3 Yard sales per yer per home?

[The Straight Story]

City proposes yard sale changes

Brewton would have new yard sale rules and a new, designated flea market area under an ordinance proposed Tuesday.

The ordinance would create a flea market on city property on the northwest corner of Mildred Street, in a tree-lined area just before the bridge, City Clerk John Angel said. Ten spaces would be available for rent for $10 per day.

Yard sales on business property would require the permission of the business owner and a $150 permit; yard sales at residences would remain free with a permit. Residential yard sales would remain limited to three per year.

“In no way is this coming from the city to try to discourage yard sales,” city councilman Dennis Dunaway said. “We feel like this puts everybody on a level playing field with businesses.”


http://www.brewtonstandard.com/2011/03/23/city-proposes-yard-sale-changes/

This is in Brewton, Alabama, but it is by no means the town with such laws. How many yard sales do you think folks should be able to have a year - how long should one yard sale be able to run (here in central Ohio I know there was talk at one point to limiting them to 3 days)?

[Angry Dragon]

1. This the smaller. less intrusive government the teabaggers

are yelling for??

In every state they are coming out with more and more laws taking away rights
and it is the teabaggers that are doing it and they were the ones that were yelling
for government to get out of their lives.

IDIOTS!!

[Renew Deal]

2. Who has more than 3 yard sales a year?

I know people that have never had one.

[The Straight Story]

5. At our home and in my hood?

My sister lives in the country, so will bring stuff here to sell once or twice a year. Some of my neighbors don't have a lot of things to sell, so when we have a community yard sale some will pile up their stuff here or at another neighbor's house. If only a few folks are having one their toss their stuff out there on one weekend or the other.

Folks around here often have one in spring, mid summer (july 4 weekend), and end of summer (fall cleaning).

We can't really have them most the year - late April through early October, so we try to have as many as we can to get rid of the junk in that time :)

(edited fur pour engrish)

[Journeyman]

8. Had a guy in my neighborhood who ran a continuous yard sale for months. . .

Every weekend he had piles of stuff. His family bought items from other yard sales, then put them out at their home with a markup. It wasn't a yard sale; it was a business run on his grass.

This was before the recession hit, but I figured if he had to do this, he needed the money so I turned a blind eye. The city had a different idea and wanted him to set up shop somewhere so they could get the revenue. I imagine the city was spurred to action by complaints from some of the neighbors.

So I understand the need for such restrictions. It's what zoning laws are intended to regulate. For some endeavors, however, such as rummage sales or day care, there need to be additional regulations in place. To keep the peace, for one, and the safety of kids as well.

[GoCubsGo]

20. I have people in my neighborhood like that, too.

They live on the corner of a main road and a side street. They have yard sales nearly every Saturday. It hadn't occurred to me that they might be running a business, but after reading your post, I'm sure that's what is going on. I wish there were more regulations, as the people who patronize this yard sale make a mess of the traffic flow in and out of the neighborhood--worse than they do at other yard sales.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. There are people who run weekend junk businesses on their driveway

This puts a stop to that kind of shit.

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. yup

[angstlessk]

4. I think one yard sale per month for a homeowner...to sell what did not sell the last month

3 per year is too little as far as I can tell...one per month would in NO WAY compete with commerce!

[TorchTheWitch]

11. if you need one per month you're running a business n/t

[abelenkpe]

6. “We feel like this puts everybody on a level playing field with businesses.”

Um, no, it does not put everybody on a level playing field. Sounds more like a callous attempt by businesses to limit competition.

In LA some people have stuff out every weekend.

Not us tho. We don't have a yard :)

[jmowreader]

16. I don't see it as limiting competition

Someone who holds a yard sale every week--and people DO!--needs to register as a business, pay taxes, be in a commercially zoned area...

If you can run all the yard sales you want, effectively you've created two classes of business. One calls itself a business and pays taxes, fees, etc; the other calls itself a "yard sale" and its costs are far lower because it's not paying taxes and fees.

[abelenkpe]

19. Maybe

But the people in my neighborhood holding frequent yard sales are doing it to make ends meet. Really, they're hurting and to deprive them of the ability to make the extra cash they need to get by in this economy seems cruel.

[Bunny]

7. I have no problem with some limits in strictly residential areas.

I live on a narrow street where practically no one has a garage or driveway. It's hard enough to get a parking space at times, the last thing I'd want is for my neighbors to be out selling crap in their yards every other week. With all the looky loos that inhabit yard sales, it would make getting around a real pain in the ass.

How much crap can you accumulate that you'd need to have more than three yard sales in a year, anyway? Anything more than that sounds like a business to me, so go buy a permit and set up shop at the local flea market.

[Liquorice]

9. I used to have neighbors who held a yard sale a couple of times a month.

It turns out they were going to auctions to buy the contents of abandoned storage lockers. Then they would sell the stuff at the yard sales. I could see why a city would want to discourage that. I didn't like the cars parked up and down the road and around my house every other weekend.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. I have no problems with this. Three yard sales in one year

should be more than enough unless you are going to be in the business of yard sales. And if you want to sell more than that, they are offering tables for just $10 at a little flea market---I actually wish that was available to me, it would be nicer than the yard sale ordeal (did it once in my life, need to do another one right now but can't get in the mood). I think this is more than fair.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Brewton is a very small village, lots of wealth , tho.

Pop. 5500.

I suspect this regulation has to do with "chronic" yard sales of a few people.

The article says:
"Dunaway said some sellers have tried to set up yard sale-type operations without buying any kind of permit, even though they are selling new items.
“They are selling some of the same things that our businesses pay a license to sell and pay taxes on,” Dunaway said. “We hope this will discourage it. It’s important to protect our businesses.”

[jillan]

13. Why is this any business of the government?? I know people that have garage sales regularly for

income. They shop thrift stores and other garage sales and then sell at their garage sale for a profit.

It's personal property. Screw the government.

The only problem I can see is if people forget to take down the signs.

[Modern_Matthew]

14. +1! nt

[JuniperLea]

15. Yeah, I've heard of this before...

They don't want people starting ongoing businesses out of their homes... you know... they can't collect taxes and fees and such. I'm waiting for online sales to get some dumb regulations too.

[Denninmi]

17. We've had a yard sale ordinance where I live for probably 20 years.

Limited to 2 per year, each can be no more than 4 days, and there is a $3 permit charge. You aren't allowed to put up signs except on your own property, but this is largely ignored and not, to my knowledge, enforced.

I don't think it's particularly unreasonable -- as other posters have said, if you are having more than a couple a year, it's probably an attempt to run a business from your home, not just getting rid of junk.

[Atman]

21. There are at least three homes I pass on my way to work that are permanent yard sales.

I live in a very rural part of CT, lots of farms. My town doesn't even have a police department. These houses are like something from American Pickers; tons of stuff stacked in the yard all the time. Every month or so (weather permitting, it's another "tag sale." I honestly can't say that I care much. After all, it's part of the character of rural America.

That said, I am glad that these houses are not on MY street.