Subdivisions Voicing Concern on Parking of Vehicles in Subdivisions

St. Louis County should be taking a look at the growing problem of vehicles being parked in subdivisions, particularly commercial vehicles. Vehicles in question include commercial vans, buses, limousines, ambulances, tractor trailers and more. Other vehicles in question include recreational vehicles (RVs), trailers, boats, campers, motorcycles, tractors and other miscellaneous vehicles. While most are parked on pavement, there’s a growing number being parked on the grass or in the backyard.

This topic is rapidly becoming a hot issue as subdivision trustees endeavor to maintain a good appearance in their subdivisions. One commented these vehicles are “visual pollution.” No one likes to look out their window every day to see a commercial vehicle parked across the street. Another cited an example of a 25 foot recreational vehicle that’s parked in a driveway in his subdivision. He said the RV has not been moved in over a year.

The real question is if these vehicles are “parked” or “stored.” There’s a difference. If it’s “parked,” it’s being used on a regular basis. If it just sits there, it’s “stored.” He said if someone can afford a large RV, they should be able to afford to store it some place other than their driveway.

Some companies allow employees to drive their company van home from work and report to their next job direct from their home the next day. This also releases the company from providing overnight parking and security at their company location. It also is a form of advertising if their name and company information is painted on the van or truck.

One subdivision has a restriction on allowing trucks to be parked in their subdivision – either in the street or in the driveway. Trucks must be parked in a garage. One homeowner parks his family car in the driveway, while his son’s pickup truck is in the garage. (Note: We do not have the name of this subdivision available, but will endeavor to obtain it and report it in a future article.)

County regulations require vehicles to be parked on pavement, but reports from various subdivisions say the County is not enforcing the regulation. One cited a situation where a resident had a trailer parked on pavement on the side of his house, but had to drive over the lawn to get there. The department responsible for enforcement is headed by Garry Earls of St. Louis County. Earls is ignoring a problem that won’t go away and will get a lot worse before it gets better. Regulations are regulations and must be enforced.

We visited an adjoining subdivision to see if we could find some of these problems. We took the following series of photos, some of which are in direct violation of County regulations, while others may be acceptable. What do you think?


This residence has a gravel driveway next to a paved driveway. Vehicles are usually parked on the gravel driveway to allow the family vehicle access to the garage.



NOTE: Click on photos to enlarge.




This homeowner stores his boat in the driveway. The boat is actually larger than their vehicle. Is this "parked" or "stored?"




This boat & trailer is parked on pavement next to thehouse. The homeowner provided pavement access from the driveway to the parking area.





Here's a clear cut case of storing their camper at curbside but in their driveway. Since it's stored at the end of the driveway, they can access both side of their garage.





The family RV parked within a few feet of the curb. Is this "visual polution?" Is it "parked" or "stored?"





This is an unmarked truck and trailer and could be either a commercial vehicle or for personal use.






Here's a resident that has the guts to store his camper in the street. Admittedly, this is a dead-end street, but are there any legal implications here?

What happens if everybody stored their campers and boats in the street?



This boat and trailer is stored on the ground next to their driveway - clearly in violation of county ordinances.

REMINDER: Click on photos to enlarge.


The subdivision where these photos were taken does not have a formal association or elected trustees. They do not have any common ground or lighting expenses. They have brickwork at their entrance which periodically needs repair. When needed, the subdivision seeks donations from residents.

What are your thoughts? Any Comments? Are these vehicles and trailers legally parked or not? What does your subdivision allow? Click on COMMENTS below to share your thoughts with other subdivision trustees.

County Moves Forward With Trash Program in Spite of Unenforcement

In spite of the admittance the regulation is unenforceable, County officials have instructed their designated haulers to continue billing residents for trash services. This puts residents in a very peculiar situation.

Since the regulation is not enforceable, a homeowner can change to another hauler of their choice. At the same time, the designated hauler will continue to invoice the homeowner - thus they will be paying twice.

If the county cannot enforce the regulation, the trash haulers certainly cannot. This places the designated haulers in a sticky position of trying to collect money from residents who did not order their service for a regulation that is not enforceable. Does this make sense?

Here's one resident's experience:

"Today, October 1, 2008, a call was made to the County telephone number given on the website at 615-4285 (615-HAUL) where you can get answers to your questions about the trash program. The question asked was, "Is it true that I can chose a trash hauler even if I am in an assigned trash district ?"

The first answer was that this is still a legal question. When further questioned, the employee said, "Yes, you can pick another trash hauler, but you will also have to pay the trash hauler that was selected by St. Louis County." When asked what law or ordinance allows his, the answer was that this is what we were instructed to tell you.

How is this fair Mr. Dooley? Or even legal?"