Airstreams not good enough for NY snobs

[Forrest]

Follow this link and decide for yourself... Asharoken Residents Request Trailer Ordinance Review - Northport, NY Patch

[Melody Ranch]

When is the election?

[DKB_SATX]

I'd be fine with the regulation if it didn't allow boats, work trailers, etc. while disallowing travel trailers. If it's an aesthetic issue, outlaw them all. If it's a concern about someone LIVING in a trailer in their precious village, pass a regulation that states that.

[mutcth]

My favorite quote from the article:

Mayor Irving said that public safety is an issue, as well, particularly during storms.

Them there Airstreams might get picked up and blown away!!! Got to think of the children! (And teach them that boats are OK lawn ornaments, not campers...)

Tom

[safari62]

"not to be associated with shabby surroundings"

You have to love the NY Times!

[airstream66]

My town did something similar a few months ago. The new law stated no recreational trailers/recreational vehicles could be parked along a street for more than 24 hours. I know they were aiming that law at me as I park my AS out front of my house when I am getting ready for trips and working on it(which is most of the summer). Now all the RV's in town are parked in everyones yards. Everyones junk cars are still parked on the streets.

Our quality of life is much better now/ sarc off.

[azflycaster]

The trailer owner should put pontoons on it and register it as a boat.

[withidl]

I have battled "The Lakewood Forest Fund" for years. Following are two pieces of my correspondence concerning my Airstream which are the "meat" of the matter:

From: withidl
Sent:Thursday, September 25, 20035:37 PM
To:'lwffund@getus.com'
Subject:FURTHER REPLY - Account #0912025 - Trailers stored in
Backyard; ACC (Architectural Control Committee) approval is necessary


This e-mail is in response to your subject letter dated September 24, 2003 wherein you state: "The ACC has disapproved your request due to the height of your large trailer".

You letter completely ignores whether the travel trailer is "OBSCURED FROM GENERAL VIEW" and peripherally invokes "HEIGHT" as a declination rationale. Additionally, your letter completely ignores approval of my utility trailer which is completely "OBSCURED FROM GENERAL VIEW".

I require the ACC's PRECISE "LEGAL" definition of "GENERAL VIEW" contained within item #7 of my deed restrictions (the dictionary defines "GENERAL" in part as: "of, for, or from the whole or all; not particular or specialized, not precise; vague; without specific details).

Item #7 makes no reference to the "HEIGHT" of a travel trailer (they, and all motor homes are by definition "HIGH"), but DOES state that (a HIGH) one CAN be parked on a lot if "OBSCURED FROM GENERAL VIEW”, which again, REQUIRES the ACC's PRECISE "LEGAL" definition of "GENERAL VIEW".

I require the ACC's definition of "SCREENING" or "FENCING" as used within item #7 of the deed restrictions. Please SPECIFICALLY state what screening the item #7 deed restrictions require to make a HIGH travel trailer be "OBSCURED FROM GENERAL VIEW".

I require from the ACC the percentage, square footage, etc. of a travel trailer which can be IN "GENERAL VIEW", as being "OBSCURED FROM GENERAL VIEW" implies that some of the trailer can be IN "GENERAL VIEW", or is there something I (or the Fund) doesn't understand about "General View". If the travel trailer must be completely/entirely obscured from view, than item #7 should read OBSCURED FROM "ENTIRE" OR "SPECIFIC" VIEW, not "GENERAL VIEW"!

As I stated in my first letter to you, I have stored the travel trailer in it's present position for the last 2 1/4 years without the Fund becoming aware of it. If it had been WITHIN "GENERAL VIEW" I would surely think the Fund would have noticed it long, long, long ago; or are the Funds "drive through inspection(s) of section 9" only conducted every 2 1/4 years?

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT - I require the Fund's LEGAL clarification of the above because the Lakewood Forest Fund has in the past attempted to intimidate me into replacing my roof by MIS-using the "NUISANCES" clause of the deed restrictions to ILLEGALLY address perceived maintenance matters. You'll find in your files much communication on the matter. I sat in on your board's meeting of April 3, 2001, because of the roof matter, and heard your Treasurer, Kenneth A. Harlan, state that: "The Lakewood Forest Fund had no legal leverage to correct another home owners complaint about a neighbors cesspool, furniture piled in the back yard, dead vines growing on the outside of the home, etc.". He further stated that "in the matters taken to court the judge ruled against the Fund due to the deed restrictions not addressing maintenance matters". EVEN THOUGH THE COURTS HAD RULED AGAINST THE FUND, THE FUND WAS STILL TRYING TO INTIMIDATE ME INTO REPLACING MY ROOF BASIS THE NUISANCES CLAUSE. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!! In a subsequent phone call to me from Michael Gainer, your fund lawyer, on April 4, 2001, he tried to persuade, cajole, etc. me into chemically treating my roof to make it more presentable. I told him not to send me any more threatening letters, just send me a court date. That ended the matter (the roof has since been replaced at a cost of $17,000 basis an insurance claim for hail damage, not basis the Fund's intimidation).

I perceive that the above declination of approval basis "height" is just more of the same tactic as used with my roof. My deed restrictions specifically state that I CAN HAVE A HOUSE TRAILER ON MY LOT IF OBSCURED FROM GENERAL VIEW, "HEIGHT" is not a part of that equation! LET ME REPEAT, "HEIGHT" IS NOT A PART OF THAT EQUATION!

NOW HOW DO WE GET THERE FROM HERE without getting in a legal hassle, which I am more than prepared to do???

