Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 11-01-2014, 02:18 AM   #1
2 Rivet Member
 
Bellevue , Washington
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 45
Bambi 16' on driveway issue

Today got a hoa board member knock the door. Saying some neighbor complain I parked my 16' Airstream on my driveway for nearly 1 month.

As I know, the city has no rule to prevent residents park RV on their own driveway. City only doesn't allow RV for street parking more than 72 hours.

My house has 3 car garage driveway, and the driveway's around 35' deep, way big for a cute Bambi. The coming guy even can't give a reason why the Bambi do harmful to the neighborhood. He just kept saying it should go into storage somewhere.

I think it's ridicules, I actually am using the trailer in this season every week. And I plan to drive it out in the winter as well, and frequently. I really can't understand why hoa so want to make people's life harder instead of happier.

I really don't want to move the cute one away. Anyone met this hassle before? Any suggestions to deal with the unpleasant neighbor?

Thanks!
shockfly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 03:51 AM   #2
'15 Flying Loud 20' Bambi
 
renderit's Avatar
 
2014 16' Sport
2015 20' Flying Cloud
2021 25' Globetrotter
small city outside a big one , south of most, north of some
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 364
Lots of HOA's have rules against an RV in the driveway. Many can fine you for doing it which sounds like what you may have. You probably need to garage it onsite or elsewhere.

Other things you can do: read your rules for your HOA. Some say the trailer can't be parked on the driveway. A person I know parks his in the grass beside the driveway and they can't do anything about it. It won't warm up your neighbor though.
renderit is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 03:58 AM   #3
4 Rivet Member
 
1978 25' Tradewind
1954 15' Byam Holiday
Vintage Kin Owner
Linden , Michigan
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 293
Our HOA has the same requirement. I understand your feelings (same situation here) and the neighbors. The rule is in place for unsightly/junk/construction/rv/camper/boat/snowmobile trailers that if left in place collect more crap and bring the perceived value of the area down.
Our solution for our Bambi was to raise the header on the door and remove the 7' standard height garage door and replace it with a 9' door to accompany our little toy. Fits perfectly out of the weather. Good Luck with the HOA or raising your header.
Regards,
StevieB
StevieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 06:05 AM   #4
Rivet Master
 
Currently Looking...
Mantua , Ohio
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 7,062
Blog Entries: 2
Unfortunately rules are rules. Too bad, maybe there is a simple solution.
xrvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 07:05 AM   #5
Rivet Master
 
Becky B.'s Avatar
 
1964 17' Bambi II
Vintage Kin Owner
Schererville , Indiana
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 2,637
Images: 19
I would ask to see the rules. If it's in there, you have to move it. If not, your neighbor will have to learn to love silver, cause you don't have to move it if you don't want to.
__________________
Becky


1964 Bambi II
1988 Avion 32S
Becky B. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 07:27 AM   #6
3 Rivet Member
 
1960 28' Ambassador
Libertyville , Illinois
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 182
It is interesting to me that the HOA rep did not cite a rule from your HOA regulations; only a complaint. I would follow Becky's advice and get a copy of the HOA rules.
Short563 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 07:27 AM   #7
Rivet Master
 
terryV's Avatar
 
2002 31' Classic
Currently Looking...
Monroe , Iowa
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 649
I suppose getting to know Grumpy Nieghbor better is out of the question. It would be nice to know just why he objects to your AS in your drive, and why he is the only one complaining.

I remember when Ronald Reagan had a major problem with folks who did not see things his way, he had a BBQ.

I'm not saying you need to hold a large, lavish party. The idea is to win GN over somehow. At the same time, don't neglect the alies that you do have. They can switch sides if they are disgruntled.

Welcome to my life.
terryV is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 09:42 AM   #8
Rivet Master
 
Foiled Again's Avatar
 
2012 25' FB Eddie Bauer
Vintage Kin Owner
Virginia Beach , Virginia
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 7,801
HOA's - good, bad and UGLY

An aunt and uncle of mine used to live in a little un-zoned village in Ohio. When we went to visit them there was this old rotting cottage that had been covered with siding (back then, steel, not vinyl) and was slowly collapsing in on itself. There were nice houses, trailers, run down trailers, outhouses and everything in between. That one rotting cottage FINALLY got bulldozed last summer - it sagged for 60 years... and the trailer with the three seater outhouse behind it is still there. The people who lived in nice houses on 5 acres certainly always wanted to have some code enforcement and sometimes mentioned arson as the only option for getting it.

