2 thoughts on “Suburban Family Fights for Constitutional Right to Front-Yard Cookie Stand”
If this really is a misapplication of the local code being used for personal vendetta then I can see pursuing legal action. I would first verify, however, that this is not like the basketball hoop case recently where the town decided to enforce its code (probably at the behest of a resident who finally got some political muscle and wanted to flex it) and removed hoops from people’s property. Those people were in violation of the code, had been notified, but tried to defend their position by saying, in essence, that they had been breaking the law for years without penalty and they didn’t think they should be required to adhere to it now.
If this cookie issue is a case of random enforcement of existing code then I would think the approach should be different. First people should push for consistent enforcement of ALL cases where the code should apply. Then, when you have a large number of people who have been inconvenienced by the police shutting down their garage sales, home products parties, team car washes etc., you will have the support to force the local council to change the code.
Doing things the right way often causes short term pain or inconvenience and does not give us the immediate results we want, but it leaves you in a much better protected position in the future.
2 thoughts on “Suburban Family Fights for Constitutional Right to Front-Yard Cookie Stand”
If this really is a misapplication of the local code being used for personal vendetta then I can see pursuing legal action. I would first verify, however, that this is not like the basketball hoop case recently where the town decided to enforce its code (probably at the behest of a resident who finally got some political muscle and wanted to flex it) and removed hoops from people’s property. Those people were in violation of the code, had been notified, but tried to defend their position by saying, in essence, that they had been breaking the law for years without penalty and they didn’t think they should be required to adhere to it now.
If this cookie issue is a case of random enforcement of existing code then I would think the approach should be different. First people should push for consistent enforcement of ALL cases where the code should apply. Then, when you have a large number of people who have been inconvenienced by the police shutting down their garage sales, home products parties, team car washes etc., you will have the support to force the local council to change the code.
Doing things the right way often causes short term pain or inconvenience and does not give us the immediate results we want, but it leaves you in a much better protected position in the future.