it tickets but whatever. lol Hope you find a solution to your problems!

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by Vireo

The cops keep changing their story and can't seem to answer my questions on exactly what is and what isn't allowed. I checked the city ordinance and the only thing I could find regarding the parking of trucks and other large vehicles was I need to be 20 ft from the street (I'm probably 40 or 50 ft from the street). Guess the cops are making up the rules as they go along and that's a game I have no chance of winning. Really sucks.

It's time to tell them, if you can't articulate an exact law or ordnance I'm violating& how your in violation tell them
DO NOT STEP FOOT ON MY PROPERTY AGAIN, then get their names & badge numbers & file complaints against them every time.

[Scooternj]

Originally Posted by Stu & Filo. T

It's time to tell them, if you can't articulate an exact law or ordnance I'm violating& how your in violation tell them
DO NOT STEP FOOT ON MY PROPERTY AGAIN, then get their names & badge numbers & file complaints against them every time.

Just to reiterate, talk to Code Enforcement (as mentioned) and get the pertinent information you need to defend yourself. As long as you have the exact language from the law, you are covering yourself. And yes, continue to file grievances against them for harassing behavior, up to and including mayor and council if they continue to do so.

[Stu & Filo. T]

Originally Posted by Scooternj

Just to reiterate, talk to Code Enforcement (as mentioned) and get the pertinent information you need to defend yourself. As long as you have the exact language from the law, you are covering yourself. And yes, continue to file grievances against them for harassing behavior, up to and including mayor and council if they continue to do so.

And video them, as soon as you see them coming start recording

[Vireo]

Thank you for all of the great advice. As it happens, we are friends with the daughter of the head of city council here, so that's encouraging. I also re-read the ordinance regarding the parking of large vehicles and I don't know how I missed it, but it lists BUS among the other large vehicles. I measured and I'm 70 ft from the street.
In other news, I saw the neighbor taking their dog for a **** in the city owned woods behind my house. I tried to take a pic and that's when they started yelling and called the cops again. According to this officer, it's okay for them to do that. SMH. I informed the officer that I was in compliance with ordinance 452.16 (a) and she replied that it didnt matter because the bus was an eyesore.
You know, if they really want to see what an eyesore looks like I think I could arrange it......

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by Vireo

You know, if they really want to see what an eyesore looks like I think I could arrange it......

Time to unleash the goats!!!!

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Vireo

Thank you for all of the great advice. As it happens, we are friends with the daughter of the head of city council here, so that's encouraging. I also re-read the ordinance regarding the parking of large vehicles and I don't know how I missed it, but it lists BUS among the other large vehicles. I measured and I'm 70 ft from the street.
In other news, I saw the neighbor taking their dog for a **** in the city owned woods behind my house. I tried to take a pic and that's when they started yelling and called the cops again. According to this officer, it's okay for them to do that. SMH. I informed the officer that I was in compliance with ordinance 452.16 (a) and she replied that it didnt matter because the bus was an eyesore.
You know, if they really want to see what an eyesore looks like I think I could arrange it......

I wanna tell you to fight the good fight.
But then- you know what they say about "city hall".

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

But then- you know what they say about "city hall".

What? They sleep with goats?!???!

[milkmania]

I know, I know....

I'm beating a dead goat

[Jolly Roger]

Originally Posted by Vireo

So I've been visited by the local gang twice now about my still-yellow beauty. They are citing me for having an abandoned vehicle (my lovely International 3800 motor coach) even though it runs great and has all appropriate tags and insurance. Is this what I should get used to for making the decision to buck convention and pursue my Skoolie dream?

Hi,
There is an old discussion here about that somewhere?
Because a grumpy neighbor kept calling land use about an abandoned vehicle I had to tag,insure and primer way before I was ready but monthly insurance 12$ and inspection and a case of spray bombs isn't that bad to get rid of a neusance.
And can't store any framing material in sight of someone passing bye?

[Jolly Roger]

Also I had the Boy Scout troop I work with bomb the bus and they were also more than happy to paint eye soar and a crude red,white,blue eagle on that neighbors side of the bus and no more problems with county land use.