Laws concerning project cars in Prince William
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 7,855
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From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
Laws concerning project cars in Prince William
Great. I just had the property code enforcement inspector leave a card at my door.
What can I do?
I've got one inoperable vehicle in the front driveway and another in the back yard. The one out front is getting scrapped. The one out back stays.
What can I do?
I've got one inoperable vehicle in the front driveway and another in the back yard. The one out front is getting scrapped. The one out back stays.
Rotary Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Virginia
Wow hopefully no one reported you. You need to look up the PW County ordinances and zoning regulations. The Code of Virginia § 15.2-905 describes what localities may do with respect to inoperable vehicles.
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...0+cod+15.2-905
I recommend if you don't have a garage that you keep them "shielded or screened from view" to the maximum extent possible. Generally, if a car is neatly covered with an inoffensive-colored cover, it will attract less attention and the licence and windshield stickers will not be visible. Then again, a small car-sized "shed" (or tent) may be allowed under your zoning regs and could be constructed in a couple of hours, possibly even without a permit. Also, consider fences, shrubs or nice stand of bamboo. Good luck.
§ 15.2-905. Authority to restrict keeping of inoperable motor vehicles, etc., on residential or commercial property; removal of such vehicles.
A. The governing bodies of the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun and Prince William; any town located, wholly or partly, in such counties; and the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Hampton, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Newport News, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Roanoke and Suffolk may by ordinance prohibit any person from keeping, except within a fully enclosed building or structure or otherwise shielded or screened from view, on any property zoned or used for residential purposes, or on any property zoned for commercial or agricultural purposes, any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer, as such are defined in § 46.2-100, which is inoperable.
The locality in addition may by ordinance limit the number of inoperable motor vehicles which any person may keep outside of a fully enclosed building or structure.
As used in this section, notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, "shielded or screened from view" means not visible by someone standing at ground level from outside of the property on which the subject vehicle is located.
As used in this section, an "inoperable motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer which is not in operating condition; or does not display valid license plates; or does not display an inspection decal that is valid or does display an inspection decal that has been expired for more than 60 days. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a licensed business which is regularly engaged in business as an automobile dealer, salvage dealer or scrap processor.
B. The locality may, by ordinance, further provide that the owners of property zoned or used for residential purposes, or zoned for commercial or agricultural purposes, shall, at such time or times as the governing body may prescribe, remove therefrom any inoperable motor vehicle that is not kept within a fully enclosed building or structure. The locality may remove the inoperable motor vehicle, whenever the owner of the premises, after reasonable notice, has failed to do so. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, if the owner of such vehicle can demonstrate that he is actively restoring or repairing the vehicle, and if it is shielded or screened from view, the vehicle and one additional inoperative motor vehicle that is shielded or screened from view and being used for the restoration or repair may remain on the property.
In the event the locality removes the inoperable motor vehicle, after having given such reasonable notice, it may dispose of the vehicle after giving additional notice to the owner of the premises. The cost of the removal and disposal may be charged to either the owner of the inoperable vehicle or the owner of the premises and the cost may be collected by the locality as taxes are collected. Every cost authorized by this section with which the owner of the premises has been assessed shall constitute a lien against the property from which the inoperable vehicle was removed, the lien to continue until actual payment of the cost has been made to the locality.
(1991, c. 673, § 15.1-11.03; 1992, c. 490; 1995, c. 58; 1997, cc. 587, 741; 1999, c. 901; 2004, cc. 508, 934; 2005, c. 775.)
A. The governing bodies of the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Henrico, Loudoun and Prince William; any town located, wholly or partly, in such counties; and the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Hampton, Lynchburg, Manassas, Manassas Park, Newport News, Petersburg, Portsmouth, Roanoke and Suffolk may by ordinance prohibit any person from keeping, except within a fully enclosed building or structure or otherwise shielded or screened from view, on any property zoned or used for residential purposes, or on any property zoned for commercial or agricultural purposes, any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer, as such are defined in § 46.2-100, which is inoperable.
