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?

 

you know I went to war to fight for this USA and I lost the right to have a old truck to fix up and drive .. that sad...

 

While I agree this stinks, the only thing they said was keepin it outside.

Sam

 

I, myself, am a Vietnam vet and when the Maine legislature gives us poor Mainer's who don't have adequate garage space the opportunity to have our antique trucks outside screened off from view and the town and the district court judge refuses to recoginize the law and force me to pay their legal fees and have to remove my trucks from the property (I did offer to put them in a temporary grage and the town refused that), I have a major problem with that.

 

So who initiated this action against you? Did a neighbor complain? Or do the cops drive around looking for junker cars in yards? Do you have any pictures of what they were complaining about (i.e., your truck parked in the yard, behind the screen)? While I sympathize with you, some of my car-guy buddies do things at their houses that I would turn them in for, if I lived near them!

 

It happens quite often on residential property here in my county, commecial property doesn't seem to be an issue...odd to me, but such is life I guess.

My neighbor has 5 acres full of old cars/trucks/busses/etc, and the county gave him a "remove order" or they'd remove it themselves and charge him for the cleanup.

ANother guy I know had built up a forklift repair on his property..his placed looked pretty organized too as you driove by...all the dead tractors/lifts/etc were neatly lined up. County gave him the same order...so he would up junking most of his stuff..basically getting pennies on the dollar for value.

 

Exactly. There is a guy who owns a long narrow strip of land along a nicely landscaped boulevard here, with a "welding business" on one end. From the shop to the other end of his busiuness there are old steam shovels, cars, trucks, 30 yr old scrap metal and lumber, plus just plain junk, that he never touches. It's a total eyesore, but apparently within his land use permit.

 

I can see points to both sides on this issue. I'm surprised though that they are doing this in Maine? It's usually California that has all the ridiculous laws. The laws we do vote on that make sense are usually overturned by the 9th Circuit Court (San Francisco). But I won't get political here.... I'm a little concerned about what is going to happen to all these Classic and Antique vehicles. We may have to replace our whole drivetrain with something that runs other than gasoline. Or get rid of them?

 

It seems like there is always that one person who feels that an entire neighborhood should live in or with a junkyard just because the owner doesn't care if he lives like that.

I agree there is a certain amount of freedom in what we should be able to exercize, butwe live in a society of people - a group, and the rest of the people in the group have the right and freedom to live their own life with certain standards and not have those compromised by those who "put upon" others.

This seems like a VERY SUBJECTIVE issue. One mans treasure is another mans junk yard. A simple restoration in a garage or in the back yard is one thing, but having to deal with the problems of the vehicle being restored, and the three carcasas being pulled off of - for three or four years is an entirely different matter, and the laws should be written to deal with each case individually, not in general.

Multiple carcass collections are not just unsightly, but carry a high potential for rodent populations and the disease problems that incurres. They are not just a source of pollution, they are a fire hazard, they are potentially dangerous for young children. Not to mention the degredation to neighborhood property values....Should I gracefully accept having thousands of dollars taken out of my pocket at home sale time because Joe down the road want's to have his junk trucks out on the front lawn...I don't think so.

I see no reason why a person with a large lot, that is shielded from the view of those who do not care to view the dump, can not have their cesspool to waller in as long as they keep it and it's outfall to themselves.

There should be provisions and processes in place to deal with people who create these problems and inflict them on others for the reasons I mentioned above. It works in both directions. And those who seek the protection of those regulations have the right to petition the Government to enact them.

Unfortunately, it always seems those processes and procedures deal in the extreme. If this is going on in a neighborhood it seem more fair that one of the first steps should be to gain a consensus from a majority about it being a problem. Get a petition and present a complaint to the offender explaining why it's a problem for the community and what the mutual expectations are to resolve the problem. That prevents the one old control freak-that "Home Owners Association Minded" person from coming from the other extreme.

If after petitioning is complete, and the offender is given the opportunity to work with others and come to a non litigted compromise, he refuses, then court action can be taken.