Regular zoning laws can rarely prevent your next door neighbor from painting his house to 15 different clashing colors or placing 500 garden gnomes in his front yard. In my youth there was a country road in Bath, Ohio where a homeowner did one of the first huge Christmas light displays. Traffic had to be routed around his house by the county mounties for six weeks, the neighbors got awfully tired of it year after year, and the only thing that redeemed the situation was that
  1. other houses started putting up competing displays
  2. it turned out that Jeffery Dahmer grew up almost next door - which really put a blight on the whole neighborhood

So HOA's are designed to help make neighborhoods homes all look like they "fit" in and keep them all in repair... and prevent really obnoxious displays of a truly jarring nature from appearing.

Unfortunately there are always rule Nazi's who go way overboard. I lived in one HOA community where our front door got egged on Halloween, and the paint got permanently discolored. We were renting, but it was a small thing and so I went to the hardware store, got a quart of enamel paint that I thought was a close match, and painted the door. Zoning Nazi shows up the next day - I didn't have a permit to repaint the door in the same color - oh and the color was different - oh and the old color had been fading for 5 years so of course the fresh paint was a tad different. It took 2 months to resolve and three "spankings" by people I'd given credit for being rational adults before I actually got to know them.

I got a copy of the rules. I painted my garbage cans. Multi color and as ugly as I could make them. (Rules about putting them on the curb no earlier than midnight before garbage day and removing them no later than 4 hours after the truck picked up - but no rules about color). Metallic chrome, pink, neon green and orange was a personal favorite color. I caught a neighbor on camera "defacing my property" and then the fun really began. Fortunately I already knew the property owner was retiring from the Navy and wouldn't be renewing the lease and I'd made plans to be gone a week or two before he got back.

I heard that the neighborhood tightasses almost fell down and kissed his feet when he moved back in.

Multiple morals to the story
  • find out if there is an HOA and read the rules before you buy or lease. walk away or drink the kool-aid!
  • if the HOA's standards are yours and you like a super orderly world, buy into it
  • but if you want a somewhat fmore flexible standard - either participate actively in the HOA and help control the stringency of the HOA or live elsewhere
  • If you live with no HOA and an ineffective or non-existant code enforcement bureau... get ready for neighbors who hoard 98 cats, have four cars rusting on the lawn (or maybe even have 5 or 6 airstreams in varying stages of decrepitude out in plain site.
__________________
Today is a gift, that's why they call it the present.
Foiled Again is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 11:37 AM   #9
4 Rivet Member
 
1966 24' Tradewind
2005 22' Safari
Bastrop , Texas
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 329
I learned many years ago that when looking for potential homes to purchase , if there is a HOA involved with that property , scratch it off your list .
dannydimitt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 11:46 AM   #10
Winemaker
 
rgwatkin's Avatar
 
2022 25' Flying Cloud
Avila Beach , California
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 243
Images: 2
In Calif. I was an HOA president of about a 100 home development. I agree with the above, read you HOA and CC&R's for your restrictions. One little known general HOA resident loophole is...if someone in an HOA neighborhood breaks an HOA law/rule and the HOA ignores it for some period of time it sets "presidents" which then make the law/rule undefendable in court. Of course this would take time/$ for it to run its course in court should the HOA decide to do so. So...in practical terms, if your HOA prevents it in HOA rules I would start looking for a storage place.
rgwatkin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 11:52 AM   #11
Rivet Master
 
AWCHIEF's Avatar
 
2006 23' Safari SE
Biloxi , Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 8,278
Images: 33
The only person in my neighborhood to attempt to make an issue of me parking my trailer in my driveway was against having an HOA. I parked my Bambi II in the backyard but can not fit the larger Safari around the corner and thru the gate. We have loosely enforced rules about long term parking in the street but none about what can be parked in the driveway.
__________________
MICHAEL

Do you know what a learning experience is? A learning experience is one of those things that says "You know that thing that you just did? Don't do that."
AWCHIEF is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-01-2014, 12:42 PM   #12
2 Rivet Member
 
Vintage Kin Owner
Orange , California
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by shockfly View Post
Today got a hoa board member knock the door. Saying some neighbor complain I parked my 16' Airstream on my driveway for nearly 1 month.

