argh, things aren't going badly enough

**Missy** · 06-02-2006, 07:08 PM

at least that's what it seems. So lets add another problem onto our household!!

code enforcement was here...

we have 10 days to get stuff done (old cars plated, back yard cleaned up, etc) before we get a huge (100 per day) fine that it sin't done and they see it.

**baxjul** · 06-02-2006, 07:19 PM

I hope things start going better for you!

**MOMMYDEAREST** · 06-02-2006, 07:21 PM

someone must of turned you in..........good luck with all your issues!!!

**Dixie** · 06-02-2006, 08:10 PM

JMHO, but, that seems unconstitutional.

**lilk** · 06-02-2006, 08:33 PM

I hope you get things worked out.

**Mom23boys** · 06-03-2006, 12:11 AM

Hang in there Missy. Things are going to get better.

**miss_thrifty** · 06-03-2006, 08:43 AM

((HHHUUUGGGSSS))) hope everything works out for you missy!!!

**Missy** · 06-03-2006, 10:07 AM

I was still up at midnight stewing about this. So i wrote a letter to the editor. We'll see if it gets published.

**DorothyBeverly** · 06-03-2006, 10:21 AM

Hopefully you will be able to get things done in time. The city I live in also has these codes, but I am glad they enforce them, it keeps the neighborhoods looking nice and clean. Good luck.

**Dixie** · 06-03-2006, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Missy

I was still up at midnight stewing about this. So i wrote a letter to the editor. We'll see if it gets published.

If you don't mind sharing it, I would like to read your letter.

**AmyMCGS** · 06-03-2006, 11:41 AM

Good luck! Hope you can get things done to meet with their approval. What a pain that must be.

**Darlene** · 06-03-2006, 12:06 PM

Sorry Missy, how many cars do you have unplated?

**KKCondrey** · 06-03-2006, 12:08 PM

**dolphin** · 06-04-2006, 11:28 AM

Sorry you have so much going on Missy. You sure didn't need another problem.

**Missy** · 06-04-2006, 07:41 PM

Darlene, there is one car out there that is unplated. It's a 1949 Willies Jeep. All origional parts. We do work on it. In fact we got the motor to turn over just about two weeks ago. None of the brakes are in place, seats are removed, body work is being done...etc, it literally can't go anywhere.
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Dixie, Letter to the Editor follows.

I am a good, honest, homemaker and mother to three great children. My husband works 12-14 hours a day six days a week. We give our time helping out at a food pantry to help those who need, and as a scout leader as well. We are tax payers and homeowners as well. We are the working poor, however we are hard working and wouldn't change a thing.

Recently I received a yellow notice in our mailbox from the local Code Enforcement office. I have my husbands project cars in our back yard. Tinkering with them is his only vice. They are not operable...yet. They do not block in any way anyone's access to our yard, nor do they impede any view for anyone other than the view into our home. People have dumped old Christmas trees (and other trash) in the easement between our yard and the neighboring yard. In addition to the cars and trees, we can thank the recent rains for providing feul to the fast growing weeds in our yard. We have just about ten days to clean this up and get it into the ideal shape as will be determined by someone who knows nothing about us or our situation. We will do what we can with what limited resourses we have.

And yet so much about this seems unfair. This is our private property. We pay for it in our mortgage. It's ours. We are not having chicken or dog fights in our back yard. We are not growing crops of narcotics. We don't have loud wild parties back there. We don't chain up mean nasty dogs back there to snarl at all who happen by the yard. Not for nothing, less than a block away sits an abandoned resturaunt. It has been spray painted with every symbol imaginable, people have taken up residency in the garden shed of the establishment, windows are often broken out. Indeed, some have been boarded over. And then spray painted again. I am not out to point fingers, but it seems that would be a higher priority than our project cars and some weeds.

It just seems to me that as long as I am not hurting anyone, and keeping my property on my property could I not be allowed to work on my yard as i have the monetary means to do so? Homeownership is the American dream. How is it then that my piece of the American dream is only ok if it fits in with someone else's impression of how that dream should look?

Maybe I am just rambling, and please, don't get me wrong. We'll do what we can as soon as we can to do what we are supposed to do. But it just doesn't seem right that our property is ours to do with as we like, as long as other people say it's ok.
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That's what i wrote. And tomorrow I am going to call the code enforcement place and remind them about the abandoned car left here that they haven't done any thing about. And i will discuss another matter as well. For the last seven months our neighbor has been working on his retaining wall. We have had to pull all of our stuff away from that part of the yard to allow him access to his wall. If they are going to allow him all the time in the world to putter around with his fence blocking our access to our own yard, then they need to be more flexible with us, who need that space in order to right our own property in our yard.

Can ya tell this irks me a bit??