I see points to both sides of the story - but not just that this is "The Governemt taking my rights away." Pardon me! But there is no Constitutional Amendment that guarantees you your right to live like a pig and inflict it on others. There is just as much justification in an argument of saying "Others have the right not to have to put up with ones Crap if it's affecting them negatively" as well.

I support this type of Law.

J!

 

Really, the first step for anyone who has a problem with anything their neighbor is doing, would be to talk to that neighbor in a calm and peaceful discussion -- but that is getting more and more uncommon. People have heard too many stories about gunfights erupting out of such discussions! In a lot of situations people live next to someone for years without ever talking to them at all. It's a sad state. And who among us really takes the time to participate in local government, to assure that reasonable laws get passed? yeah, me too.

 

Well put J. It appears you have difficulty with neighbors who may not measure up to your standards. I believe we have all been there once, and it's difficult. I used to live in the "home owner's association" type homes and hated it. I had to ask for permission to plant a tree, when to take out my trash and bring it in, what time of year I could paint my house. In that type of community, you won't have the junk yard man. I now live in a community without the association and love it. Most of the neighbors are good and clean, but you have a few that leave shopping carts and the like in their front yards, not to mentions vehicles that have been in accidents, etc. It's very difficult to petition someone in this type of community. This is our homes and we can live in them as we choose. I don't like trash and clutter, not to mention a wrecking yard within my yard. It's the owners choice, he can clean it up when asked to do so, or not. This is one of the main reasons people move to another location if they are unhappy. I for one, don't want people or the government dicatating what I can do in my yard. I own it, I pay for it, therefore, I do as I please with it. Tough subject!

 

I think all us Hobbiests should go interfere with our Government.

That would be about half way between standing around peeing in each others shoes and shooting the neighbors we didn't see eye-to-eye with.

 

Atta Boy Dick.

 

look at the junk yard the Gov. has moth ball all the ships and planes and you can not have 1 truck are car in your yard..

 

Your wrong, it's not the owners choice, and you can't do whatever you want in your yard no matter how much you pay for it. Like someone said, rough spots can be ironed our with open communication.

There is no reason in the world that anyone should feel they have to move out of their home simply because someone else has a self serving and self centered attitude, which impedes on other peoples ability for a decent and cleanlife. I don't feel I should move out of a house I was raised in because my neighbor has a junk yard that creates problems in my yard that I have to deal with.

So please allow me to educate you a little:

You CAN'T do as you please in your own yard or your own drive way if you want. You can't stand there with no clothes on; you can't stand there and speak obsceneties when the school children walk by to go to school; you can't make loud noise until all hours of the night; and you can't stand there and shoot into the sky or set your truck on fire. And there is a reason: because you do not have the right to inflict yourself on other people morally or legally whether you are in your own yard or not. Fact of life - sorry!

And that is what this discussion is about: why governments of the people pass laws to protect those people from those very few who would inflict themselves on others. Sometimes that works in reverse but not normally.

Sorry if that sounds like authorities trying to maintain good social order and societal discipline; and you have a problem with good order, discipline and authority, coupled with the gross misconception that you can do whatever pleases you.

Regarding your absolute right to do this or that, you do not have any absolute rights (think I'm wrong, try to excersize your right to bare arms in an airport or a court house sometime. Or tell a judge he can go screw himself because you have the right to free speech - doesn't work that way - sorry for the reality pill).

Shoot, 50 years ago they just took people like that out and beat the hay out of them - ah those were the good ol' day eh? But today it would be kind of tough for a 52 year old single woman like me to do that with a 30 year old man with his middle finger frozen in the salute position. So when it rains and all the oil and gas and rust an crud in my his junk yard floats down over my patio and kills my lawn, in the house I was raised in, it's time to get help from the authorities. That's the other side.

There's a balance in these issues to strive for and most of these types of laws come about because of those of you who declare the right to do whatever they want - "I'm gonna do what I want and if you don't like it "screw you" type of thing. And it usually only gains "screw you" right back. Maybe if we all had a more responsible attitude toward living together in this society and had a little more respect for others, these types of laws wouldn't be necessary.

Do unto others.....?????!!!!!??

Julie