My "Track" Miata will be towed

Came home tonight before going to the second job to find a note under the wiper of my Miata that says "this vehicle is illegally parked and will be towed if found here again. Kinda funny. The plates are dead, as I don't plan on having it road legal anytime soon, though it IS parked in my driveway. I think that the HOA needs something better to do, or more money (since you know they must be getting a cut from the towing company).

Needless to say, I'm fighting them on it, as it's MY parking spot, the car is in decent condition, and the only way to even see the car is to come right up to my house. Can't be seen from the main road.

Maybe when I get tags for the conversion van, I'll "lose" one of the year decals and have to buy new ones from the DMV, conveniently giving me a decal to put on an old plate for the Miata. OR, fix the clutch and sell it to someone with the time to take it on the track.

Sorry everyone, just venting

You won't really be able to fight it. Most places you go these days have zoning laws that keep you from parking cars with expired plates in open areas.

You'd be better to move out back, as close to your house as possible, and cover it.

When I worked for the township we had quite a few people who got away with hiding vehicles in the backyard until the zoning officer got snoopy.

I once got one of those "this car is abandoned and will be towed" tags on my old Subaru. It was registered and plated and parked about 75' from the address listed on the registration, and had been there for less than a week. But it was an old Subaru, you see. Nobody wants to see one of those in front of their house.

I don't live there anymore

That's a bummer. Even worse if they actually tow it.

It's a fools fight. Read the covenants and zoning regulations. Then you'll be armed with knowledge and know how you're going to lose, and why.

I'll come get it for you this weekend. No Charge even.

Better you lose it to one of us than one of them....

Sometimes there are bizarre loopholes you can use to convince them to leave you alone. I know in Gainesville in the "University Commons" area you can't have dead cars around unless they are in a carport, garage, or under cover. Those ugly portable 10x20 canopies they sell at pep boys for $99 count as a carport. Tell them if they shut up and you wont put up the ugliest carport they have ever seen.

So this is from the HOA, not any government agency?

As mentioned, your covenants and restrictions document will describe what you can/cannot do.

But this may be a case of some HOA Nazi with maize-proctology issues feeling the rush of power.

Or, one or more of your neighbors has ratted you out.

You can bite the bullet and register it (just for the plates). Or take the expired plates off and stick it onto a trailer, so it becomes a recreational vehicle, but check the C&R doc to see how they are treated. Does anyone park a boat in your development?, Or wrap it up inside a box or a cover.

Are the plates observably dead? Start the car and drive it around some, demonstrating that it's an operable vehicle. Maybe even ask to speak with the HOA Nazi about the matter, and then drive it over to their house for the meeting.

Carter

My next door neighbor had an old Ford pickup parked in front of his house for a year. It bothered my wife, but I pointed that, unlike the previous tennant, the house had been painted, the lawn is mowed regularly, and the menagerie that had been allowed to wander in our yard was gone. Live and let live.

Thus a continuation of why I got the heck outta our old condo and away from HOAs.

Ugh.

I get letters from our county health department on a regular basis. (I feel the need to explain that apparently the health department is in charge of this sort of stuff where I live...mosquito breeding tires, stacks of junk, random unlicensed cars, etc. I'm always getting letters for cars.)

If I know I'm wrong, I just do something to fix the problem. If I don't believe I'm wrong and/or I don't know how to fix it in time, I simply call and talk to a person. An even better solution would be to set up an appointment to talk to someone face to face (in your case). Just like on the internet, it's really easy for someone to play tough guy in writing. If you sit down and actually have a conversation with folks, they can change their tune...and in a hurry.

Best bet, talk to the person who is actually in charge of calling the shots on this one. Be somewhat honest with them about your intentions and ask them what can be done to remedy the situation and make everyone less angry (notice, I didn't say "make everyone happy" because that's probably not going to happen).

It could very simply be as easy as throwing a car cover over it (don't even mention a plastic tarp, just go straight for a real car cover). On the other hand, you might have to do a clutch job in your driveway and put some tags on it...

Bottom line, don't make assumptions, don't play games. Talk to the person who can make decisions, and be ~honest.

Clem

Putting an expensive car cover over a cheap ugly car always works for me.

Part of the problem is that we now have a management group in charge. I've called and left messages, but no response so far. I'd be glad to put a cover on it, though I doubt that would make them happy. They want more money. I think that when I get the plates for the van, I'll get the extra decal and throw it on the Miata. That way, it's "licensed". Of course, they'll likely come after me for the lack of a front plate, and want to tow it for that...

