Worried?

[evan.a]

First we have to make sure we have a legal copy of music.
Than we have to make sure we don't have traffic jams or block the roads.
Can't have any noise after 10.
Can't transmitte too far.

Now this is another thing to worry about.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/long_island&id=7823582

Who did the electric?

[PaulXmas]

She was on city property.
If everything was on her property I doubt there would be a story
In Canada almost anything is fair game.
Just make sure everything is safe.

[Surfing4Dough]

Another video of the story:
http://radio.foxnews.com/2010/12/06/woman-ordered-to-court-over-christmas-display/

[lightzilla]

evana wrote:

First we have to make sure we have a legal copy of music.
Than we have to make sure we don't have traffic jams or block the roads.
Can't have any noise after 10.
Can't transmitte too far.

Now this is another thing to worry about.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/long_island&id=7823582

Who did the electric?

You might as well add that record companies remove the song from the videos we put on You Tube because of copyright laws.

That got me looking elsewhere for new Christmas music, or good instrumental music where a singer/song writers needs some promoting.

There are really good songs out there that work well in the display. I seek permission from them and in some cases the record company and most of the time the answer is yes.

This year I asked Mannheim Steamrollers permission and a couple other big names that produced some good songs and then I added a few others that are European stars, and up coming stars for permission.

Some of them supplied me with free MP3's, and it keeps getting better and it's actually fun.

[Guest guest]

evana wrote:

First we have to make sure we have a legal copy of music.
Than we have to make sure we don't have traffic jams or block the roads.
Can't have any noise after 10.
Can't transmitte too far.

Now this is another thing to worry about.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/long_island&id=7823582

Who did the electric?

What did you expect? It's New York. that should tell it all right there.

But in the towns defense, she did have items on CITY PROPERTY, you should never display anything within 3' of the road/street/highway Right of Way(RoW), that is city/country property and folks shouldn't be placing anything along that area. If there is a sidewalk, you don't cross it.

As for the electrical wiring, that could very well be a city/county ordinance that she never bothered to check before putting up her display. Some towns/cities/counties do have such ordinances, as far as I know, where I live has no such ordinace on Holiday Displays that are on PRIVATE PROPERTY, you burn your house down by inferior wiring or overload, then it's your problem.

Code enforcement will only look at "businesses" and cite them as there does appear to be an ordinance for businesses, just NOT PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY. But if you cross onto, and place decor on City property, then code enforcement will pay you a visit, usually only if someone complains!

And Apartment complex management and owners also have the right to pull the plug on your display if they feel the extension cords and power to everything is a fire hazard, even if it isn't, management does have the right to pull the plug and their say IS FINAL! So does a homeowner on a home you may be renting from them.

Usually displays don't get pulled or taken down completely, you just have to scale them back to satisfy whomever is in charge and then thank one of your idiot neighbors for bringing it all to their attention!:X



But I'm NOT going to let it worry me or my display!

[PaulXmas]

There is 8 feet between our property and the sidewalk that belongs to the city. I did ask last year if I could legally use that during Christmas and they said yes.

But we get a lot of snow and I need somewhere to put it...

[Guest guest]

PaulXmas wrote:

There is 8 feet between our property and the sidewalk that belongs to the city. I did ask last year if I could legally use that during Christmas and they said yes.

But we get a lot of snow and I need somewhere to put it...

Ahh, but the keywords are you did ask and they gave permission. I'd make sure I had that in writing myself, always CYOA!

[Guest Don Gillespie]

Orville wrote:

PaulXmas wrote:

There is 8 feet between our property and the sidewalk that belongs to the city. I did ask last year if I could legally use that during Christmas and they said yes.

But we get a lot of snow and I need somewhere to put it...

Ahh, but the keywords are you did ask and they gave permission. I'd make sure I had that in writing myself, always CYOA!

In Canada if you actually check with the city development officers you will be suprised to learn that the city owns 9 feet of property all the way around your front yard they don't tell you this but go ahead and pull a permit to build a deck on the front of your house and see what happens.

[Guest guest]

Don Gillespie wrote:

Orville wrote:

PaulXmas wrote:

There is 8 feet between our property and the sidewalk that belongs to the city. I did ask last year if I could legally use that during Christmas and they said yes.

But we get a lot of snow and I need somewhere to put it...

Ahh, but the keywords are you did ask and they gave permission. I'd make sure I had that in writing myself, always CYOA!

