Do not park on the grass. (Greensboro, Chapel Hill: HOA, chapel, houses)

[chewies]

"Effective July 1, vehicles in violation of this Land Development Ordinance (LDO) regulation will be issued a $50 parking ticket. Failure to pay for three parking tickets within a 90-day period may result in wheel locks being attached to the vehicle."


City of Greensboro, NC : Front Yard Parking

[skinsguy37]

Originally Posted by chewies

"Effective July 1, vehicles in violation of this Land Development Ordinance (LDO) regulation will be issued a $50 parking ticket. Failure to pay for three parking tickets within a 90-day period may result in wheel locks being attached to the vehicle."


City of Greensboro, NC : Front Yard Parking

I'm glad I don't live in the city.

[Lucky Dawg]

Many cities have this type of ordinance. Its not about parking on the grass. Its about the front yard of houses becoming parking lots. Its looks trashy and lowers property values. If you lived next door to someone parking 3 or 4 cars in their front yard you'd wish this ordinance was in effect.

[Charles22]

What about property rights? Why can't I do whatever I want as long as it's my own property?

[poppydog]

I agree with Charles and I do live next door to folks with multiple cars here in Chapel Hill and it doesn't bother me. If a HOA wants to enforce this kind of regulation for a specific neighborhood, but it's not the city's business.

[roadpony]

Don't worry, the legislature will probably decide that it's an overreach of power by the Greensboro City Council and pass a bill to make the ordinance null and void.

[cully]

Wow.

Well, this may be why they did it like this. They want to control that no-man's land.

In areas I'm familiar with, the DOT controls from the middle road line our so many feet. 15' - 30'. Even in the same city, can be different lengths depending on the situation. The idea being that's where the utilities are (easements) and where the DOT can expand the road to if need be. And DOT's only requirements were that there not be any heavy, permanent structures on their strip that they could not easily move...such as a wall or a boulder decoration.

In these same places, if there was a problem with people parking in front - and there being no sidewalks and curbs so the vehicle was mostly on the grass - the local law enforcement said as long as the vehicle was mostly off the road and on the grass they couldn't ticket because it then wouldn't come under their domain. There was usually a rule of thumb...3/4 off the road, just a little of the outer two tires remaining on the road, etc. was okay. They controlled the road parking, making sure all lanes were safely clear.

Which frustrated HOAs that didn't want any part of the vehicles on the front lawns, whether the homeowner part (which would then come under HOA rules) nor the DOT part.

So the HOAs I have been familiar with regarding this only had legal jurisdiction over the grass beyond the DOT controlled strip. So, generally, 15'- 30' from the middle line in toward the house.

That said, yes, they could still send out letters to mow if you didn't mow often enough. Because - are your heads spinning yet - they got around that by saying DOT would mow for you if you didn't. And they would let DOT know.

Then there came a time when the DOTs got caught in the financial wreck and had no money to spare. So then some HOA boards I know would say they would do the mowing in DOTs place. But I think they then wanted payment.

At any rate, the city of Greensboro seems to have laid claim over that no-man's land.

May question would be what is considered "parking". People taking an emergency phone call and not wanting to drive? People looking for directions on their phone? Both of which have really annoyed me when I mow, pay to water and seed and fertilize and would likely be sued if someone fell in that no-man's strip....and they sit there making a call. (Yes, I go and ask them how I can help.)

Maybe it's over an hour (again with neighbor's parties). Or maybe just several hours or overnight.

[Lucky Dawg]

Originally Posted by cully

Wow.

Well, this may be why they did it like this. They want to control that no-man's land.

In areas I'm familiar with, the DOT controls from the middle road line our so many feet. 15' - 30'. Even in the same city, can be different lengths depending on the situation. The idea being that's where the utilities are (easements) and where the DOT can expand the road to if need be. And DOT's only requirements were that there not be any heavy, permanent structures on their strip that they could not easily move...such as a wall or a boulder decoration.

In these same places, if there was a problem with people parking in front - and there being no sidewalks and curbs so the vehicle was mostly on the grass - the local law enforcement said as long as the vehicle was mostly off the road and on the grass they couldn't ticket because it then wouldn't come under their domain. There was usually a rule of thumb...3/4 off the road, just a little of the outer two tires remaining on the road, etc. was okay. They controlled the road parking, making sure all lanes were safely clear.

Which frustrated HOAs that didn't want any part of the vehicles on the front lawns, whether the homeowner part (which would then come under HOA rules) nor the DOT part.

So the HOAs I have been familiar with regarding this only had legal jurisdiction over the grass beyond the DOT controlled strip. So, generally, 15'- 30' from the middle line in toward the house.

That said, yes, they could still send out letters to mow if you didn't mow often enough. Because - are your heads spinning yet - they got around that by saying DOT would mow for you if you didn't. And they would let DOT know.

Then there came a time when the DOTs got caught in the financial wreck and had no money to spare. So then some HOA boards I know would say they would do the mowing in DOTs place. But I think they then wanted payment.

At any rate, the city of Greensboro seems to have laid claim over that no-man's land.

May question would be what is considered "parking". People taking an emergency phone call and not wanting to drive? People looking for directions on their phone? Both of which have really annoyed me when I mow, pay to water and seed and fertilize and would likely be sued if someone fell in that no-man's strip....and they sit there making a call. (Yes, I go and ask them how I can help.)

Maybe it's over an hour (again with neighbor's parties). Or maybe just several hours or overnight.

I'm not sure what your point is exactly, but you seem to be confusing several issues. First, "DOT" (assuming you mean NCDOT) has nothing to do with city streets. They only control state roads and highways. The typical city street has nothing to do with DOT.

Second, ordinances prohibiting parking in front yards has nothing to do with strip between the curb and the sidewalk.

[Lucky Dawg]

Originally Posted by poppydog

I agree with Charles and I do live next door to folks with multiple cars here in Chapel Hill and it doesn't bother me. If a HOA wants to enforce this kind of regulation for a specific neighborhood, but it's not the city's business.

I assumed, and hope, that Charles' post is facetious. Property rights are not absolute. For example, zoning laws prohibit my neighbor from operating a slaughter house on his property. Controlling land use and protecting my property rights from intrusion by others certainly is the city's business.

You'd be ok living next door to this?

[skinsguy37]

Originally Posted by Lucky Dawg

Many cities have this type of ordinance. Its not about parking on the grass. Its about the front yard of houses becoming parking lots. Its looks trashy and lowers property values. If you lived next door to someone parking 3 or 4 cars in their front yard you'd wish this ordinance was in effect.

No I would not. It's their property, it's their business. So as long as they're not infringing on my rights or being disruptive, they can do what they want. Would I like for them to take more pride in their property? Of course I would. I grew up in a rural area where anything goes. Yet, almost always, even people in these rural areas took pride in their property and didn't need any ordinance to tell them what to do.

If it bothered me so much that my neighbor was parking a bunch of cars in his/her front yard, I would gladly offer them a parking space or two in my driveway if I had the space, or I would gladly assist them with making their property conducive to parking all of their vehicles properly.