At last week's City Council meeting, one of the items entered, from the City Manager, was to add a new Ordinance, Section 185-10, on Yard Sales. The idea was to deal with a problem of some people abusing their neighbors by having, instead of a periodic attic cleaning yard sale, almost weekly yard sales, turning it into an enterprise. There have been complaints from neighbors who believe things have gone too far.
The idea was to limit Yard Sales to three a year and to charge a $5 fee for a permit, which would have to be obtained three days before the Yard Sale, from City Hall, during the normal work week.
Councillor Rita Mercier immediately reacted to this idea, noting that for an informal activity in one's own driveway this was a pretty formal regulation and an inconvenience to the householder, who normally works during the time City Offices are open so a permit can be obtained. And, after a $5 fee for a yard sale the profit will go down and maybe bring into question the value of time invested in a yard sale, thus leading to treasures being put out on the curb as trash. Then, she noted, there is the question of the "slippery slope", wherein this fee for doing something in your own yard leads to other permits and other fees. If some doesn't like outdoor BBQ, are we going to see permits for these also?
I believe Ms Mercier is on the money with this one. We do need to prevent people from abusing their neighbors by having a weekly flea market in their driveway, causing traffic problems weekend after weekend. An ordnance that does limit the number of Yard Sales, or things of that ilk, per year, is a good idea. Enforcing it by having the police pay attention seems reasonable to me. The police helped along by interested neighbors. But, let us not impose extra burdens on the citizenry as a whole in order to easy the job of those who might be enforcing this rule.
Regards — Cliff
If it is really that much of a nuisance, they neighbors can bring an action, appropriately called nuisance, in court. We don't need a law to regulate this conduct; it already exists.
ReplyDeleteWe have overflowing trash carts all over the city that are not enforced. Who exactly will be enforcing yard sale permits on Saturdays and Sundays? I agree with Rita completely on this it is a waste of time and my money.
ReplyDeleteHow does one calculate damages in court? Been through small-claims myself on a consumer issue, took months to have a trial (if you want to call it that), then I had to collect in which they refused, only to get an enforcement of judgment in which the sheriff's office had to take action.
ReplyDeletePersonally I Freecycle
Not a Lowell resident, but Lowell is hardly unique in this matter. Three cheers for "legislative restraint."
ReplyDeleteAt the root of the problem, and what makes it an intransigent issue is that of almost pandemic indifference on the part of people toward others. It is beyond "rudeness" or other offensive behaviors. It is in its simplest form, total disregard of one's fellow man.
I suspect that we've always had this as part of our human baggage, but it has in the past several decades taken on greater proportions as a social norm.
My next door neighbor is a self absorbed twit....who sees himself as exceptional w/r to the rest of the neighborhood. He insists on dragging out his kid's basketball hoop at 10 PM and shooting baskets. If anyone complains, he reverts to instant aggression. The only peace and pleasure that is important to him is his own.
On Rte 102 up here in the backwoods of New Hamster, a family insists on having Saturday "yard sales" every Saturday...obviously selling much more than family cast-offs. The word is out among the "yard sale cruisers" and as a result, both sides of 102 are jammed with parked cars with people (and small children) scurrying without so much as a glance in either direction, across one of the busiest highways in this part of the Saturday state. Of course, they are "legally parked" but as soon as the sun rises in the AM, it's only a matter of time before some poor hapless motorist is going to hit someone...or be hit by one of these "idiots" who pull out quickly to race to the next yard sale......not rudeness...total disregard for others. Of course, when the accident happens, the driver of the passing car will have their lives unnecessarily marred.....regardless of any legal outcome.
And for final proof....lets not even open up the societal and personal disregard displayed by cell phone users......
Law doesn't cure those things.....and more laws only consume more time and paper.