Problems at the Scenicruiser Orphanage (who wants a Scenicruiser?)

kyle4501 · February 20, 2011, 05:44:52 AM

Due to events beyond reason (or my control), I need to find homes for a couple of Scenicruisers. I need assistance & advice on how to best proceed. Neither bus runs & I don't have the luxury of time to part them out.
My goal is to save these buses from possible further vandalism &/or the scrap man & focus my limited time on ME & MY chosen projects.

One is fully seated & all there (except for the A/C condenser & Radiator). After retirement, it was used as storage & some varmints used it as a hostel. I have removed some of the junk, but there's still enough there to see.

One was once Hoyt Axton's pride & joy. He wrote several songs about her & when he could, he included her in the movies he was in. After he sold it, it was converted & eventually ended up in Florida where 'Dr. Dave' started on his idea of what a conversion should be - he got bored with it & sold it. Eventually I ended up with it.

All it takes is one determined person & you will see how easily they can turn your tax dollars against you by using the local zoning office as their strong man. You might win & keep your stuff on your land, but at what cost. Then there is the very real vandalism which is so easy to do & almost impossible to prove. Even if you can prove it in court, there is no real incentive for them to pay - this is a very real situation. For ANYONE who says you can collect, I say you can't collect anything from someone who has nothing.

So, I can waste time fighting for the past, or, I can work towards a worthy goal. (Oh, I've hired a lawyer to deal with the aggravation, but I'm not letting that take center stage, nor am I waiting to see what that outcome will be.)

(Edit to add to subject line)

thejumpsuitman · February 20, 2011, 05:48:21 AM

Wow, I was under the impression that SC in general was still a pretty free State. Are you in the city limits?

papatony · February 20, 2011, 09:11:27 AM

I know what you are going thru with the zoning thing. We brought our bus home on Thursday , Monday we had a certified letter from the city. We fought them all summer ,they passed a special ordinance that made it impossible to keep it there.That is why we are 12 miles from town in the sticks. Every thing is loaded against you with gov.

kyle4501 · February 20, 2011, 10:20:31 AM

Quote from: thejumpsuitman on February 20, 2011, 05:48:21 AM
Wow, I was under the impression that SC in general was still a pretty free State. Are you in the city limits?

Nope, out in the country, even on a dirt road! Problem is the wording in the zoning. If you have more than 1 vehicle that does not run for a period of more than 30 days, you are defined as a junk yard & must maintain a privacy buffer & no vehicle can be parked within ~400 feet of the property line. My 15 acres is long enough, but not wide enough.
In order to build a barn or shelter to put them in, another zoning requirement requires I build a storm water detention pond. That is not required for housing, but it is for anything else. Oh, it gets worse - that pond is sized on the amount of 'disturbed earth'. The definition of which includes anything walked on! Seems the new non residential constriction must compensate for all the excessive runoff from the pre-existing construction.

I feel a major reason for all the restrictions is because the builders & developers have a strong lobby & are good at devising ways to entice farmers to sell their land. I'll bet it wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't on a major lake.

If I push back too hard, I risk loosing even more to vandals. So, I will thin the herd, remove all of them from that property. Then I will consider what options I have available.

A wise man once said "Living well is truly the best revenge" . . . .

So, I will focus on living well.

TedsBUSted · February 20, 2011, 11:06:20 AM

Okay, zoning is one issue but vandalism is another.

However, if you mean "vandals" literally, that certainly constitutes crime.
And persons of said mindset probably wouldn't hesitate to carry it further.

There's lots of sophisticated yet inexpensive surveillance gear available today.
The buses are probably a narrow target area which may make catching the vandals not so tough.

If possible, the vandals should be pursued on principal alone.
However, if it's also found that vandals are somehow linked to the other issues that could change a lot of things.

kyle4501 · February 20, 2011, 11:34:24 AM

I don't have the time, money or inclination to persue the vandals - again. BTDT too many times already.

I know who the vandals are, so do the cops, courts, prison, parole officer, etc.

The real problem is the same gov't that busts my a$$ about a zoning violation won't do anything to enforce the conditions of parole. Hence the vandal is free to roam the streets with impunity.

The most frustrating part is that the convicted crooks aren't made to comply with the rules while the victims are. Since that is the world we live in, I'm choosing to take a more pleasant path that will lead to more productive endeavors.

So, How do I liquidate a few buses quickly? I'd like them to be saved, not scrapped.

There are fewer than 25 seated scenicruisers left. The scenicruisers had seats that were unique to them only. Sure, other seats would work, but they wouldn't fit or look right. . . .