As I know, the city has no rule to prevent residents park RV on their own driveway. City only doesn't allow RV for street parking more than 72 hours.

My house has 3 car garage driveway, and the driveway's around 35' deep, way big for a cute Bambi. The coming guy even can't give a reason why the Bambi do harmful to the neighborhood. He just kept saying it should go into storage somewhere.

I think it's ridicules, I actually am using the trailer in this season every week. And I plan to drive it out in the winter as well, and frequently. I really can't understand why hoa so want to make people's life harder instead of happier.

I really don't want to move the cute one away. Anyone met this hassle before? Any suggestions to deal with the unpleasant neighbor?

Thanks!
HOA rules trump the city/county codes, so they can be stricter, & usually are!

As advised above, look at your HOA rules & at the CC&Rs (Codes, Covenants & Restrictions) which in CA MUST BE given to you upon sale or resale - & I think WA has similar laws - if not get them from the association 7/or seller or seller's broker.

Read thru those & ask the HOA association or rep for a specific citation of the section upon which they're relying to have you move the trailer.

While you're at it, check if you can park a car in the driveway as well, & if there are any "outs" like the parking it in the grass option noted in a prior post. Although in Bellevue you'll have lots of moisture in that grass under your Bambi.

If the trailer in front is out, then look at the raised garage door on your single door of your 3 car garage (most 3 car garages have 1 @ 16' & 1 @ 8' or 3x 8' w.), & look if you can raise the header enough to get a taller roll-up overhead type door in that single bay - & if you have enough length for the Bambi + A-frame, or if you need to raise the 2-car bay if it is deeper.

If not deep enough lengthwise, I've seen some put a removable panel or box-out for the tongue to stick out.

Make sure to measure your Bambi to the top of rooftop AC or highest projection & add a few inches for clearance, then ask the garage door installer you use for what door height you'll need for that clearance under the open door above - not just at the opening. Even different tires &/or wheels on a vehicle can change it's overall height - so measure yours to be sure, & leave some cushion if those tires/wheels, AC, TV antenna, etc. change later.

Also, check if you'll need to get HOA pre-approval for your garage door changes, as many do - particularly when their on the street facing elevation (side) of the house.

You may also want to add a 2" receiver to the front of your TV, so you can re-hitch to push the Bambi into the garage where you can see what you're doing, instead of backing with mirrors.

Good Luck!
Tom (the other half)
///////
janabanana48 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2014, 08:45 AM   #13
1 Rivet Member
 
1968 26' Overlander
Natick , Massachusetts
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 7
After having been in the Navy under housing rules and then a condo after retirement and the Condo rules I bought a house with no HOA's I will never again live in a Neighborhood with dictatorship rules. I do understand unsightly issues but a clean cut orderly yard. is not a blight to the neighborhood if maintained in a clean and again orderly manner. I have a camper, a sailboat and a cabin boat. and all have their spot in my yard out back that do not effect the landscape. move out I say and get a piece of property where you can live your life under your terms.
jacklamb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2014, 10:27 AM   #14
E Pluribus Aluminus
 
Jaxon's Avatar
 
2008 34' Classic S/O
1967 22' Safari
2005 30' Classic
Land Of Enchantment , New Mexico
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,300
Images: 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by shockfly View Post
T
My house has 3 car garage driveway, and the driveway's around 35' deep, way big for a cute Bambi. The coming guy even can't give a reason why the Bambi do harmful to the neighborhood. He just kept saying it should go into storage somewhere.