In Canada if you actually check with the city development officers you will be suprised to learn that the city owns 9 feet of property all the way around your front yard they don't tell you this but go ahead and pull a permit to build a deck on the front of your house and see what happens.

That won't work too well in Florida, ALL THE WAY AROUND?, really? That's very interesting.

The reason it can't work in Florida, is they build the dang houses here, sometimes with as little as 4'-6' betweeen them. So they'd have to be inside each house with a 9' perimeter!

We were always told it was the 3' section in front of the sidewalk and the sidewalk itself, which could actually translate to about 5-6'. But only in front, not all the way around. That's just so very weird! What always puzzled me, if the city/county OWNS the darn sidewalk, why is the HOMEOWNER FORCED to pay any or all repairs to and for it, when or if it gets damaged? It's not like you can go out and repair it yourself, the city/county has to do it, but if it poses a hazard and needs repair/replacement, the person whose house sits in front of it gets charged for the repair/repalcement. That sure doesn't seem very fair to me. Not mine, but I have to pay for it?!!

[Cray Augsburg]

Here in KY, the "rule" is that the city owns the "right of way" bounded by 15 feet (for example) from the centerline of the roadway. That way, they preplan for room for future improvements or infrastructure. If your house is built closer to the road than others, you could easily end up not really owning much front yard at all. But just you try and NOT maintain their property and see if you don't end up getting fined!

[Guest guest]

Cray Augsburg wrote:

Here in KY, the "rule" is that the city owns the "right of way" bounded by 15 feet (for example) from the centerline of the roadway. That way, they preplan for room for future improvements or infrastructure. If your house is built closer to the road than others, you could easily end up not really owning much front yard at all. But just you try and NOT maintain their property and see if you don't end up getting fined!

I know what you mean! We have some homes here now that don't even have enough driveway to even put a 1/4 of a car in! The road was a country two lane road originally, then got widened with the addition of a center lane, then 4 laned (5 counting the center "suicide" lane (that's what we call the center lane for making left turns coming from either direction in the same lane at the same time, still think that was the STUPIDEST and DUMBEST idea ever! That's the "head-on collision lane"!). Anway, now most of the homes on that road you step out your front door and you're practically stepping into the street! They may have a 4"-6", that's right INCH strip of what's left of a front yard!

So next time the road would need widening, they (the city/county or state" now imposes iminent(sp?) domain on you if you won't sell, and just "condemns" your home and you're S-O-L out of luck!

Actually happened to a customer of mine years ago when I ran a paper route off a bicycle. They didn't want to move, didn't want to give up their home and the State of Florida just condemned it and forced them out, they got absolutely NOTHING for their home and lost everything! We just couldn't believe it!



Code enforcement paid me a visit once, my first wife and I had just "rented" a house, we hadn't even moved a quarter of our stuff in, the city property area where the mailbox sat, the grass had griown tall, it was half the height of the mailbox, the second day we were there moving stuff in, the CE officer pays us a visit and tells me I have to cut the grass immediately or risj being cited $150.00 per day for the infraction! I showed the CE officer the lease and that we were #1. renting, #2. just started moving in the day before and tried to explain we moved from an apartment and did not own a lawn-mower and could not comply until I started my job and would not be able to get a lawn mower for at least 2 weeks, when I got my first paycheck.

Ended up taking it and the DOOFUS JERK Neighbor that called and made the complaint to court, thank God we got a judge that understood our situation and the lease we had said "we weren't responsable for the lawn maintenance", the real estate company the original owner hired was. I got off with no fines or issues.

But that was my one and only experience with code enforcement, and hopefully my last! What a total pain that was too.

[PaulXmas]

Don Gillespie wrote:

Orville wrote:

PaulXmas wrote:

There is 8 feet between our property and the sidewalk that belongs to the city. I did ask last year if I could legally use that during Christmas and they said yes.

But we get a lot of snow and I need somewhere to put it...

Ahh, but the keywords are you did ask and they gave permission. I'd make sure I had that in writing myself, always CYOA!

In Canada if you actually check with the city development officers you will be suprised to learn that the city owns 9 feet of property all the way around your front yard they don't tell you this but go ahead and pull a permit to build a deck on the front of your house and see what happens.

It is eight feet in Edmonton, or at least where I live and according to our property report. We need a permit to build a deck in the front and back (if over 24 inches). I don't think I will ever use that 8 feet because of the amount of snow we get.