VERY SINCERELY
withidl


February 4, 2004
Mr. withidl
Houston, TX
Re: ACC visit to your property, January 23, 2004.

Dear Mr. withidl
:
The ACC report of the referenced visit was presented to the Fund's Board of Trustees at our regular monthly meeting of February 2, 2004.

The consensus of the Board was that your parking place of the trailer shown to the ACC during this visit—in the back yard, backed into the space between two wings of the house—meets the requirement of the Section 9 Deed Restriction by obscuring the trailer from general view. In the interests of neighborhood harmony, we also request that you plant some shrubbery inside your side fence in the vicinity of the play structure. This will serve to preclude any future complaints.

As we have asked other trailer owners in your section, please note the limitation on parking of these vehicles in any street or drive way specified in paragraph 7 of your Section 9 Deed Restriction.

Thank you for your cooperation in resolving this matter.

Sincerely,

President

Lakewood Forest Fund, Inc.

[EvelynDickinson]

Things like this kick my general contempt for civilization into overdrive. Could you imagine something like this going on in Texas in the 1900's? Lol, someone would have shot those fools.

In any event way to hang in there.

[NJtoNC]

i wish these people who are fighting the trailer would use their energy to accomplish the more serious issues that need to be addressed in most other neighborhoods, like reducing crime ,etc.

the fact that they have nothing better to do with themselves, and that they can afford to and do waste their time on this sh*t, makes me embarrassed for them.

Tutor a child, become a mentor, volunteer at a shelter, do something PRODUCTIVE.
Get a life before you die of the stress of fighting with your neighbor.

::

[moosetags]

Stupid is as stupid does. Let's re-elect these people.

Brian

[DaCosta]

i live in queens nyc, i dont think anyone has ever seen an airstream in there life , i live i a co-op and the streets are busy very busy my airstream has been in the same localtion for 4 months now i drive around the block eveny monday for the street sweepers to clean. some drive by and point many ask to look inside and dream and wish thay had. many call the police and 311 to try to have it removed. even the local gangs seem to admire it and never tag it up. most are supprised that the city laws alow it to remain on my street. i love it i can exscape to my pod and feel like im lost in the woods away from everything. i hope nyc never changes the laws.

[withidl]

Originally Posted by DaveAbad

Things like this kick my general contempt for civilization into overdrive. Could you imagine something like this going on in Texas in the 1900's? Lol, someone would have shot those fools.

In any event way to hang in there.

Thanks! To quote Shakespear (don't know what play) "I don't suffer fools kindly"

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by withidl

Thanks! To quote Shakespear (don't know what play) "I don't suffer fools kindly"

Actually that's paraphrased from the bible. 2 Corinthians ch 11 v 19 "For you suffer fools gladly, seeing yourself as wise." So you're quoting the apostle Paul, not the bard.

[withidl]

Originally Posted by DKB_SATX

Actually that's paraphrased from the bible. 2 Corinthians ch 11 v 19 "For you suffer fools gladly, seeing yourself as wise." So you're quoting the apostle Paul, not the bard.

I'll defer to your expertise, just a basic pagan here .

[DKB_SATX]

Originally Posted by withidl

I'll defer to your expertise, just a basic pagan here .

Hehe... I don't have any significant expertise in that area, just a Southern Baptist granny and a good memory. It sounded like something Granny would say in a biblical context, so it was easy to find the details when I looked it up in that context.

[Mexray]

I'm reminded of some insightful quotes from Ronald Reagan:

"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives."

"Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them."

"Man is not free unless government is limited."

...an lastly, one of my favorites....

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

Ray

[barts]

Originally Posted by Mexray

I'm reminded of some insightful quotes from Ronald Reagan:

"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives."

"Governments tend not to solve problems, only to rearrange them."

"Man is not free unless government is limited."

...an lastly, one of my favorites....

"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

Ray

oblig. aside:

Of course, Reagan was fond of seeing government as some sort of external entity, rather than our collective selves. Every time we blame government, we blame ourselves.

- Bart

[Kathleenh]

Okay, I'll play Devil's Advocate, just for fun.
People in the northeast and especially places outside of NYC don't do the RV thing as much as people in other parts of the country. Trailers and RVs are looked down upon, as you may have surmised from the article. Any neighborhood, anywhere in that area, which ignores their presence in someone's yard risks devaluing their property.

When I lived there, I understood it. One town doesn't want to be known as the place where you can park your trailer anywhere you want.

Then we moved out west and people had them everywhere. Here in OR, all you need is space in your yard and no one worries about it. And you know what? I think that's great. So what if someone has a trailer? As long as it is parked appropriately and not blocking the road, it is not a problem. I haven't seen any dilapidated old wrecks anywhere either. People tend to value their trailers and treat them accordingly.

But.

Residents in areas where RV'ing isn't quite so common don't understand. Asharoken is quite the hoity-toity place so the reaction to this doesn't surprise me. Once people's minds are changed in general then these attitudes won't be so prevalent. It will be a long, long time before that happens, though, so we'll see more of this.

[Minno]

Move to the Twin Cities, and you'll see the whole gambit from one extreme to the other. Some suburbs do not allow any trailers to be parked in your yard or driveway. This includes utility trailers, rvs, boat trailers, snowmobile trailers, etc. Others, like where we live, pretty much allows any type of trailer to be parked in your yard or driveway. The only requirement is that it be licensed and have current tabs, so we maintain Little Girls tabs even though she won't be road worthy for a few more years. Heck, we can even have visitors staying in an RV in our yard for up to 14 days at a time. Just can't connect one up to the city sewer system, or dump gray water on the ground.

Chris