Rant - County is giving me grief.

Got my first "Notice of Violation"..and I've only been in my "new" home for 4 months.

Anyways, I digress.


Seems some turd complained to the county about MY livelihood and ability to make a living.

So some overpaid government clown took some pics and made a report. The letter shows this happened on August 4th.

On Aug 10th, unaware a report was even in the works, I took most of the scrap in.


Today the letter arrived, having been dated and typed the day before. 26 days to get a letter out, yet they're giving me 10 days to clean it up. Which isn't a problem...

But evidently they haven't been by since the 10th, because it is mostly cleaned up.

They are claiming I am operating a wrecking yard in a residential area. I think that is a bit of a stretch, but okay, we're dealing with stupid government officials.

Also claim the property is being used as a dump site. Right.

Explaining that I am using it as temp storage until a full load is together won't penetrate their rock hard hollow skulls.

Looks like I'll be running loads in as I get them, versus letting them pile up for a good load. Good thing gas is cheap...oh, wait.

.......WHAT?

Good ole Canyon County. Dude im sorry too hear that. I had a Meridian Code Enforcer stop on the other side of the road infront of my house. Saw him take a picture, so i reckon im goin to be gettin a letter, or some pencil neck stoppin' by the house soon.

And that folks is why I'm looking for a small commercial or industrial zoned lot that no one wants. All I need is a chain link fence around the thing --- prefer to have it mostly poured concrete, though. Railroad access would be a BIG bonus!!!

Where I live, I probably couldn't have a trailer with "valuable steel art" stacked on it for more than 3 days.

And in most Residential zoned areas, an in home business has limitations ---- been there; done that. Like, no signage of any kind. Like the business can only occupy up to 20% of the total space of the home. Nothing stored outside. Only employees are family members. Well, you see what I'm talking about.

Good Luck, IdahoScrapper !!! Now get out there and find a small area in the back of some shop, car repair business, or maybe even someone that owns a warehouse ---- that would be the bomb!!! Rent some covered space for little or nothing. Maybe you can swap out rent for hauling off their stuff for FREE. Covered space would be the bomb though!!! We could work while its raining and that would be so cool right now with yesterday's high being 96 degrees.

How about an enclosed trailer?You could wait until you have a full load and it would be less likely to be stolen!You could all ways have it lettered with your business name and description.Free advertizing that way.I don't think that the town can do any thing as long as it has plates on it.....

Zoning laws are weird and only enforced if you have a busy body neighbor to complain. In my municipality, if you collect any scrap and store it on your property you must purchase a permit and enclose the material in a 6' high fence. That law was put on the books back in 1964. Everybody in my neighbor hood knows what I do including the zoning officer and they all will bring items to me and drop them off in my driveway if I'm not home, including the zoning officer. I guess I am lucky, but eventually there will be some tree huger that will move into town and cause trouble. Fortunately, I have a garage and store most of my scrap behind that until I get enough to load.

lol they did the same exact thiong to me....so what did i do...i put up a huge privacy fence all around the property line...they said the neighbors called it an eyesore...well now they can look at a huge plain white fence haha

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Originally Posted by jdawg

lol they did the same exact thiong to me....so what did i do...i put up a huge privacy fence all around the property line...they said the neighbors called it an eyesore...well now they can look at a huge plain white fence haha

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I would have done the same thing. No one can mind their own business no more. If you are not hurting anyone, or making loud noises to early in the morning or to late at night, who gives a crap/

I have been waiting for the same thing to happen to me. I just have to finish building my fence. For now I try to toss a tarp over what I can. I figure if they can't see it then they can't complain.

!. ya dont expect county "enforcement " people to go out looking for real bad guys do ya, that could be dangerous.

I had the same problem a few years aqo, so I put up the fence, couple of days later a co deputy came calling and told me you cant put up that fence it has to be no more then 4' high. I asked him why is that ? he says so we can see into your yard. my reply is uhhh thats why they call a 6 foot fence a PRIVACY fence, you dont need to see in my yard, havent had a problem sence.

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Originally Posted by olddude

!. ya dont expect county "enforcement " people to go out looking for real bad guys do ya, that could be dangerous.

