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Junk and Abandon vehicles and code enforcement..

T

Txchevy18

1/2 ton status
Joined
Aug 29, 2006
Posts
225
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0
Location
Tx
Ok guys I need some help. Im pretty much solo on this. Im 19 and work for everything ive got. I was kicked out 3 weeks after i graduated highschool and was lucky enough to have my grandparent allow me to stay with them. Ive always seemed to learn things the hard way but was never a bad kid. Stayed away from drugs and the like and did pretty well in school. When I left all i had was a my truck, a garbage bag of clothes and what lil savings i had. I since gotten back on my feet and after some rough spots. I now work at a oil refienery working a dupont schedule as a heavy equipment operator. Ive gathered quite a few tools and have come along way. Well i love to wheel and its a bit of an addiction. Its also becomin a nuisance aparently.
Ive got the city ridin me about my trucks. I keep my them at a house a few houses down from where my grandparents and I live. The house belongs to my grandparents and is where I grew up. It has a nice 2 car garage tha i use as my shop a decent sized backyard and a roughly 100ft x 40ft spot behind the back fence and garge that we use to park my grandpas company trailer and store my trucks. The first is a 85 k20 on 40's painted chevy blue with a very straight body and runs and drives. Its has current registration but due to a crappy carb, no e brake cable(pervious owner just hacked it off as it exited the body) and a blown frontend i cant get it inspected. This was my dd while i was in highschool. I had trouble getting the title transfered, after being pulled over by dps it was parked until i got the problem corrected. It sat for the past 18months until just this halloween that i was able to get it taken care of. I plan to put my new frontend in over my next long change and replace the carb as soon as it comes in. Ive got all the part to do so just havent had everything built or collected yet. I also have a 88k5 on 1 tons and 38's thats lime green. This one is registered until the end of january but also has bad inspection. Both vehicles are complete in one piece or do apear to be from the outside. The blazer started as a 1/2 ton with a bad frezee plug, a blown rear end and a trashed tranny. I had perviously purchased a rust bucket with 1tons and so the swap began. It now sits on 1tons and i have just recived my steering componets. The kicker for it has been the motor since it is fuel injection ive had some serious trouble gettin it going. After replacing most of the ignition system i think i may have finnally narrowed it down to a bad distributor. Other than than i just need a rear drive shaft made and time to complete it. I want to try and make this a trail only truck but aparently i cant do that since its not inspected i cant have it on my property and both my trucks are considered abandon or junk vehicles according to the city.

What can I do? Do I have any chance to keep them or am i screwed? I love to wrench but this is starting to really drain me and almost make it not worth it anymore. The neighbors beside me have had a problem with my family from when i was very young and are not liked by many in the neighborhood. Through a friend a city hall i was able to find out they file one complaint a day on my property. They also call the police if im in the garge or otherwise past 9:30 as a noise disturbance.

How am able to enjoy state funded parks such as brma if I cant even keep a vehicle I built to use there on my own personal property?


Neither have horrible damage and are actually really clean. Well after dealing with the city back and forth for the past year and a half. Im now being told that i will now be issued a tickect for these vehicle and they must be removed or they will be impounded at $200+ a day.

Any advice or help yall can give would be greatly apperciated. Sorry for the book just wanted to have a little background on the situation 1st.

Thanx
Cory
 
update

Ok guys here an update.

I was off today and took care of a few things. The blazer is now in my name and has up to date registration so that should help.
I picked up a set of pad locks and locked all four gates and put up no tresspasing signs on each one.
Also, I moved every vehicle on the property to a diffrent spot and took b4 and after pics to show proof of operatibilty.

I had a talk with the supervisor of the municipal courts. I specificaly asked for a listing of all the codes and city ordinances that were currentyly avaliable. Instead of a list i was given a website. www.municode.com
It contains codes for most cities in the united states.
I ve been lookin through it and only found a few things thus far..

Sec. 62-112. Junked or abandoned vehicles.
(a) Definitions. As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the meanings ascribed in this subsection:

(1) Junked vehicle means a vehicle that is self-propelled and:

a. Does not have lawfully attached to it:

1. An unexpired license plate; or

2. A valid motor vehicle inspection certificate; and

b. Is:

1. Wrecked, dismantled or partially dismantled, or discarded; or,

2. Inoperable and has remained inoperable for more than:

i. 72 consecutive hours, if the vehicle is on public property; or,

ii. 30 consecutive days, if the vehicle is on private property.

