City Code Violations (mechanic / automotive repair) Florida

[Kingtal0n]

Hi, I was wondering if anyone could tell me more about code violations in florida (broward country .... coconut creek, florida)

for instance , it says I can "change spark plugs" and "work on the battery" and "change tires" things like that.

But what if my spark plugs are buried beneath my intercooler plumbing or valve covers (for instance).

Furthermore it does not say I cannot clean misc. metal parts in my driveway- So what is the difference between pulling off, say, a valve cover from my car, and cleaning it there... vs parking my car in the garage (legal) and taking the valvecover outside to clean it.


also it doesnt say anything about the interior, can I remove seats? Wire radios? change the carpet? whats the difference between changing and cleaning carpet?

[hobbs]

These codes are put in place to keep up appearances, nothing more. Simple jobs that only take a couple of minutes such as changing the spark plugs or swapping out a battery are permitted. Jobs where you have the entire car apart is not visually appealing when you have parts strewn all over your driveway. Unless you own a GTi-R your spark plugs are not buried under an intercooler.

Your example of cleaning the carpet vs replacing the carpet:

Cleaning carpet - Remove floor mats and vacuum.

Replacing carpet - Remove floor mats, remove front seats, remove rear seat bottom, unbolt seatbelts, remove center console, remove various other trim plastics, remove carpet.

Your usual personality of getting over technical about everything won't work with local governments, they are pretty clear cut about the rules, either you obey the rules or you move, simple as that. If you're going to try and get them on a technicality like you're pointing out in this thread, it's the fastest way to end up on someones shit list. Most likely the person who hands out the violations and they will be watching you.

[Kingtal0n]

So I Need to know what I can and cannot do. I was told I cannot even change spark plugs which was a lie already. So Now where is my list? can I do belts? Can I do oil for real? trans fluids? 1 day repairs I should be able to do... but I was told I could NOT. I just want the total truth.

there is no place on the coconut creek website with any rules about auto repair / maintenance

[Frank_Jaeger]

The last time I checked this was America.

[VROOOM]

These codes are put in place to keep up appearances, nothing more. Simple jobs that only take a couple of minutes such as changing the spark plugs or swapping out a battery are permitted. Jobs where you have the entire car apart is not visually appealing when you have parts strewn all over your driveway. Unless you own a GTi-R your spark plugs are not buried under an intercooler.

Your example of cleaning the carpet vs replacing the carpet:

Cleaning carpet - Remove floor mats and vacuum.

Replacing carpet - Remove floor mats, remove front seats, remove rear seat bottom, unbolt seatbelts, remove center console, remove various other trim plastics, remove carpet.

Your usual personality of getting over technical about everything won't work with local governments, they are pretty clear cut about the rules, either you obey the rules or you move, simple as that. If you're going to try and get them on a technicality like you're pointing out in this thread, it's the fastest way to end up on someones shit list. Most likely the person who hands out the violations and they will be watching you.

Mazdaspeed3 has spark plugs hidden under the intercooler

[JBB]

Are you asking because someone has already given you shit about doing something in your driveway?

I pulled a motor out in my apartment complex parking lot at 1am on a Saturday night...with a 30 ft. extension cable running from my garage to power a set of spot lights.

I think as long as you don't piss anyone off they will usually leave you alone. It seems like you may have already pissed someone off though, so maybe take it easy and do what you can inside of your garage

[Kingtal0n]

I talked with the city's code enforcement officer, she said that the law is very vague about what you can or can not do. basically she said as long as the car is registered to me, and I am not running a mechanic shop, I can do whatever I want to it... Except pull the engine or transmission.

I think the neighbors are just always seeing me in/under different cars all the time so they figured I must be running a mechanic service. but the truth is I just love to drive different cars and learn new things.

I keep it real with the environment, I am thinking about writing (with harmless chalk) the chemical structure of ethylene glycol on the street in front of my house... that way I can say there is coolant on the ground each morning and ask what is leaking :D


better yet, color some distilled water purple/green with food coloring. Pour it under the car and when someone freaks out take a huge drink from the bottle XD

Ignorance... individuals that "see" anything- colored liquid for instance- stereotyping and classifying it as "harmful to the ducks and fish" without understanding a shred of chemistry.