The locality in addition may by ordinance limit the number of inoperable motor vehicles which any person may keep outside of a fully enclosed building or structure.
As used in this section, notwithstanding any other provision of law, general or special, "shielded or screened from view" means not visible by someone standing at ground level from outside of the property on which the subject vehicle is located.
As used in this section, an "inoperable motor vehicle" means any motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer which is not in operating condition; or does not display valid license plates; or does not display an inspection decal that is valid or does display an inspection decal that has been expired for more than 60 days. The provisions of this section shall not apply to a licensed business which is regularly engaged in business as an automobile dealer, salvage dealer or scrap processor.
B. The locality may, by ordinance, further provide that the owners of property zoned or used for residential purposes, or zoned for commercial or agricultural purposes, shall, at such time or times as the governing body may prescribe, remove therefrom any inoperable motor vehicle that is not kept within a fully enclosed building or structure. The locality may remove the inoperable motor vehicle, whenever the owner of the premises, after reasonable notice, has failed to do so. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this subsection, if the owner of such vehicle can demonstrate that he is actively restoring or repairing the vehicle, and if it is shielded or screened from view, the vehicle and one additional inoperative motor vehicle that is shielded or screened from view and being used for the restoration or repair may remain on the property.
In the event the locality removes the inoperable motor vehicle, after having given such reasonable notice, it may dispose of the vehicle after giving additional notice to the owner of the premises. The cost of the removal and disposal may be charged to either the owner of the inoperable vehicle or the owner of the premises and the cost may be collected by the locality as taxes are collected. Every cost authorized by this section with which the owner of the premises has been assessed shall constitute a lien against the property from which the inoperable vehicle was removed, the lien to continue until actual payment of the cost has been made to the locality.
(1991, c. 673, § 15.1-11.03; 1992, c. 490; 1995, c. 58; 1997, cc. 587, 741; 1999, c. 901; 2004, cc. 508, 934; 2005, c. 775.)
I recommend if you don't have a garage that you keep them "shielded or screened from view" to the maximum extent possible. Generally, if a car is neatly covered with an inoffensive-colored cover, it will attract less attention and the licence and windshield stickers will not be visible. Then again, a small car-sized "shed" (or tent) may be allowed under your zoning regs and could be constructed in a couple of hours, possibly even without a permit. Also, consider fences, shrubs or nice stand of bamboo. Good luck.
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 7,855
Likes: 517
From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
Whew... it was for the Geo in the front yard, not the RX-7 in the back... The Geo is on the last of its three cylinders. (Compression numbers 120, 30, 0 respectively.)
That written on a note on the dashboard, along with the title already signed and a pickup schedule for donation got me off. :p They didn't even know about the RX-7 in the backyard.
That written on a note on the dashboard, along with the title already signed and a pickup schedule for donation got me off. :p They didn't even know about the RX-7 in the backyard.
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Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Rotaryland, New Hampshire
my friend use to store his project mr2 at his gf's in a trailerpark, we had to cover it and keep it VERY clean so the neighbors would complain
and you actualy managed to kill a geo? i had a 93 xfi 5speed that WOULDNT DIE
i got hit 3 times, it was 5 colors (geo blue, ford engine enamal blue (spray paint on some of a new quarter), Geo green (what wasnt painted on the new quarter), geo red (new hatch) and yellow!!! (expandable foam to fill them holes) it had 160k ish and kept going. a friends sister drives it now (boy to i feel bad..)
and you actualy managed to kill a geo? i had a 93 xfi 5speed that WOULDNT DIE
i got hit 3 times, it was 5 colors (geo blue, ford engine enamal blue (spray paint on some of a new quarter), Geo green (what wasnt painted on the new quarter), geo red (new hatch) and yellow!!! (expandable foam to fill them holes) it had 160k ish and kept going. a friends sister drives it now (boy to i feel bad..)
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