(2) Demolisher means any person whose business is to convert a motor vehicle into processed scrap or scrap metal or otherwise to wreck or dismantle motor vehicles.

(3) Antique car means a passenger car or truck that is at least 35 years old.


So it seems like the truck is fine but the blazer is still in hot water. Though from a legal stand point this is only day one of it being un operational while being registered in my name so i may have some slack there. I found nothing about being required to have it on an improved surface, but i make throw a few pavers stones down just for cya purposes. Worst case senario i talked to jdking this evening about storing his trailer at my place rather than taking up space in his driveway and keeping the blazer on it until I get my own in a few months.


(b) Declaration of nuisance; violations; penalty.

(1) A junked vehicle or vehicle part that is located in a place where it is visible from a public place or public right-of-way is detrimental to the safety and welfare of the general public, tends to reduce the value of private property, invites vandalism, creates fire hazards, constitutes an attractive nuisance creating a hazard to the health and safety of minors, and is detrimental to the economic welfare of the city by producing urban blight adverse to the maintenance and continuing development of the city,and is a public nuisance.

(2) Any person commits an offense if that person maintains a public nuisance as determined under this section.

(3) A person who commits an offense under this section is, on conviction, subject to a fine in accordance with section 1-7. On conviction, the court shall order removal and abatement of the nuisance.

(4) A complaint concerning a public nuisance shall be filed in the municipal court of the city if the public nuisance, as provided under this section, is not removed and abated and a hearing is not requested within the ten-day period provided by subsections (d)(1) and (2) of this section.

So if I place a tarp over said nuisance it would become unviewable and therefore no longer in violation correct? I have a 40ft tarp that would work quite well...

(c) Responsibility for administration; right of entry; abatement policy. The director of community development, or a city employee under his direction, shall administer the provisions of this section, except that the removal of vehicles or vehicle parts from property may be by any other authorized person. The director of community development, or a city employee under his direction, shall have authority to enter upon any private property for the purposes specified in this section, to examine vehicles or vehicle parts, obtain information as to the identity of the vehicle, and remove or cause the removal of a vehicle or vehicle part that constitutes a nuisance. It is the policy of the city to abate and remove junk vehicles or vehicle parts as public nuisances from private property, public property or public rights-of-way and to implement the abatement and removal by the use of the procedures established in this section.




So basically I cant keep any type of spare parts on my own private property? This seems like total BS! Its called private property for a reason. Why does this give them abilty to come onto my property to examine anything? Isnt that invasion of privacy?


Also, I went to the public records office and requested a list of every single police callout or complaint to my address and any related info for the past year. After talkin to a few friends that are officers this was suggested on grounds of harrassment if it comes down to that. Ive also heard rumor of a law regaurding motorsport vehicles in the state of texas that superceedes all the ablove... anyone ever heard of this magical law or better yet have any info?

On a side note does anyone know of any avalible shops for rent, lease or looking to selling outright? Looking for something somewhat close to texas city and the surrounding area with additional parking perferably with 3 phase power and a high ceiling.

Thanx guys,

Cory
 
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So as to not to have to read the whole thing :D If they are covered, tarp garage etc. are they still considered what they are being considered now? Could you put temp covers that you can buy at Sam's club over them ?

The main purpose of any laws that you may or may not be violating is to keep people with hobbies like ours from making a junk yard's out of their yard. I agree with the principles of the laws, most suck but they make sense.

My advice would be find the law read it study it, comply with the law, find a lawyer and sue your neighbors for harassment. If you property meets the code they have no complaint.

When I lived in NJ they had a similar law one of the guys in town had to fence his property in to comply
 
Ya sry about the books. Im tryin to find out about the sams covers right now. It says inside a covered building. Im not sure what they consider that as yet my thoughts would say no.

I recieved 3 noticed today from the city. One was citing the vehicles that were considered abandoned under there supposed code but under closer examination on the code 2 out of 3 are infact perfectly legal. Its the project k5 that dosent moved under its own power yet that keeping me from being compliant. I made a call today to borrow a buddies car hauler to store the k5 on for now but, im not sure if that will be enough to get them off my back.

