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Parking vintage semi at your house.


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Have any of you had issues  with zoning and being told you aren’t allowed to have your classic Mack in the back yard?

I got the notice from the zoning officer in the mail yesterday and I am trying to figure out a way around it. 

It is to tall to fit in my garage or my barn. 

Besides taking the cab off and rolling it inside in two pieces. 

Any ideas? 🤔

 

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I don't know Michigan law but if you are registered with antique plates in Ma., it is no longer legally a commercial vehicle, that might help in fighting them. Is it registered?

Good luck.

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I got notice about my trucks that were outside.  Licensed trucks can be outside in my municipality but not non-licensed.  Maybe they will be ok with a fence.   Go to talk to them. See if they will work with you.  Mike. 

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These laws can be tedious especially when they can vary from town to town in the same county. I live in Westchester NY and no matter how big your driveway is you are not allowed to have pickup truck with commercial plates, small trailer or even a jet ski on a trailer in your yard. In many cases the local authorities turn a blind eye unless someone calls because they know the laws are dumb. When I had a small trailer to transport dirt bikes, someone from the town showed up and said the only way around it was to put up screens so it could not be seen. He admitted he had to show up because someone called. I put them up and called for him to come see and he never came back to look.

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In my town here in NJ, no commercial vehicles on residential property. IDK if you register it antique, probably would still get some issues from neighbors. Have to remember, we might think the old trucks are cool, but most neighbors don't.

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Went through this 15 yrs ago after I moved.  My zoning says "no semi-trucks outside on less then 1 acre".  A semi truck is "not a car, pickup, boat, camper".  That narrows it down pretty well.  I went to zoning, tried for variance.   No good.   They gave me a year(since I just moved in) to do something with it.   I figured it was a neighbor that turned me in, but I have lots of duplex(rentals) so they come and go like water.  I think likely a township truck saw it?   Anyway, I had to cut the wall out of my garage and put a barn door in to be able to get it inside.  It fits, as you have seen.  A tarp or fence was NOT an option.

There was NO getting around it.  I showed where I parked it, it has historical tags on it, blah, blah, blah.   Nope, no good, nothing got it away from their "semi truck" description.  I do leave it out occasionally and don't worry much.   Any of my adjoining neighbors have no issue with it, as they are all long time residents.

Unless you can show there are others in your area with trucks and can convince them they have to take care of all them first?  It's a stretch.

Edited by Freightrain

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Larry

1959 B61 Liv'n Large......................

Charter member of the "MACK PACK"

 

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I got lucky I guess.. Bought this ex-dairy farm before I got into trucks, Have enough big barns to hide my Diamond T 921 and Brockway 358. Enclosed one of the pole barns into a 4 bay garage for my little DT 201 and F-600.. Zoning is pretty laid back here in South Carolina, But IF someone should complain there are several "Redneck Front Yards" for them to work on first!!

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Brocky

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Hernando county Florida doesn't permit any commercial vehicle over 5000lbs in any residential zoned area.When I moved here in 92 I was still driving OTR and I've been thrown out of every good parking place near my home! Truck trailer or any combination thereof! I live in a moderately upscale middle class neighborhood. Half acre zoning. I retired in 2008 and it seems to have gotten looser. There is a guy who parks a 53 ft dry van and 3 axle tractor in plain view, a deputy lives in the same house wink wink! They keep up the property so I don't care! There are a couple drivers from big truckload carriers who bring their tractors home on layovers. As near as I can tell they let you alone unless someone complains. In Florida I'm told you can register a "hobby truck" as a "camper" as long as it's not used commercially. No CDL required. Only fair as the 200000 dollar 40 ft campers can park legally here! How is your F model registered? Do you use the gooseneck commercially? Or just for hobby use? I think Harbor freight sells an inexpensive metal framed sheet plastic garage that would hold your tractor. A guy in my neighborhood that has a big camper has one.

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Thanks guys,  lots of good ideas.  

As far as more info.  I own 2.5 acres “the entire middle of a village block”  so I have a ton of neighbors all around my back yard. 

I haven’t used the semi or trailer since I moved here over a year ago. I just fire it up once a month or so and do a loop around the back yard. 

It isn’t currently registered but I am leaning towards a vintage or historical type plate. 

I talked to the zoning officer,  he seems slightly accommodating.  I think I just have to get it agreed that isn’t being used for commercial purposes and is basically a really short RV.  

 

Here is the zoning I am up against:

 

 

 

 

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Edited by 68-f-model
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I am going to try and get a meeting set up with the zoning officer and see if I can nail down an exact resolution to the situation.

My plan of attack is try and get it registered historic first and convince the village it is a minimal use vehicle no different than an  RV.

If that fails,  I move to plan b and either remove the cab to fit it into my current barn or put up a 20x 28x 12 addition to the north end to house the Mack.

They can attempt to tell me I can have a "commercial" vehicle in my barn, but I think that the out of sight out of mind would work against any complaining neighbors.

 

The property lay out isn't ideal for neighbors. "I have a few"

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In all reality it's sad that neighbors can control what you do own your own property.     I can see complaints if your turning the place into a "junkyard" but if things are parked neat and orderly it's b.s.   It seams ranchhopper is going through some of the same issues.  

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