Time to "Pay The Piper"

As with anything we cherish, whether freedom, family, God or funnel cakes, we are sometimes called upon to stand and fight. And it appears that time has come for those of us who are involved in the auto entusiast hobby.

Communities around the state are beginning to punish restorers and other hobbyists by taking away their right to have the parts and unrestored vehicles anywhere on their property, even though state law allows it. There have already been several cases. The short take: communities are using Rule 80K to declare anyone who has an old, unregistered vehicle, or parts on their property as having an automotive junkyard, in violation of land use ordinances. They have opted to not differentiate between someone who simply has a junkyard, and someone who restores autos, which appears to be contrary to state law. They do this knowing that the average person does not have the funds to fight it through the courts, to the state level.

If you like this hobby, and wish for it to be preserved, then you have an obligation to contact and pressure your legislators to protect your hobby, and prevent communities from destroying your rights.

Here are some emails from those who have been "punished", and more info on what you can do to help fight this.

HotKarz.com is here to help - we have created a petition that you are requested to "sign". As soon as we get enough signatures, we will mail (both by snail mail AND email) copies of the petition and signatures to all Maine Representatives. We will remind them that this petition represents enough voter support to make a real difference in the next election!

In addition, I will also pass out paper copies at the Stratham show, the New Gloucester show and the York show. I hope some of you will help get them signed (but only by MAINE residents, folks you know). And I will ask you to bring a couple home, to get friends, associates and families to sign on. This only works if YOU work to make it happen.

I would also ask each of you to contact your car friends further north, who don't get down this way very often, and have them print copies of the petition found here, and get them signed and have them return them to me at this address as soon as possible:

Bill Vaughn
5 North Road
Limington ME 04049

And ask them to pass the word to their own friends, even further north. We really need to get names, and lots of them.

If each of us fails to stand and be counted, then we deserve to lose.

Roxy adds: "I did not know this was all over the State of Maine. Ron M___, a guy working on my vehicle, had a lot of parts in Uncle Henry's. I called him about a part I needed, and he said he has a piece of property way out back on a wooded lot with a few donor cars he needed. He was ordered by the Town of So. Paris to get rid of everything or go to court. He said he did not have the money to fight them in court, so he was trying to sell and get rid of vehicles and parts as quickly as possible."

It is happening all over the state, folks. And if you or your friends restore vehicles, sooner or later you will find yourself on the wrong end of this - unless we put a stop to it right now!

Sign the petition. Get others to sign. Contact all friends and relatives throughout Maine. Either that, or we lose the right to restore vehicles - or even BUY them, since no one will be able to restore them and offer them for resale.