Had a similar experience myself, but mine was about an old camper van I was slowly restoring. Totally agree with you about the vague wording—it's almost like they intentionally leave it open-ended to give themselves wiggle room. When I called city hall, they couldn't even give me a straight answer about what "properly stored" meant. One person said it just needed to be covered, another said it had to be behind a fence or hedge. Seriously, how hard is it to have a clear definition?
If you're dealing with this right now, here's what helped me:
First, I asked for the exact ordinance number and looked it up online myself. Sometimes the city clerk or whoever answers the phone doesn't really know the details, and reading the actual text can clear things up (at least a little). Second, I took pictures of my setup—camper covered, tires inflated, no visible rust or junk around it—and emailed them to the city inspector. Basically, I documented everything so if they came back later saying I wasn't compliant, I'd have proof that I'd tried to follow their vague rules.
Funny thing is, after all that hassle, I found out from a neighbor that the whole complaint started because someone down the street didn't like seeing my "old junker" when they drove by. Never mind that it was clean and covered... some people just don't appreciate a good project vehicle.
Anyway, you're spot-on about local politics and influential complainers. It's probably not some big conspiracy, just typical small-town drama. But still, you'd think they'd realize how much easier it'd be for everyone—city included—if they just spelled things out clearly from the start.
Good luck with the Mustang restoration. Those cars are classics for a reason... definitely worth fighting through some red tape to keep one around.
I get the frustration, but honestly, I think cities sometimes leave these rules vague on purpose because every situation's a bit different. Like, your camper sounds tidy and well-kept, but I've seen plenty of "project cars" that sit untouched for years, turning into rust buckets. Maybe they're just trying to avoid having to spell out every possible scenario? Still annoying though... especially when neighbors weaponize the rules just because they don't like your taste in vehicles.
"Maybe they're just trying to avoid having to spell out every possible scenario?"
Yeah, that's probably part of it. Reminds me of a client who had his pristine '68 Mustang flagged because it was under a tarp for a week. Sometimes vague rules just create more headaches than they solve...
Had a similar experience with my old Volvo wagon—city flagged it for being "abandoned" just because we were on vacation for two weeks. Guess next time I'll leave a note: "Not abandoned, just neglected temporarily..."
"Had a similar experience with my old Volvo wagon—city flagged it for being 'abandoned' just because we were on vacation for two weeks."
Honestly, I get the frustration, but from the city's perspective, two weeks parked in one spot without moving is pretty long. I've done plenty of road trips and left my car behind for extended periods, but I usually try to park it off-street or at least have a friend swing by to move it every few days. Cities have limited street parking, and they're probably just trying to keep things fair for everyone.
A while back, I had an old camper van parked curbside while prepping for a trip. It sat there maybe five days tops before neighbors started giving me side-eye...lol. After that, I learned it's easier to find a driveway or storage lot if you're gonna be gone more than a week. Sure, it can be inconvenient, but it beats coming home to a bright orange sticker plastered on your windshield.
Maybe instead of leaving a note (which might get ignored anyway), consider asking a neighbor or friend to move it occasionally? Could save you some hassle down the line.