I really don't want to move the cute one away. Anyone met this hassle before? Any suggestions to deal with the unpleasant neighbor? Thanks!
While I like anything Airstream... it doesn’t look like your neighbors share mine (or yours) aesthetics... HOA’s often seem to bring out the worst in people who have a need to be in charge...
__________________
.
Jaxon
WBCCI 7005 * AIR 9218
The trouble with trouble is it always starts out as fun...
Jaxon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2014, 03:59 PM   #15
1 Rivet Member
 
1964 22' Safari
Catawba , North Carolina
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 12
All great advice and just to add to the mix....be prepared after reading your HOA rules and regs and CCR's when there is a "changing of the guard" i.e. a new hoa board you may find the complaints starting all over again even if you win this round. We moved into a subdivision with the express purpose of RV parking. Needless to say 5 years later we gave up that battle because of "vague language" and now live in a non- hoa neighborhood. The irony of the whole situation was our RV at the time was valued more than the home of the complaining neighbor and our homes were on one acre wooded lots so the rv couldn't even be seen.
Owengarrett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2014, 04:03 PM   #16
1 Rivet Member
 
1964 22' Safari
Catawba , North Carolina
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 12
Forgot to add.....you welcome to park it at my place....would LOVE LOVE LOVE having a BAMBI in MY driveway!!! Doesn't your neighbor understand?? CRAZY,!
Owengarrett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2014, 09:33 PM   #17
2 Rivet Member
 
Bellevue , Washington
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 45
One more thought, yesterday my wife found a car parked outside my house when she drive back. There is a guy around 30-35 in the car, starring at our Bambi. After my wife parked the car in the garage, she planed to double check that car in the 2nd floor. The car's gone.

This makes her nervous. And she begin to feel unsafe to park airstream on the driveway. Sad...
shockfly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2014, 09:53 AM   #18
2 Rivet Member
 
2007 19' Safari SE
Los Gatos , California
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 36
Images: 4
Bottom line, HOA rules trump city and county rules, so they got ya. As someone else said, get a copy of the rules to make sure specifically what you can and cannot do. Good luck.
RyeL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2014, 11:14 AM   #19
3 Rivet Member
 
mhilley's Avatar
 
2000 23' Safari
Vero Beach , Florida
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 180
The very first thing you must do is get a copy of the HOA rules and read them for yourself. HOA's can be very powerful, at least here in Florida. The HOA can put a lien on your house. Here we have a 48 hour rule. We have had some issues in that there are three sets of rules from different times. See what the printed rules are and don't trust word of mouth. Go from there. It seems to me that an Airstream would add value to the community!!!
mhilley is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-04-2014, 11:44 AM   #20
Rivet Master
 
KJRitchie's Avatar
 
2008 25' Classic
Full Time , Texas
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 4,309
Had a similar issue in Frisco, TX. Parked my newly owned Casita 17' in front of my house while I looked for a storage facility. Neighbors called the police on me. I found storage but even when I brought the Casita home to unload within 20 minutes the police showed up. They never gave me a ticket and thought the calls were uncalled for since I told them I had storage and was just unpacking after a trip.

My house has a rear alley and I found I could back the trailer into the rear driveway. No more police calls but then then the HOA started sending letters. I only parked it on a weekend to prepare for a trip to do some maintenance on the trailer. They give me 10 days to comply and I knew the trailer was going back to storage by the end of of the weekend so I didn't worry about it anymore. As long as the trailer was gone within 10 days they could send me letters all they want. I was glad to be an irritant.

Once I got the Airstream it was in storage permanently. The street in front was too narrow to park it even for a short time so we just packed and unpacked at storage. The rear garage driveway was too short.

When I moved to Nixa, MO I had to buy another house so no HOAs and found a house with a flat front driveway where I can park my Airstream still hitched to the truck and be off the street. I still store it remotely in covered storage.

I'm afraid to say but you will have to find external storage and only bring the Bambi home to pack/unpack/maintenance.

Kelvin
KJRitchie is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Furnace issue turns out to be AS issue 92landyacht Land Yacht/Legacy Motorhomes 16 01-20-2016 10:19 PM
2014 Bambi 16, Honda Pilot, and 11% driveway Grade ridensmile Tow Vehicles 1 02-01-2014 01:29 PM
HELP getting 19' Bambi into steep driveway kimd8888 Towing, Tow Vehicles & Hitches 36 09-05-2012 08:01 PM
Bambi's back in our driveway! KY Girl Our Community 5 05-07-2003 07:21 AM


Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:20 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.