[K_style]

Wouldn't this belong in Regional section?? Just wondering...

[sopyretuen]

It seems like you may have already pissed someone off though, so maybe take it easy and do what you can inside of your garagehttp://goo.gl/0AtosF

[Gnnr]

It depends where you live in Broward. If you live in appearance natzi Weston, good fucking luck. lol

If you are in a community with an HOA, it depends how relaxed your neighbors or HOA are.

If you are in unincorporated Broward and have no HOA, pretty much anything goes.

[imotion s14]

its pretty cheap to rent a storage space and work on your car there.

[Kuma]

I talked with the city's code enforcement officer, she said that the law is very vague about what you can or can not do. basically she said as long as the car is registered to me, and I am not running a mechanic shop, I can do whatever I want to it... Except pull the engine or transmission.

I think the neighbors are just always seeing me in/under different cars all the time so they figured I must be running a mechanic service. but the truth is I just love to drive different cars and learn new things.

I keep it real with the environment, I am thinking about writing (with harmless chalk) the chemical structure of ethylene glycol on the street in front of my house... that way I can say there is coolant on the ground each morning and ask what is leaking :D


better yet, color some distilled water purple/green with food coloring. Pour it under the car and when someone freaks out take a huge drink from the bottle XD

Ignorance... individuals that "see" anything- colored liquid for instance- stereotyping and classifying it as "harmful to the ducks and fish" without understanding a shred of chemistry.

no offense, but it kind of sounds like you're an asshole... which is why your neighbors call in on you... or your house is ugly and your neighbors are calling in on anything they can to try to get you to move so someone will move in that works on their house more than their car. If you are loud, have a bunch of leaking, smoking, ugly loud cars it drives other people's home values down. if you don't paint your house or mow your lawn, it drives other people's home values down. People with nice houses don't appreciate that shit. You want the law off your back, don't draw attention with childish pranks.




or you could live "on the way home" to a city official's house and he's a prick that reports everything... in which case, sucks to be you, brah.

[Frank_Jaeger]

its pretty cheap to rent a storage space and work on your car there.
You know I believe you should be able to work on your own car in your own driveway. Last time I checked this was America.

[zurud]

Yes this is America. In America, every city , county and state have different laws on everything. Research and read. You can't do everything you want because it is America.

[imotion s14]

You know I believe you should be able to work on your own car in your own driveway. Last time I checked this was America.

Your right ends where mine's begins. If one doesn't want to deal with HOAs then don't move to a place with one. I keep all of the big projects inside of my garage. You're 22 and i'm going to assume you don't own a nice house. If you did you wouldn't want some broke ass 240 kid putting his car on jackstands with parts and shit strewn all across the lawn in your neighborhood either.

[Frank_Jaeger]

Your right ends where mine's begins. If one doesn't want to deal with HOAs then don't move to a place with one. I keep all of the big projects inside of my garage. You're 22 and i'm going to assume you don't own a nice house. If you did you wouldn't want some broke ass 240 kid putting his car on jackstands with parts and shit strewn all across the lawn in your neighborhood either.
In this case rights begin and end at property lines, unless you're telling me that somehow your rights extend onto my property? Not that I own property, I prefer pissing money in the form of rent.

No one is talking about quasi-legal HOAs, this thread is about local ordinance. If you enter some kind of contract with an association as a homeowner, then that's you willingly giving up your rights. However I don't see how city codes forbidding you from working on your own car in your own driveway are constitutional. Specific laws targeting the environment, i.e. spilling oil? Sure. But not blanket statutes.

Also my garage is too small to fit a car so my broke down 240sx which has been sitting for over 10 months is rotting in the driveway. In front of it is my roommate's wrecked X type which has been sitting and rotting for even longer. My grass gets cut maybe once or twice a month and raccoons often knock over the trash can where the trash will lay for weeks on end.