On the topic of neighbors

Building on the neighbor swimming pool thread, I've got a neighbor that is up to stuff I don't like:

They converted their garage into a TV repair shop. The garage door was replaced with a facade and a normal frontdoor. There is no sign except for a small one on the door that says "ACME customers enter here" where ACME is the hypothetical name of their business. I see people pull up to drop off and pick up TVs all the time. At first I thought they were smuggling stolen goods.

I'm a total newbie, but I know that this is a residential neighborhood that shouldn't be zoned for any commercial use. My gut tells me that if I complained, I'm sure they would just remove their little sign on the door. I mean who says you can't run a business from your home??

Is there any other ordinance they might be violating? Converting the garage door?

This wouldn't bug me at all if it weren't for the fact that, since their garage has been converted, they park 3 cars on the street right in front of my house.

Reply to
Mike
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Aaaah, the pleasure of neighbors! This is why I moved to a place where I have NO neighbors.. Well, I DO have neighbors, but I can't see them and I can't hear them. Or their dogs..lol ...

First see if its zoned as such. If it is, there isn't a whole heck of a lot you can do. If its not allowed, then file an anonymous complaint and if nothing is done, just keep calling the cops or whomever.

Could be anything really, hard to say. Depends on your town ordinances I guess.

Well, more than likely, and this is just a guess, is that its a free street. They can park wherever they damn well please unfortunately. Neighbors suck sometimes..lol

Reply to
Christopher

Take pictures, if you can without being seen. Check out the local code where you live - it is likely on the internet. Our city has very specific codes about fences, signs, and home business. Are there deed restrictions in your subdivion/neighborhood? Do not harass, remove signs or trespass. If no restrictions exist, then move or bit the bullet and "ignore" the problem. Or, get with your city council and get the code changed. Or plant a hedge so's you can't see the neighbor. Bad neighbors can be hell, and disagreeing with them can make it worse.

Reply to
NorMinn

Same issues. First check your local codes and deed restrictions. Some areas allow home businesses others do not.

Second think really hard before you say or do anything about it. Once done, you can't take it back. You decide what it is worth.

I might also suggest asking other neighbors about it, if you are thinking about actually doing something. You could find yourself either the hero or villain of the neighborhood.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Wow, I've got mixed feelings about this one. First off, I work out of my house myself. The difference is that my business is quiet, doesn't generate traffic, and operates within all the rules for a home based business. Your neighbors business, on the other hand, is probably not operating within the rules and so forth setup by the city.

Try talking with the neighbors about their cars first, if that is all that bothers you. Talk with your other neighbors, too, and see what they think of the situation. If you turn these people in to the city -- which you can do -- the city will shut down there business and your neighbor will be out of work.

In the end, the fact is (probably) that your neighbor is not in compliance with local zoning laws and he probably knows that. Opening up a 'legal' shop really doesn't cost all that much money, probably just a few hundred bucks a month. Talk to the guy about the cars and about the possibility of his moving on. If you can't work it out man-to-man, you can always go to the city as a last resort.

Mike

Reply to
Mike Turco

Those TVs are full of drugs, its the newest thing. Tv smuggling.

Reply to
m Ransley

get a camcorder and still photo's of the illegal operation. Tell them to pay you 10 percent of the gross income or you will call the fbi

Reply to
George Macomber

Do you have a curb, or does the grass simply meets the street? If parking is legal, there's not a thing you can do about that part of the issue. If, like my old neighbors, they're parking cars with one wheel on your lawn, you have something to complain about.

Reply to
Doug Kanter

Maybe you didn't notice, but April Fool's Day was *yesterday*.

Just in case you were serious... (1) the FBI doesn't enforce zoning ordinances, and (2) you have just advised the original poster to commit a felony called extortion. The local police will be much more interested in that, than in the potential zoning violation.

Reply to
Doug Miller

Who the heck gets TV's repaired nowadays? They cost less brand new than the labor required to diagnosis the problem.

Reply to
HA HA Budys Here

complain to the zoning division of your city or county.. and see what they can do.. bet it is not zoned commercial, or semi-commercial.... and they will handle it from there. you dont have to give your name... also tell them about the garage being coverted... bet they did not get a permit.. just about anyplace now needs a permit... if they have a garage then the permit for the house when it was built was that there was x number of off street parking.. now they dont have it... something also to look into....

Reply to
jim

Good questions. But we don't know your jurisdiction and we don't know the ordinances that affect you. Fortunately, your town or city or county does. Ask them these questions.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Cochran

That's the key to the whole problem. You don't like the 'stuff' he does...and you probably don't even like HIM. If he was your best friend, you'd probably be HELPING him every day.

I would STILL think that!! lol Nobody has TV's repaired any more! Are the TV's large enough for someone to hide inside? Does 2 people carry it in...and only one person leaves? lol

HOW do you know that? Find out for sure.

Complained to whom?

The local zoning commission is the entity who says whether you can or can't. And they post their findings in the form of local ordinances...that can be reviewed at your city or county offices.

And how do you know that they're not licensed to do what their doing?

Do they have any employees? Discrimination, maybe. Are they serving any food? Health issues, maybe. Are they reciting the Pledge of Allegiance each day? Do they include God? This could be a violation soon!

You want more hypothetical violations? lol

No matter what happens to their business, its unlikely that they'd go thru the motions to convert that area back to a garage. So making a problem for them probably won't solve YOUR problem.

Why not just walk over some day with a 12-pack and a bag of pretzels. You could make a new, good friend...and maybe get all your electronic things fixed for free in the future as a bonus.

When there, ask him really nice if he could leave a spot in front of your house for your car. As him when the 12-pack is gone!! lol

Good luck...and lighten up!

Have a nice week...

Trent

What do you call a smart blonde? A golden retriever.

Reply to
Trent©

Reply to
scullycat

at least 6 inches from the curb--there is nothing anybody can do about it!

Reply to
Kdbcarwile

Reply to
scullycat

jim wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@noname.com:

They also may be operating without paying the proper business license fees or even not paying taxes on the business income,or collecting/PAYING sales taxes.

Reply to
Jim Yanik

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