Written Up By City Of Phoenix - Inoperable/Unlicensed Van Parked In The Driveway

[jimj]

It's kind of funny to see the reactions when one is on the receiving end of such a complaint vs the complaining end or a bystander.
Is Phoenix a money hungry operation as was stated above? Sure but no more than any other municipality. They all use tickets/fines/license fees as a revenue generator.

Personally, while I feel for the person wrongly getting a letter I'm glad there's code enforcement out there because unfortunately some people can't figure out how to live with others.

[observer53]

Originally Posted by jimj

Personally, while I feel for the person wrongly getting a letter I'm glad there's code enforcement out there because unfortunately some people can't figure out how to live with others.

Precisely.

[SloCoChef]

Hi everyone!

Okay so here's what I did -- a bit less than my taking a photo, sending the letter with the photo of my new car in my new (to me) homes driveway:

I did just about nothing.... Time got away from me and I just lived life like normal - with the exception of putting down some spot weed killer for grass growing where I wish it wouldn't and some stray weeds...in my front yard - didn't even touch the backyard - which has some weeds in the rocks also...

I called the City to ask them about what ever happened - as when I went to the blight website and typed in the complaint number nothing appeared .... earlier on when I typed it in - it said it was an open case.

The City said, "the complaint/file was closed".... no further info offered. So when I think about it all - I do remember looking everywhere I drove for weeds in peoples landscaping profile - and some places were near weed free in the city - and other places had tagging, weeds, cars and other not so nice to view things... I do remember looking too in areas around PV mall in the summer and seeing great care on some streets - and full on body-work shops functioning just one street later... Seemed so random then and hard to tell the 'quality' I guess of a neighborhood that way - everyone needs to make a buck - but paint fumes would really distress me I think - as would breathing sand from blasting.

As mentioned I have a new car - only one in the driveway - and not many homes at all to get the address mixed up with - makes you wonder..... but again my only 'real' neighbor self-proclaims title of busy body and had irked people through the years - she says she gets called names etc... kinda sad - she seems so nice and is an original owner.... the other neighbors are fully on different streets where we are 'alley neighbors' and I can't even see in their yard if I wanted to. I have to chat with the lady next door and see if the city knocked on her door - as she has some vehicles on the side of the house - but again I always thought your yard was where you could put your stuff.

So the city has lots and lots of areas that are poorly kept - people working for a living trying to make ends meet - kids - all kinds of stuff - health issues - sometimes you just can't make beating weeds a priority - I don't think I personally would ever call someone out for a car in their driveway --- would you? I don't even know how you'd know it was abandoned unless someone went and looked purposefully for tags/plates etc. I suppose if there was suspicious activity going on at the house and noises that don't make sense and an overgrown yard and 15 million kittens and puppies roaming I might expect neighbors to check things out....a van without plates and such at that kind of a place would need to be investigated...

But I'm still kinda bothered - like the one person posting - 'sounds like your yard - isn't your yard in Phoenix'..... I loved not having an HOA and still do ... I guess until things change and the one neighbor leaves and a new person comes and decides to have nightly garage band practice - out of an inoperable van - with stray kitties I'll just wonder about it all - lol

I tried a weed killer/grass killer product and for some reason - this happened with round up too - the stuff just doesn't do the job - my weeds/grass turn half brown but that's it... this time I used foam... So I bit the bullet and called my yard guy again - will give him another chance - didn't know what else to do - as his stuff actually did kill grass and weeds.... It's not that bad - but I have a pretty large amount of plants in the front yard and grass just loves to snuggle in around them and it's a project I never anticipated... sigh.

So it's still a mystery - nothings been 'bothered' here - everythings status quo .... hope it does't happen again - will let you know if the neighbor says anything about being cited etc.... for her vehicles in her driveway on the other side of her house ;-)

[ReadyFreddy]

I don't think I personally would ever call someone out for a car in their driveway --- would you? I don't even know how you'd know it was abandoned unless someone went and looked purposefully for tags/plates etc.

For a car on blocks or otherwise clearly inoperable for months on end, yes, I would call.

the stuff just doesn't do the job - my weeds/grass turn half brown but that's it

It takes several applications. Eventually it all dies but while you're killing one exposed batch, the next is germinating under the surface and will look green in a week. I noticed my RoundUp bottle says to drench the weed, not just mist it.

Does Phoenix actually use the term "written up" or is that just your term for having received a letter?

