I didn't know this ...

[Lightweight_911]

.

I just read this in Jay Leno's column in the latest edition of Octane :

"I don't know how it is in other countries but, in the United States, in many communities it is now illegal to work on your own car in your own garage, even with the door shut. Many homeowners' associations have passed by-laws making it illegal to own & keep at home anything more than just basic handtools. Screwdrivers, hammers & suchlike are OK; welding equipment, lathes & so on are not."

.

[jwhillracer]

And yet you can walk down the road and buy half a dozen automatic rifles without a problem.
America scares me.
JW

[hot66]

and they panic if they see female nipples

[orkneydave]

That's just nuts! Although I did know that there are byelaws in many towns in the States preventing the hanging out of washing as it looks "untidy"!

[KS]

That's just nuts! Although I did know that there are byelaws in many towns in the States preventing the hanging out of washing as it looks "untidy"!

Actually, quite a few properties in this country have covenants which state you can't hang washing outside. Crazy but true...

[cubist]

and they panic if they see female nipples

Unless they're on a favourite hog...

[rhd racer]

That's just nuts! Although I did know that there are byelaws in many towns in the States preventing the hanging out of washing as it looks "untidy"!

Actually, quite a few properties in this country have covenants which state you can't hang washing outside. Crazy but true...

And a good many also prohibit keeping caravans, motorhomes or commercial vans on drives too. Most are temporary covenants put in place when new estates are built that should, but often aren’t, removed after the last plot is sold.

I can’t imagine they are very often enforced. It was a potential issue at one of our old properties and our solicitor advised that you would have to REALLY annoy someone for them to pursue you this way

[911hillclimber]

I read that too in Octane.
I seem to remember old 50's/60's USA films about these kind of controlled areas, almost science fiction in their day.

We have a 'ban' on our 50 year old estate about changing the public face of our houses, the mock Georgian style has to be maintained.
Supposedly, you also cannot run a business from the houses, and to have your liveried van on the drive...a no-no, but the plumber next door ignores that (it is a cul-de-sac), no big deal.

I know the appearance issue is still in force, but you can have a coloured front door!

Anyway, so much for the USA being the Land of the Free.

[jjeffries]

I came to the US in 1981 as a 15 year old from Bristol.

Re. the matter at hand: these are private developments, condominium associations. A drive around any American area, coast-to-coast and especially in between, will show you more freedom than you'd ever want to see, and it's often not good: old cars, and not the kind anyone dreams of, moldering away and crap strewn about. Jules Balme once said it best: "Americans have too much space". True dat.

And.... you guys have your own fair share of rules you're forced to adhere to, no?

Yes, the gun thing is utterly and unspeakably absurd. Racism still impacts much of society's fabric. Wilfull ignorance may be the citizenship's biggest sin... it certainly allowed our current appalling leadership crisis (y'all have one of those too, right?). But whenever I visit GB, I'm always glad/relieved to arrive back to "New England".

To which you guys may justifiable say: "Good riddance!"

Best wishes to all, hopefully things get back to normal soon, although it was pretty Abby-Normal before the pandemic arrived.

John/Connecticut