Just a quick note to let you know municipalities in Maine are doing everything in their power (and beyond) to kill our hobby. While the Maine legislature did pas a bill which says the following:
A. "Automobile graveyard" does not include:
(2) An area used by an automobile hobbyist to store, organize, restore or display antique autos, antique motorcycles, classic vehicles, horseless carriages, reconstructed vehicles, street rods or parts of these vehicles as these vehicles are defined in Title 29-A, section 101 as long as the hobbyist's activities comply with all applicable federal and state statutes and rules and municipal ordinances, other than ordinances that are more restrictive than this subsection regarding the storage of vehicles or vehicle parts that are collected by a hobbyist, except that a municipal ordinance may require areas used by an automobile hobbyist to comply with the screening requirements in section 3754-A, subsection 1, paragraph A and the standards in section 3754-A, subsection 5, paragraph A, paragraph B, subparagraph (1) and paragraph C. For the purposes of this subparagraph, an automobile hobbyist is a person who is not primarily engaged in the business of selling any of those vehicles or parts from those vehicles;

Title 29-A: MOTOR VEHICLES HEADING: PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (new); Pt. B, §5 (aff)
Chapter 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS HEADING: PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (new); Pt. B, §5 (aff)
§101. Definitions
As used in this Title, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. [1993
3. Antique auto. "Antique auto" means an automobile or truck manufactured in or after model year 1916 that is:
A. More than 25 years old; [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
B. Equipped with an engine manufactured either at the same time as the vehicle or to the specifications of the original engine; [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]
C. Substantially maintained in original or restored condition primarily for use in exhibitions, club activities, parades or other functions of public interest; [1997, c. 653, §2 (AMD).]
D. Not used as its owner's primary mode of transportation of passengers or goods; [2005, c. 314, §1 (AMD).]
E. Not a reconstructed vehicle; and [2005, c. 314, §2 (AMD).]
F. Not an altered vehicle. [2005, c. 314, §3 (NEW).]

Towns are saying that if a vehicle is not fully restored it does not meet thaT EXCEPTION EVEN THOUGH THE STATUTE CLEARLY STATES THE VEHICLES CAN BE KEPT FOR RESTORATION.

I had the job of defending in York County District Court a lawsuit from the town Of Old orchard Beach, Maine to physically remove my antique trucks under restoration from my property despite the fact they were properly shielded from the highway. If it happen to me it can happen to you. I'm not sure what the answer is to force judges to enforce statutes as they are written instead of favoring blindly with the miunicipalities. Just one more hard fought for right we havwe being caliously taken away. Did I mentioon the fact I had to pay the town's legal expenses on top of this BS?

 

Sounds more like MA instead of ME.

 

Time for the Maine folks to vote and write letters to the editor of their local papers.

Rules like that are why I abandoned New Jersey and moved to the land of NASCAR, rednecks, and real Americans.

 

in london i can't even do my brakes in my driveway. had the neighbour call the city last time i was working and they sent someone out. he gave me 1 hour to finish before he called the tow truck.

 

Oh, those crazy Canadians!! What do you expect from a socialist country?? Ready to move? Monckywrench or I would be happy to have you as a neighbor!

 

i would like to. i'm going to start calling the carpenters union around the states and see. my wifes parents are from the us so she would be able to get in easy. snow is something that you should go to see, not have it come to you.lol

 

are you allowed to work on your vehicles on your property at all? Or is it just that you cant don it in the open? Either way I hate it for you man.

 

WOW!

I will keep this simple so I can keep my cool. What a bunch of crap. When will it stop with people coming up with stupid rules like that.

I live in Oregon and it is not that bad here yet, but I am with the post on moving to where NASCAR and rednecks rule. Do not forget the ice cold beer!

Jeff

 

Maine in the last few years has really become "progressive" in an attempt to get away from being the backwards state of New England. Progressive is a bad thing, especially when mandated by government. The worst of it really started under Angus King, who wanted to mold the state into the old "Vacationland" posters, memories of earlier days, and a wilderness wonderland. I was just leaving the state when this was going on, and while I did want to move back around 2000-2001, I'm kinda glad I didn't now. It's getting worse to live there than upstate NY or MA. Might as well move to VT.

 

we can't do anything unless it's in a garage. i have a single car garage that i have a computer chair to smoke on in the winter. and if i stand on it i can reach the freezer.lol
way to much left over material, parts and kids toys. that's what happens when you have a woman mayor. and my neighbour is an a**. he is always looking through the fence to see what's going on, and if they hear anything like kids playing they call the cops. i was nice and spread about 10 packs of carrot seeds on his lawn the other night, can't wait for them to grow and attract the skunks and groundhogs.

 

I would go to your local town or city counsel and offer the fact that this sort of "rulemaking" is for HOA's to do...not the government.....try to through a wrench into their plan.....as HOA's require set-up, rules, boards, agreements and cash from homeowners to support.....plus, you end up with a "presidnet" of the HOA who can grant exemptions from said rules.

That's generally the way they do it out here in Colorado....there are some neighborhoods where you are not allowed to park your cars on the street *or* IN THE DRIVEWAY!!! They often require that vehicles be kept in the garage if they are parked at the property at all.....

 

next time your neighbour wants to see whats going on call the cops on him.tell them you have a peeping tom have his **** takin to jail he mite get the message.its funny buy YOUR home pay for it and some jerk still tells you what you can an can not do on it.

 

I had a neighbor like that, and he was a cop too. Glad he moved.

 

One of my neighbors pointed my truck out to the patrolling deputy because it mostly sits in my driveway or in front of my house (it does move). He came over and ran the plate, looked in it, and drove off. Probably the same jackhole who complained to the HOA and said I had a habit of dumping my grass clippings in the community park(?)...they better hope I don't figure out 100% who this person is.

 

wow, it sounds like a lot of you have it rough. i'm glad i live out in the country, where, there aren't any city ordnances or anything, we can do whatever we please for the most part. the only time anybody complains is when my jerk of an uncle, who lives down the road aways. complains about me shooting my rifles, or when i start shooting bottle rockets. i can work on my truck all day long. I wish the rest of you could too.