I had the same problem a few years aqo, so I put up the fence, couple of days later a co deputy came calling and told me you cant put up that fence it has to be no more then 4' high. I asked him why is that ? he says so we can see into your yard. my reply is uhhh thats why they call a 6 foot fence a PRIVACY fence, you dont need to see in my yard, havent had a problem sence.

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That was because, they don't want to take the time and resources to get a legal warrant to search your property for any reason.

I do agree, privacy fences are that for a reason. No one has a right to see your land, unless they have a warrant or are invited.

You know, this burns me and it didn't even happen to me! Because when we use our homes/land/garages for this its only temporary and do most of us even own wreckers to legally call it a ''wrecking yard??'' No! How is it any different than say, folks that take in work fixing cars for folks and leave not only that taken apart car in the drive but parts too! Most everyone has tools/machines/lights, etc in their garages and are those classified as wrecking yards? What if I left 10 bags of aluminum cans in my yard, am I a wrecking yard? What about the guy down the street from me who works on motorcycles and has a ****ed trailer he puts out in the street and works out there sometimes, is he a wrecking yard too? See, so many innocent, ordinary every day things could also be classified as ''wrecking yard'' that this isn't fair.

What about those houses you drive by every day for years that have the tons of garbage sitting outside all over the yard that is an absolute eyesore and its never cleaned up or ticketed? wouldn't that classify as a ''wrecking yard'' then? Its places like that that give us a bad name.

I swear, folks are climbing cell towers stealing copper and breaking into houses stealing copper and money for drugs yet this is what gets picked on? The every day average citizen who has every single right to dismantle a grill, etc, in their own yard no matter where it came from? You'd think they'd have bigger fish to fry! Well I tell you what, they had better start standing in line at the yards handing out tickets to every single person that brings in scrap even down to the little old ladies turning in their Insure cans because they had to store those cans in their house/garage/driveway before they took them to the yard so that makes them a ''wrecking yard'' too.

I pay my taxes correctly so if someone did this to me I'd be having a major hissy fit!

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Originally Posted by newattitude

You know, this burns me and it didn't even happen to me! Because when we use our homes/land/garages for this its only temporary and do most of us even own wreckers to legally call it a ''wrecking yard??'' No! How is it any different than say, folks that take in work fixing cars for folks and leave not only that taken apart car in the drive but parts too! Most everyone has tools/machines/lights, etc in their garages and are those classified as wrecking yards? What if I left 10 bags of aluminum cans in my yard, am I a wrecking yard? What about the guy down the street from me who works on motorcycles and has a ****ed trailer he puts out in the street and works out there sometimes, is he a wrecking yard too? See, so many innocent, ordinary every day things could also be classified as ''wrecking yard'' that this isn't fair.

What about those houses you drive by every day for years that have the tons of garbage sitting outside all over the yard that is an absolute eyesore and its never cleaned up or ticketed? wouldn't that classify as a ''wrecking yard'' then? Its places like that that give us a bad name.

I swear, folks are climbing cell towers stealing copper and breaking into houses stealing copper and money for drugs yet this is what gets picked on? The every day average citizen who has every single right to dismantle a grill, etc, in their own yard no matter where it came from? You'd think they'd have bigger fish to fry! Well I tell you what, they had better start standing in line at the yards handing out tickets to every single person that brings in scrap even down to the little old ladies turning in their Insure cans because they had to store those cans in their house/garage/driveway before they took them to the yard so that makes them a ''wrecking yard'' too.

I pay my taxes correctly so if someone did this to me I'd be having a major hissy fit!

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Some of those things that you listed are not considered running a business from your home, like crushing soda cans. That would just be considered illegal.

Also, as far as the guy who runs a car repair business from his garage. Only reason he hasn't gotten into trouble is because he is careful and not been caught, but I guarantee that if he does not have a permit, and gets caught, he will catch one heck of a fine.

All the things you listed might seem as if they fit in the same category, but I guarantee not all do. Just depends on how you look at it.

