Arizona Town Cracks Down on Project Cars With Single ‘Inoperable’ Vehicle Limit

Car enthusiasts and collectors are having a rough go. There have been the right-to-repair battles in Maine and Massachusetts that eventually led to the feds getting involved. Kei cars have been banned and then (hopefully) unbanned in Rhode Island and Massachusetts (again?). But now the Southwest wants in on the anti-auto action by limiting “inoperable” vehicles to just one, even on private property.

Welcome to Gilbert, Arizona. Located about 30 minutes southeast of Phoenix and with a population of nearly 300,000, the city is ranked among one of the fastest-growing in the country. Because of that, there’s no shortage of planned neighborhoods among the older homes and communities that date back to its 1920s hay day (Gilbert was once the Hay Capital of the World).

To maintain its modern prestige, Gilbert has rules against blight and appearance. All cities do. However, some recent proposals to the city’s Community Preservation Ordinance specifically target non-moving cars located on a person’s home property. And the backyard, which is generally hidden from public view, is fair game.

The intent is to curb the number of abandoned and unused vehicles. Yet the wording of the proposed changes is both vague and specific. The Gilbert Sun News reports that if adopted, the changes would limit the number of inoperable vehicles on a property to just one versus the current rule of however many you want.

Although any number of cars can be kept onsite, they must be completely hidden from view via an “opaque” fence or wall, and none can be left in the front yard (does this include the driveway?). Exceptions are if the vehicle is registered to a resident, is undergoing repair, and its stationary status doesn’t last more than 15 days. But you can only use this as a get-out-of-jail-free card three times a year.

Residents were asked for feedback, which the council members presented in a slew of questions during its September 10 city council meeting. This included requesting clarification on what constitutes an inoperable vehicle.

Gilbert Planning Manager Eva Cutro said anything that can’t be legally driven on public roads or move on its own is considered inop. Trailers and campers are generally exempt. Same with anything being worked on for maintenance or mods, so long as those vehicles are hidden from view. Basically, feel free to work on a car, as long as it is your car, but don’t let anyone see you get dirty.

This will get some communities cleaned up, for sure, as neighbors have already begun reporting on backyard blight. And heaven help you if you only have a single-car garage but a small rotating collection of inop, dailies, and weekend canyon carvers. But it also creates a problem for small businesses, like mobile mechanics, a market that has grown in recent years.

While oil changes can be handled within a couple of hours, some repairs and parts replacement will take much longer, possibly exceeding that 15-day window. Also, because of the vehicle registration clause, owners must keep their cars onsite, limiting the mechanic’s access. The same goes for DIYers working on a long-term project or race car, some of which aren’t registered to the owner because, I don’t know, they don’t have an engine yet or are track-only cars? A ragged cover won’t work this time, folks.

Chimed Town Attorney Christopher Payne, “The HOAs can set their own rules on this. They can have their own rules be more strict or less strict.” Well, that’s comforting? Thankfully, the garage remains a judgment-free zone.

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