I had a similar issue with my old Civic hatchback a couple years back. It wasn't exactly a classic, but it was older and I kept it parked neatly in front of my place. Still got tagged as "unused" even though I drove it regularly—just not every day. I suspect cities are cracking down on anything that looks remotely stationary or older, maybe assuming they're abandoned or something. It's frustrating because you'd think they'd have better things to do than hassle responsible car owners who clearly maintain their vehicles.
Honestly, it might be worth checking if there's some obscure city ordinance defining what counts as "unused." Sometimes these rules have weird criteria like tire marks, dust accumulation, or even how long the grass grows around your tires (seriously!). Could be helpful to document your usage somehow—photos or receipts from gas stations—to back yourself up if they keep bothering you. Anyway, good luck with the Mustang...hope they ease up soon.
I get your frustration, but honestly, cities might not be entirely wrong here. I've seen neighborhoods where cars sit untouched for months, and it really does affect the vibe—rusty wheels, weeds growing around tires, etc. Sure, your Civic was clearly maintained, but maybe they're just trying to keep things consistent? Still sucks though...maybe they should focus more on actual abandoned cars rather than hassling responsible owners.
"maybe they should focus more on actual abandoned cars rather than hassling responsible owners."
Yeah, that's the thing. I remember a neighbor who had this old Mustang—beautiful car, but he never drove it. It sat there under a tarp for almost two years. One day, city enforcement came knocking, and he was genuinely shocked they'd consider it abandoned. Makes me wonder...where exactly do you draw the line between "classic project" and "eyesore"? Seems like cities could use a bit more nuance here.
"Makes me wonder...where exactly do you draw the line between 'classic project' and 'eyesore'?"
That's exactly the issue. From what I've seen, most cities define an abandoned vehicle as one that's visibly inoperable or hasn't moved for a certain period—usually around 30-60 days. But honestly, enforcement can be pretty arbitrary. If your neighbor had just moved the Mustang occasionally or kept it visibly maintained (like airing tires or removing debris), he probably wouldn't have had trouble. It's frustrating, but small actions can help avoid unwanted attention from city inspectors.
"enforcement can be pretty arbitrary."
Yeah, that's definitely been my experience too. I've had a '68 Camaro parked in my driveway for months at a time while working on it, but I always keep it clean and rotate the tires occasionally. Never had an issue. Seems inspectors mostly target cars that look neglected or abandoned...so simple upkeep really makes a difference. Still, it's frustrating how subjective these rules can be sometimes.