Also they may have permits for running a home business, but depending on what your doing as a business, would state what other permits if any you will also need, as well as zoning. If a property is not zoned for a salvage metal yard, then no matter what, you will not be permitted to have it.

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Originally Posted by Kris Kringle

Since When and What State?

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i meant to say "recycling" not "illegal"

I think most of my rant came from the ''dump site'' comment and thats where all the examples came from. I do get the point of all the posts about zoning, etc, but I was trying to liken this to things that I see everywhere every day that don't really fall into the ''zoning'' category that the OP was saying was happening. Is he charging people to ''dump'' stuff in his yard? If he isn't then how could it be considered a wrecking yard? People keep things in their yards, people move things from their yards. Its not a crime to do either of those things separately and really all it boils down to is the simple fact that its just scrapping. Turning scrap in for cash isn't illegal, lots of people do it and until they can get it there it has to sit somewhere right? I don't know, neighbors can be so fickle any more that something so innocent and helpful is turned into something criminal and its a shame.

and granted, I did pop off without knowing the amount of stuff that was complained about but my thinking stays the same - aluminum cans saved until turned in is the same as a mower or some other item saved until turned in. Lol, lots of grey area there I know but still basically the same.

Aaaaaaaand its entirely possible I'm missing the whole point somewhere along the line and I have a hard time explaining what I'm trying to get across

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Originally Posted by GeorgeB

i meant to say "recycling" not "illegal"

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But...everything is being recycled from the OP's yard. Cans are shredded just like anything else he turns in right? Is is just that the state/city has issue with the type of items being recycled? I'm not seeing the difference in the *what* it is because in the end its all getting recycled!

I believe the violation stems mostly from it being an "eyesore".

Had anyone come and talked to me, they would know it's not a years on end mess, but a temporary mess.

The allegation that it's a dump site peeved me, because no one dumps off items here. In fact, I've been more concerned stuff would walk off, with the countless people that have stopped asking if they could have it.

I think I will be putting up a fence. If it's the neighbor I think it is, a fence won't do any good, because they can see right into my yard from their 2nd story home. But at least the county no longer has any say from that point, so long as I am not tearing cars down any more.

my zoning officer/police chief told me that if you make money from the items it constitutes a business, even if it was given to you for free. And I agree with the main issue being the "turd" neighbor thinks our beautiful scrap is an "eyesore" !

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Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

I believe the violation stems mostly from it being an "eyesore".

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It's all fun a games until some politician that thinks we should all live green has to look at the reality of the process as it encroaches their property. As long as the windmills, solar farms and piles of recyclables can't be seen from thier property they're good with it.

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Originally Posted by newattitude

But...everything is being recycled from the OP's yard. Cans are shredded just like anything else he turns in right? Is is just that the state/city has issue with the type of items being recycled? I'm not seeing the difference in the *what* it is because in the end its all getting recycled!

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Okay, unlike washers, dryers, refrigerators, junk vehicles, car parts etc, soda cans is something that normally does get recycled every trash day. That and plastic, newspaper, glass bottles, things like that.

So yes, there is a different between collecting soda cans to turn in, versus having your back, side, or front yard look the way the scrap yard looks, especially if you are not zoned for it, nor have the proper permits.

It is not anyone being a holes, or pr****, it is just the law.

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Originally Posted by IdahoScrapper

I believe the violation stems mostly from it being an "eyesore".

Had anyone come and talked to me, they would know it's not a years on end mess, but a temporary mess.

The allegation that it's a dump site peeved me, because no one dumps off items here. In fact, I've been more concerned stuff would walk off, with the countless people that have stopped asking if they could have it.

I think I will be putting up a fence. If it's the neighbor I think it is, a fence won't do any good, because they can see right into my yard from their 2nd story home. But at least the county no longer has any say from that point, so long as I am not tearing cars down any more.

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It just has to look like a dump yard for people to get that conclusion.

I personally leave things on my trailer, like I have it right now, and only time it comes off is if I need to work on it during the day, and then when I take it to the yard.

Everyone will have a difference of opinion, etc.

Like you said, the best bet would to be putting up a wooden security fence. This way, no one can see the stuff, and cant really raise a fuss.