The right to park boat in backyard

J

jimqjp

Cadet
Joined
May 1, 2001
Messages
6
I have a 20' Bayliner boat since 95. I realy enjoy it. However, troubles come recently.<br /><br />I bought a new house in Middle NJ two in 1999. I received a letter from the management association two month ago. The letter states that boats paking in drive ways or backyards create bad scenes, and the owners have to "rearrange" them, otherwise a $50 fine will be charged. Last week I did get the fine bill. <br /><br />By the way, my house is not a townhouse. And there is no any thing about parking boat in the association agreement either. <br /><br />Definitely I'll fight for the right to park my boat in my property. <br /><br />Hire a lawer will cost a fortune. Any other idea and suggestion are welcom.<br /><br />Jim
 
12Footer

12Footer

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
8,217
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

A local city here in Florida, very close to ours, is undergoing a debate on just this issue. I'll update you as this story developes. I just think that bitez,buying a home,a boat,and having someone with too much time on their hands,claim "it's an eyesore".<br />This is them major reason I live here INSTEAD of Cape Coral, Florida..<br />They even won't allow outside antennas,or <br />any vehicle with buisness names on them....<br />And no pickup trucks or semis.<br />But some folks are into that kind of stuff, as the population of Cape coral Florida is increasing. Go figure.<br /><br /><br />------------------<br />Time to change my tagline
 
JB

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

What do they say about canvas shelters? Just a thought.<br /><br />Really glad I live way out in the "boonies" and call my ranch "The Hideout".<br />Good luck, Jim.<br />JB
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12Footer

12Footer

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Messages
8,217
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

JB, they developed a nice little ordinance against THOSE too! This place (Cape Coral,Florida), is typical of many cities in this state. Folks retire from cities up north,and want things to look like Beaver Cleaver's yard!<br />I have lived in Florida all my life, and every time I hear one of these contraversies rearing it's ugly head, it upsets me.<br />A person should be able to use the land he bought for whatever purpose (within reason), that he or she sees fit. It's just plain unamerican in my opinion.<br /> <br /><br />------------------<br />Time to change my tagline
 
JB

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

12footer, you have a Texas attitude ...congratulations.<br /><br />Jim, would they permit you to enlarge your garage, put the boat in there and park your vehicle(s) in the drive? For what it's worth, the only thing I liked about Ft. Lauderdale was access to blue water. I parked my Whaler in the garage and my car in the drive.<br /><br />Good luck.<br />JB
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J

jimqjp

Cadet
Joined
May 1, 2001
Messages
6
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Thanks for all info. The HOA do not allow any modification for the house and the existing garage is not wide enough to move the trailer in. I'm looking for an attorney now and see if there is any loophole there.
 
L

LadyC

Recruit
Joined
May 15, 2001
Messages
2
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

It's a shame they are putting you through this. It's probably just plain old jealousy - between the haves and the have nots.... been there - done that.... then I bought my own.<br /><br />I had the same problem with my HOA and neighbors.... ended up renting a space at a local storage facility. Turned out pretty good... it's clean, paved and I can work on it without any interruptions (or stares for that matter - I get plenty of weird looks being a SBF boat fanatic
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)<br /><br />------------------<br />If you Luv me you gotta Luv my boat... Luv you? naahhh, Luv my boat.
 
C

CAPTWALT

Recruit
Joined
May 17, 2001
Messages
1
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Sound like a bunch of Communists you live around.<br /><br />Heres your solution:<br /><br />Go pick up a couple hundred old wood palletts and stack them down both sides of your driveway about 20 feet high. Then Drape a Blue Poly tarp over the front to "HIDE THAT HORRRIBLE LOOKING BOAT!!"<br /><br />If they give you a ration of **** about it, just tell them that it is much better than looking at that awful boat!<br /><br />Even better is to add a few old refrigerators and freezers into the pile & you can keep bait & beer for all your buddies to boot.<br /><br />I had a Neighbor that complained about me not letting their horses graze in my front lawn and said that because I did not have a full time gardener and maid to maintain my place like they did that my house looked bad.<br /><br />So me and my buddies put up a 600 ft long 12 ft high rough sawn wood fence on a Saterday. It took a lot of work and a hell of a lot of Beer! One of the guys working on his third six pack decided to "Paint" the neighvors side of the fence. I asked him where he got the paint and he yelled over the fence he had a whole bunch of half gallons that had been hanging around. Well instead of mixing it all together he just changed colors as he went along. The nieghbor came home and started screaming at my friend. My friend explained that "He was an artist and simply painted what he felt & and he felt **** You today"<br /><br />Well that fence stood up for almost five years before the wind blew it down. (Strong Paint) and I have sold that house and Moved.<br /><br />So. Be inovative. I hear old car tires make a nice protective shield for boats!
 
S

Salmonator

Cadet
Joined
May 8, 2001
Messages
28
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

If it's not in the agreement, give them the ticket and tell them to stick in in their bilge...
 
N

Navigator

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 6, 2001
Messages
517
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Throw a sleeping bag on the floor of the boat and claim it's an RV. <br /><br />And if they still give you grief, I'd say it's time you start working on the engine in the driveway...with the muffs on....at 3am...and make sure you rev the throttle every now and then.....<br /><br />If your gonna lose, it best to go out in a Blaze of Glory....
 