Nick Badame Refrig/ACC · February 20, 2011, 03:21:19 PM

Hi Kyle,

Sorry for what you are dealing with! Don't make any sense...

The only thing I can think of is "Storage Shed"

A guy did this here about 2 years ago and is getting away with it.

He took all the wheels off his two 50' containers and it's now NOT concidered a vehicle anymore but, a storage shed!

Just a thought!
Nick-

Charley Davidson · February 20, 2011, 04:45:03 PM

These are the reasons I say "I love my country but hate my government"

I like Nicks idea & think that is the way to go for more than one reason.

You are a good guy & I think you are giving up a fight too soon, but I also understand the "Choose your battles" thing.

I beat the city of Fort Myers Beach @ their own game, when they insisted on my moving my licensed insured bus from some private commercial property @ went as far as threatening the prop. owner with a daily fine. I moved it every night to the after hours free parking right on the new renovated streetscape. I then moved it to another piece of property between 2million dollar homes on a canal, from there I parked in city councels parking lot which is also my bank parking lot, I bet they wished they'd left me alone. The code enforcer was fired shortly after.

artvonne · February 20, 2011, 05:40:25 PM

I hate to say it, but when states and counties, or municipalities start down this road, its not likely youll beat it. You certainly can try, some have been successful, but the vast majority are eventually forced to comply. And just because you win today, dont mean those people wont find another infraction to nail you with tomorrow. You become marked, and they wont give up til your gone.

Charley Davidson · February 20, 2011, 05:59:46 PM

Quote from: artvonne on February 20, 2011, 05:40:25 PM
You become marked, and they wont give up til your gone.

There are more of us than there are them (I don't mean bus nuts I mean American citizens) , so why not turn the tables

kyle4501 · February 20, 2011, 07:51:07 PM

Quote from: Charley Davidson on February 20, 2011, 05:59:46 PM
There are more of us than there are them (I don't mean bus nuts I mean American citizens) , so why not turn the tables

My beef isn't with the zoning office, they are being used by the vandal's parents.
I have found the zoning office has been reasonable to work with in the past. You just have to play by their rules & give them an answer they can accept. Done it before & I can do it again.
The biggest problem is the vandal & his enabling parents. They will keep at it. I need to eliminate the leverage they have over me. Once the buses are gone, they can't hold them ransom (so to speak), & I'll be free to put the lawyers on them.

I simply can't afford the time or money at this time to fight them. I've done so in the past & 'won' the court decision, but I got nothing for my efforts.

belfert · February 20, 2011, 08:16:27 PM

The trouble with zoning is it is almost never enforced unless a neighbor complains. Several of my neighbors have vehicles stored outside against regulations, but they don't bother me and the neighbors put with my bus work so I don't report them. The city actually did property inspections last summer and they claim to have no issues with my yard. They obviously didn't look too hard as my trash can storage violates code plus I had a large pile of trash at the time that has since been removed.

A gentleman I know got in trouble with his city over not storing his popup camper on gravel or a paved surface. He got upset and went around the neighborhood and wrote down every violation he could find. He kept the city zoning office busy for weeks.

OneLapper · February 20, 2011, 08:37:09 PM

PM'd ya!

Barn Owl · February 20, 2011, 08:51:22 PM

This is the kind of story that makes me ill.

I like the storage shed idea and have seen a neighbor pull a similar trick here in VA, but he went the other way. He built a large storage shed and attached old metal farm wheels to it. That way he claimed it wasn't a permanent structure that could be moved and avoided the property tax hit.

You might want to try and contact the Commonwealth Coach and Trolley Museum. Bev Fitzpatrick is a part of that group and also the Executive Director for the Virginia Museum of Transportation. They don't have any money to speak of, but he does have a track record of saving buses and trains. At a minimum he might have some contacts that could be interested in saving them. Keep us posted on this.

oldmansax · February 21, 2011, 05:12:21 AM

Kyle,

My heart goes out to you. Just for clarification, is it a county law of a state law you have run afoul of? I am asking because I had considered moving to SC & won't if it is that strict statewide.

I have a similar problem here in Maryland. We bought a piece of land with a shop on it in a mostly residential area. One neighbor complained about the bus. We have since had a running battle. The zoning guy is pretty decent but the neighbor is a not. I know exactly how you feel about winning one battle only to have another one pop up. Where does it stop, right?

The only thing I have not done so far is sell the property to a group of hard core bikers or drug runners. And I might do that yet. I hate to ruin the neighborhood for the rest of the landowners but they have been content to stand by & not help either.I am fast approaching the point of I don't care what happens.

I hope you have success.

TOM