[Sinvex]

I've gotten two of these letters before, my yard is fine. I just tossed them in the garbage. As long as theres no obvious violations of city code they'll just drive by and check your house off as fine. 90% of these complaints are just griefing from someone who has a bone to pick with you, and the city realizes this.

There should be some repercussion for filing a complaint with no grounds but there isn't that I know of.

Part that pisses me off the most about stuff like this is that the neighbors who do complain don't have the stones to come talk to you themselves and ask you nicely to take care of whatever it is that so offends them. They just go straight to the city.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Sinvex

I've gotten two of these letters before, my yard is fine. I just tossed them in the garbage. As long as theres no obvious violations of city code they'll just drive by and check your house off as fine. 90% of these complaints are just griefing from someone who has a bone to pick with you, and the city realizes this.

There should be some repercussion for filing a complaint with no grounds but there isn't that I know of.

Part that pisses me off the most about stuff like this is that the neighbors who do complain don't have the stones to come talk to you themselves and ask you nicely to take care of whatever it is that so offends them. They just go straight to the city.

I'd like to offer the likely reason for that. Things being what they are today if you don't know your neighbor (and sometimes if you do) things like this could/do turn violent very fast. Many people are so afraid to have even a basic conversation anymore for fear of setting the other person off or getting shot. Sad we've come to this.
I've always been a proponent of trying to do just what you suggest and the 2 times I've tried to reasonably and respectfully talk with my neighbors (here) have them agreeing with me (to my face) but doing nothing. One even asked me if I had any issue (with his dogs barking all day and night) before I even brought it up and STILL got ticked off when I told the truth, to the point we no longer talk at all and his family now makes rude comments when in their backyard and they know we're in ours.
Now I don't bother wasting my time and aggravation, straight to whomever has the authority to correct the issues, do not pass go,do not collect $200.

[crystalys]

Originally Posted by Sinvex

I've gotten two of these letters before, my yard is fine. I just tossed them in the garbage. As long as theres no obvious violations of city code they'll just drive by and check your house off as fine. 90% of these complaints are just griefing from someone who has a bone to pick with you, and the city realizes this.

There should be some repercussion for filing a complaint with no grounds but there isn't that I know of.

Part that pisses me off the most about stuff like this is that the neighbors who do complain don't have the stones to come talk to you themselves and ask you nicely to take care of whatever it is that so offends them. They just go straight to the city.

Same here, we got a couple of letters about 4 years ago for separate things. One was about our log fence in the front yard being damaged and needing fixing. My husband hit the corner of it with his truck and not even 4 days later before he could fix it that weekend we got a letter from the City of Phoenix. All was good of course when he fixed it 2 days later. The other was for an RV parked in our backyard on dirt which of course is not legal because an RV needs to be parked on a cement slab or a patch of gravel so it doesn't create a dust hazard. Well first of all we don't have an RV gate so we couldn't park it in the backyard even if we tried. We did have it parked on the cement driveway at the front of our house and we have no HOA so a close neighbor obviously didn't like that and reported it. The city inspector came out and told us it was just fine and there was no violation. We asked who reported it and he said he could not tell us that information. Anyway, we weren't too worried about it because we knew it was a notice and the inspector would tell us if there was a violation and we would have time to correct it. Needless to say it has been 4 years since those reports so the neighbor must have given up or moved out.

[JLC58]

My daily driver is a Motorcycle I have a 97 Caddy that sits in the drive that I use when the weather is not good. I also have a Corvette that is in my garage that I use as my good car. If an inspector drives past the Caddy (backed in drive) it may not have been moved in weeks. Giving the impression it is not licensed.
I have never gotten a notice about that car.
In your case it may have been a simple address mistake like N or S and E or W. I do feel that the city should have included a photo of the violation. That may have STOPPED your worry immediately if it showed the wrong house or it was dated 6 mos. ago.

[PoppySead]

Originally Posted by Sinvex

I've gotten two of these letters before, my yard is fine. I just tossed them in the garbage. As long as theres no obvious violations of city code they'll just drive by and check your house off as fine. 90% of these complaints are just griefing from someone who has a bone to pick with you, and the city realizes this.

There should be some repercussion for filing a complaint with no grounds but there isn't that I know of.

Part that pisses me off the most about stuff like this is that the neighbors who do complain don't have the stones to come talk to you themselves and ask you nicely to take care of whatever it is that so offends them. They just go straight to the city.

Ha ha, ya, I've seen people who have the stones to do that and I don't want them to. I'd rather they just pick up the phone.