W

wesal1

Seaman
Joined
Jul 8, 2001
Messages
52
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

I had a issue like this with a shed in my back yard. If there is not a city ordinance or a community ordinance prohibiting a boat in the drive way, you do not having any problems. Some community have a clause prohibiting a boat and I can understand why they would get upset, but it does not sound like yours does. Just hold the fort and call the news. Make a big stink about the whole thing. You don't need a lawyer yet. <br /><br />P.S. <br />Send the sender a bill for wasting your time <br />(you could have been working on your boat instead of working with this issue)
 
R

rhudson

Cadet
Joined
May 6, 2001
Messages
7
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

My association has already sent me a letter this year about our boat in the drive way. The section in our association rules states that boats should be kept in/behind an association approved structure. I already have a 6' privacy fence, but at this time the ground is wet and the trailer would put ruts in the yard. I informed the association that if the location of the boat was not to their liking, then I can park it in the cul-de-sac. The road is owned by the state and the association has no jurisdiction over it. The boat and trailer are legally registered in the state. I have not heard any other complaints from them. BTW, I forgot to tell them that my brother has a garage for me to store the boat in when we won't be using it on weekends, so it will be there most of the time after I finish cleaning it. I just love givin' h*** to the yard nazis. Make sure you smile and wave when they cruise around just looking for something to b**ch about.
 
D

Deerdog

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
May 31, 2001
Messages
115
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

I had the identical issue in Maryland years ago. There was nothing in the "covenants" concerning parking a boat. Hell the builder even suggested an extra park pad adjacent to my garage, which we did. Everything looked great. Nothing was siad until the second summer when we got one of those "bad scene" memos, follwed shortly by a notice of a 100 dollar fine by the "community association."<br /><br />I conctacted the president and told him I wasnt going to pay nor move the boat. Being in the military I went a spoke to a lawyer who said they didnt have a case (which is what I told the accociation president). They then tried to change the covenants but couldnt include me in the change. I then went to the next neighborhood meeting and spoke. Turns out the person complaining had a RV in their driveway. The situation ended right there. If it aint in the covenants under which you moved in then they cannot do s###t to you. STAND YOUR GROUND!!<br /><br />Neat story about the fence. I bet that was wayyyy cooool.
 
S

spud

Recruit
Joined
Jun 24, 2001
Messages
4
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Now I kknow I will never live in a fenced community. To much BS. Not to mention my Race car would really **** them off, BBC and open headers. They wouldn't even notice the 2 boats sitting there. Thanks for the info. I really hate people that think they can tell the whole world what to do. Good luck and happy boating.
 
S

Schneecat

Recruit
Joined
Jun 28, 2001
Messages
1
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Do YOU own the property? If so, they can NOT tell you what you can or can not have on it. If it is not against local, state or federal laws, no housing development organization can tell you what to do with your boat; it is YOUR property!<br /><br />They have no authority to make you pay this ticket. Personally, I would send it back with a letter attached. Be nice in the letter, however, let them know if you receive another bill of this type you will file a law suit for discrimination, harassment and nuisance.<br /><br />Happy boating.
 
T

tcube

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 18, 2001
Messages
397
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

jimqjp,<br />Our HOA in MD has covenants saying I can't park my boat in the drive or the yard - kinda wierd since we live on a lake. <br /><br />Last year I got several calls and pieces of paper stuffed in the door. I chose to ignore them and guess what - they don't bother me any more. <br /><br />Good luck! tcube
 
M

moshpitdj

Cadet
Joined
Jul 4, 2001
Messages
21
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Speaking of yard nazi's.......We moved into a rental house six months ago, decent neighborhood, and from the start, the landlords told us that they own 8 houses in the a two-block area of their home (us included). They are VERY admirant about keeping up the neighborhood, that's why they bought all these houses, not for profit (yeah right) but to fix up the houses, and I'm not kidding, they straight up told us, if we don't like you, we will NOT let you live in our neighborhood. OK, OK, no problem, well, got my boat about 3 months ago, happening to be when they were on vacation. They got home, and IMMEDIATELY called me, telling me to get it the h$ll outta there within 24 hrs, and in the meantime, get the two differently colored tarps off of it. I had a brand new cover on its way anyway, but I didn't move the boat. See, with the house, we got a one-car garage, and two gravel parking spaces, the latter located across the alley from our house. She claimed that since they told one renter that they couldn't keep their boat in the yard, that we couldn't either. Contacted my lawyer (who makes calls like these for free, since I made him about $1500 last year!!) Haven't heard a word since, because there was nothing in the contract about a boat or anything else. The area was kept up, and I work on the boat every weekend (drastic fixer-upper) Now that you've read my novel, I'll go now!!! Later
 
M

moshpitdj

Cadet
Joined
Jul 4, 2001
Messages
21
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Wait, I take that back after reading my post, the neighborhood, no it's not bad, but it sure isn't good - two houses away, is a bright green house, with stray cats as the only tenant, and the word f**k spray painted on the backside toward the alley.......but they have a problem with my boat..........dunno, somethin screwin goin on here......
 
T

TONY H

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jul 2, 2001
Messages
115
Re: The right to park boat in backyard

Jim, it sounds like you live in The Land of NO. Ther eis many incoorperated villages on Long Island (NY) that are very anal about things like this. I can understand not wanting an are to get run down but no boats on an Island (in my case)is ridiculous. So you can't have boats or trucks even if they are new and beautiful but the rusty old car can sit in the driveway. Strange. Since it is a newly implemented clause in your area, isn't there some grandfather clause you can thow at them. "Hey, my boat was here before your new rule".
 
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