On the fence.

[minitruckinbus]

OK we just got 2 412's in where I work and they both look to be in one piece one has a rough body though. I could get them for 300 a piece without the titles. About 350 for each title. Awesome deal right! Well here's my dilemma I have a 79 datsun 620 right now in my shop which I've already invested time and money into. Thanks to Concord NC zoning laws I can not have a vehicle that's not tagged and insured in my yard unless its out of sight. What would you do?

[nowake]

There was a car/zoning thread in another forum I frequent. (somethingawful.com - forums -Automotive Insanity)

It was a pretty long discussion but probably in the archives by now. There was a pristine 90's RX7 a guy had in his driveway, looking every bit like a daily driven car in great condition, tires pumped and kept very clean, except it hadn't moved in a while due to the engine being out for an overhaul. He was threatened by notices in the mail saying it would be removed from his property and crushed because it was non-operable, a nuisance vehicle and hadn't been registered.

What I would do, if you can't build a small shed or row of hedges in your backyard to hide your new found 412's, is to keep them from appearing as or becoming nuisance vehicles. If they're up on jack stands, keep the wheels on. If you're covering them, use a car cover instead of a blue tarp. Keep your work area clean, put away your tools and jacks and buckets and axles and other stuff when you're done working. Park them neatly in a row instead of leaving them how they land off the truck.

Basically, if you want to avoid somebody in the neighborhood making a call about your cars, keep them happy with the appearance of your property by being neat and organized. Missing license plates are a big target for a lazy compliance officer driving by, hanging some recent looking expired ones shouldn't be a 'fictitious registration' offense if they're not sitting on the street or public property.

You could look into keeping them somewhere else. The storage locker places around here usually have a couple cars, boat trailers and RV's on the property.

[nodrenim]

What you have are vintage, collectable, classic cars. This will throw the legal eagles for a small loop, as this makes it a whole new ball game. I would keep them covered with a car cover, one that covers from the ground up. I don't think they can touch the cars without a formal complaint being filed by a neighbor. I had a go around where I live in NC, and I wound up getting the law rewritten to allow anyone to be able to keep more than one vehicle at a time. Good Luck!