I just wanna build my trucks and go wheelin is that so much to ask..
 
Go in with the codes and the info that you have already and get the two fixed.

One thing that I have learned in dealing with the Gov, even on a state level, that most have no idea what the law is they are just going with what someone told them the law is and that person was just shooting from the hip.

If the law reads covered up then the temp garages should work, they are white and about $200 each and just about everybody sells some form or another of them.
 
Kern County California (where I used to live) allowed one inoperable vehicle in public view. Beyond that vehicle, the law says any additional inops must be hidden from view. The easiest way to do this is with a privacy fence that's about as tall as the vehicle.

My understanding is alot of places have similar laws - the idea is to keep junkers out of the street and front yards.

In my particular part of that county, the po-po stated their policy as enforcement only if there was a complaint, but you're already past that stage.
 
Call your local Bar association and get a referral for a municipal attorney in the area. Consultation shouldn't cost you more than $50 and you can have them tell you your best approach. Make sure its a municipal attorney. Sometimes they are hard to find but the Bar should be able to point you in the right direction. You can also find out who is a neighboring cities Law Director. As long as its not a huge city, they should also have a private practice and you can talk with them. I'd try the Bar first though.

As a temporary solution you can keep getting temp tags for anything that can't be licensed. It gets expensive eventually, but it will keep you safe for a bit. A guy I worked with for several years never actually had real plates on his car, they switched it among family members every 60 days. Friend of mine did that for about two years. Switched the title to someone and then back to him same day and got new temp tags. (We get 2 30 day tags here in Ohio)
 
I feel your pain...

and I'm a retired cop. I'm in CA and won't help much in Texas, but the last post about seeing an attorney is a good idea. Municipal codes are different from city to city, but there are similarities - but you need someone familiar with your city's muni code. Again, I'm not sure about Texas, but in CA you can register your vehicles as "Non-operational" which makes them registered, but can't be driven or stored on the street. There is also a way to register them as an off-road only vehicle. You might look into this. Also, if you can find a friendly local cop, he may be able to explain some of those city laws.

I had a neighbor beef my registered Jimmy and the Sheriff's towed it because I hadn't put the '07 sticker on it and wasn't home when they came out. Cost me impound and storage fees (I badged my way out of the Sheriff's fees). Good luck!!
 
I'm sure TX has something like what rjpastor mentioned. In OK it's called "Black tag". It keeps your vehicle registered, but it's not registered for street use.
 
I may very well call the bar association. That seems like a wise move. I have all 3 vehicles with up to date registration so thats not the issue. None of them have up todate inspetion but thats not the issuse. Its the fact that the k5 is in operable. Im considering throwin a carb on it until i get the city off my back. but i still need a tq converter and new d shaft to finsh up the rebuild...
 
that sucks...
I would say that your best bet is to get them covered with the temp garages...
also stuff 2 in the garage...

hell just put the inop one in the garage...

and move the other 2 ever week.... every monday after noon......
they cant say anything if they are operational and the 3rd is out of site.... :wink1:


we are allowed 1 untagged, uninsured, un registered vehicle in our driveway..

but to show you... a truck on hawgs.. 40's will fit in a 7' garage.....

truck being dropped off
truck_at_new_house_6-14-03_r.jpg



oops not gonna fit
truck_at_new_house_6-14-03_s.jpg



all in the garage.. rims up front and 4psi air in rear...
truck_at_new_house_6-14-03_g.jpg
 
First thing is to move them, certainly the inoperable one, to where they can't be seen from the street. Check with the municipality if car covers can be used or one of those tent types.

Checking with a municipal lawyer is an excellent idea.

Shooting your neighbors might solve the problem but it's not a good idea:D
 
I get harassed by the city all the time as well. Droppin mud, inop vehicles, dismantled vehicles in front yard, vehicle parked on grass, oil leaks in street, etc. Just make sure every vehicle is in your name and registered to the house it is stored at. Make the fence big enough to block the view of the vehicles and put the project blazer in the garage. Trust me, this is the only way to do it. I move every year because the city ends up finding me again and citing my trucks.
 
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