Should I report my neighbors for operating an auto repair shop out of their front yard? (Charlotte: transplants, for sale)
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I guess this is potentially what can happen when you live in a neighborhood without an HOA.
So anyway, some of my neighbors across the street from me have seemingly recently started operating an auto repair shop out of their front yard. They have a giant trailer thing, and every week there is a different messed up car on the trailer, which takes up a good portion of their front lawn.
On one hand, I think they were actually in pre-foreclosure or something, and since this seems like a fairly recent development, I would hate for them to lose their source of income. On the other hand, I'm pretty certain what they're doing is illegal as the house is not zoned for business use... Plus the house next door to them is for sale and I'm sure a trailer and a car with no bumper on the lawn are not their idea of curb appeal.
I know the popular response will be to go talk to them, which I will probably try to do before anything else. But I'm not quite sure how to start the conversation. "So, I've noticed you guys have had different random junk cars parked in your front yard every week, what's up with that?"
First question, is your property within city limits? There are definitely ordinances . . . but before we go searching, I did need to make sure you are living in the city limits.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
Crestliner thread alert!
I guess this is potentially what can happen when you live in a neighborhood without an HOA.
So anyway, some of my neighbors across the street from me have seemingly recently started operating an auto repair shop out of their front yard. They have a giant trailer thing, and every week there is a different messed up car on the trailer, which takes up a good portion of their front lawn.
On one hand, I think they were actually in pre-foreclosure or something, and since this seems like a fairly recent development, I would hate for them to lose their source of income. On the other hand, I'm pretty certain what they're doing is illegal as the house is not zoned for business use... Plus the house next door to them is for sale and I'm sure a trailer and a car with no bumper on the lawn are not their idea of curb appeal.
I know the popular response will be to go talk to them, which I will probably try to do before anything else. But I'm not quite sure how to start the conversation. "So, I've noticed you guys have had different random junk cars parked in your front yard every week, what's up with that?"
First question, is your property within city limits? There are definitely ordinances . . . but before we go searching, I did need to make sure you are living in the city limits.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,813 posts, read 34,657,307 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoPhils
Probably a good option as well.
We're transplants.
I had a situation a couple of years ago & really wanted to call, but realized that my name would be tied to the complaint. I held off & another neighbor made the call.
I did find this . . . and it appears this applies to the county as a whole, not just the city of Charlotte, altho I would want to make sure of this b/f I made a phone call . . . you will note . . . vehicle repair shops . . .
Prohibited home businesses include, but are not
limited to: caterers, food vendors, equipment and
vehicle repair shops, appliance and small me-
chanical repair shops, barber and beauty shops,
kennels, commercial bakeries, veterinarian clinics,
funeral homes, commercial cabinetry shops, weld-
ing, trucking, adult oriented businesses, ware-
housing, vehicular sales, and other similar uses.
ETA: This is one of those situations that I would definitely NOT go talk to the neighbors about! And I wouldn't assume someone else is going to call. Very often, everyone is reluctant to call b/c they are worried they will be dragged into the controversy.
The least you should do is surreptitiously take photos of the goings-on . . . and then mail this with a complaint . . . state that you wish to remain anonymous (don't sign it!!!) but provide the evidence and the address . . . and state when the most likely time is that officials can find the activities in process.
Remember - the angle from which you take the photos can be traced right back to the spot where you were standing when you took the photos, lol. So get in your car and take the photos from some other angle than your own driveway!!!!
And then what? Hope to incite one of them to make the phone call you don't plan on making?
Anybody that rude isn't going to appreciate somebody's nose in their business. I don't hope to rehabilitate the jack butts that blow their horn when they want to let someone know their ride is there. I can't imagine it being better at that scale.
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