Tell them it's your dog. When they point out the fact that it's obviously a car, say "come here boy", throw a stick into your yard and then ask "would I have done that if this was a car and not my dog?".

Then roll your eyes, call them shiny happy people under your breath, and go inside. One more call to your "dog" with the optional offer for a biscut and you'll probably be left alone to a while.

You can't tow somebodys pet!

How is the association going about the checking of the registration?
Are they calling a state agency?
If the car had plates from a different state would this hamper their research?
I could send you an old plate from Ohio.

Same thing happened to me Had my rx7 with no plates and no motor, But it was in MY OWN DRIVEWAY. Kept getting letters and letters "Delinquent vehicle parked in front of house" I tried to fight it and couldnt. Ended up getting ticketed from my association for being stubborn and i had to go get the tag anyways. Oh well. The car was parked backwards in my driveway so i guess the Aholes were walking on my property right up to my garage door to look behind it. Its like damn if you have to go through that much to ticket me what the hell. If only id have caught them checking it. My buddies smith and wesson would have had something to say about it.

Move to a non-HOA area. Around here HOA neighborhood houses are worth less than traditional neighborhoods.

It would be pretty funny to build a crate around it. Then just spray paint the words "this way up" and "fragile" on it.

I'd like to start a gearhead HOA. Bi-laws could have verbage like:

If at any time a homeowner's property goes without having an unlicensed vehicle for more than 30 consecutive calendar days, the owner shall be found in violation and required to check craigslist every day, twice, under the supervision of the HOA car-czar or other qualified neighbor.

Every other Saturday at Noon, the streets will be Hot. Regular traffic will cease and only race vehicles will be allowed on the streets until the culmination of the day's sanctioned events.

Coffee cans over the exhaust stacks of tow vehicles and tractors shall not be too rusty. Tennis balls are preferred.

Your scrap pile shall be enclosed by a privacy fence.

Any home with a pool shall be required to have at least two functional bumper boats on the property at any given time.

I could go on all day...
Clem

RossD wrote: It would be pretty funny to build a crate around it. Then just spray paint the words "this way up" and "fragile" on it.

Then they'd say, "Oooh, it must be french. It says, 'Frah zhee lay!'"

Yep...FTW!

Clem

ClemSparks wrote: I'd like to start a gearhead HOA. Bi-laws could have verbage like: If at any time a homeowner's property goes without having an unlicensed vehicle for more than 30 consecutive calendar days, the owner shall be found in violation and required to check craigslist every day, twice, under the supervision of the HOA car-czar or other qualified neighbor. Every other Saturday at Noon, the streets will be Hot. Regular traffic will cease and only race vehicles will be allowed on the streets until the culmination of the day's sanctioned events. Coffee cans over the exhaust stacks of tow vehicles and tractors shall not be too rusty. Tennis balls are preferred. Your scrap pile shall be enclosed by a privacy fence. Any home with a pool shall be required to have at least two functional bumper boats on the property at any given time. I could go on all day... Clem

Seminole Drive in Holly, Michigan is a lot like that.

I seriously would like to develop a "roadcourse neighborhood" where the main road is a roadcourse and houses are on moderate acreage. An airstrip (whether incorporated into the course, or seperate) would work well with this.

Clem

My wife works for a paving company as the head estimator. She was looking at plans for a subdivision one time as the designer was trumpeting one of the "traffic calming" features. She said, "that's a chicane! You'll have people driving through the neighborhood just to see how fast they can get through that!".

They looked at her like she was nuts. All of my friends, when they hear this story, want to know where the chicane is.

My "abandoned" Subaru? That wasn't in an HOA neighborhood. The tag was from the cops. Lazy cops who didn't bother to look up the registered owner or address of the car. Not all busybodies live in HOAs.

Keith wrote: My wife works for a paving company as the head estimator. She was looking at plans for a subdivision one time as the designer was trumpeting one of the "traffic calming" features. She said, "that's a chicane! You'll have people driving through the neighborhood just to see how fast they can get through that!". They looked at her like she was nuts. All of my friends, when they hear this story, want to know where the chicane is.

Friend lives in a neighborhood with those. They work there. But there's an accidental twist. Seems the curbs have drains in them on both ends of the "calming device". And those have sunken, leaving you a roughly 8" high steel edged chunk of concrete to hit if you miss at all in getting through the "calming device".

In some states, tresspassing is illegal.

In my old hometown, some years back, there was a bit of a stink about some official who walked all over someone's property to photograph junk cars that were not visible from the road. When the notice to remove said junk was receiv ed by the owner, he fought it, and had varuious junk cars for many years afterwords. He did add a bit more privacy fence though. That official ended up loosing his job.