Are their local laws for clothes lines??

Amazingly enough, I even chuckled at the subject line, but I do know of places that have well drawn out "laundry" laws...sort of like burn laws in a way. There are days you can and can't, and there are also places you can and cannot.

My husband thinks it's an eyesore either way, and being raised on a farm, I'm sort of used to it...

I'm trying to come up with ways to "cut back" on things where we can, and obviously the sun is a natural resource that's plenty usable. Unless there are local laws governing it otherwise.

Anyone have any input on this one?? Husband thinks I'm silly, and embarrasing, but he said if I got fined for using the sun he'd kill me! LOL!

Thanks!!

 

If you live in a subdivision, you need to check your restrictive covenants. Other than that, I know of no local ordinaces prohibiting it. Someone correct me if I am wrong please. Start with your covenants though. If you don't have a copy, you can get them online throught the Johnston County website. If you have a HOA, start with them. 8)

 

Ahhh, nothing like the smell of line dried sheets, covenants be damned, if its your back yard, screw them. but kep the under things for the dryer,LOL:cheers:

 

And unfortunately if you have covenants but no HOA, you are totally out of luck. We are in a situation with people blatently disobeying the covenants in our neighborhood and purposely trying to get several households upset but since we have no HOA we can't enforce the covenants. Our only recourse is to hire an attorney and take them to civil court which is what will likely end up happening.

 

We have always hung clothes on the line. I have never thought of them as an eye sore (although we do put personals in the dryer). To me, it saves energy and money and right now, we need all the savings we can get. I do not know what the laws are for some places, but peronally, I think if there are, it is silly! Because of things like that is why we will never live some place that has a HOA or anything like that. Lived in a place that did one and hated it!! I think more people should use clothes lines. But that is JMO

 

Can I ask which neighborhood you live in? We have a similar situation here...

 

If you can erect a clothes line legally, paint the clothes line posts black. That will help them from being eyesores. The line itself won't be that visible. I grew up in a small town setting (actually just outside one) and having a clothes line isn't that big a deal. Although we don't have one now. Anyway, another thing that makes them eyesores are poles that begin to lean and get rusty and the wire lines that sag.

Just be careful though. If you put one up, remind your husband to duck his head when cutting grass.

 

*

 

There is where I live so I hang them on the deck. The line runs from one railing to the other, It's only a little over 3 ft high so the neighbors can't see it. I put most of the things on hangers and they are dry in less than a hour.
I've been doing it for 5 years and nobody has complained. BYE:iagree:

 

Mercy Me! I cannot for the life of me figure out why this is such as issue. However, I am a native North Carolinian, who never lived anyplace without a clothesline until I was 21. My first experience with a dryer was when I moved to Texas. The only advantage I saw was my clothes didn't freeze stiff in the winter, lol! I love to see clothes flapping in the breeze, takes me back to a simpler time. Wish I could do it now, but hubby's allergies and bird poop prohibit it!

 

In this case I think the opposite is true. If you have covenants prohibiting clotheslines (common) but no HOA -i.e. enforcement- just go for it. I know of no statue prohibiting clotheslines; God knows, the cops have better things to do...

If you choose to be an inconsiderate neighbor* (which I doubt, given you thought to ask the question in the first place) Karma will catch up with you.

*Fer instance, hangin' yer bloomers in the front yard for a week...

Apologies in advance for the threadjack, but if I wanted to live where the HOA rules with an iron fist I would move to Cary!

 

Well, there is a huge difference in a HOA and covenants. The HOA enforces the covenants and can modify them when a majority vote of the board agrees. For me, I would not move into a neighborhood where the covenants and I don't agree-such as telling me how long the blades of grass in my yard should be or what color Christmas lights I can hang out front. The covenants in our neighborhood are just normal and reasonable (nothing about clotheslines either) but basic stuff like fences have to begin at the back corner of the house vs. fencing in the front yard. Or not keeping multiple junked inoperable vehicles in your yard in plain sight. My point is that people freak when they hear of covenants and HOA but it is not always a Cary type of situation. In our neighborhood, it just calls for decency and respect and there is a family who has neither attribute that lives here. So I'm counting on the Karma to get them!

 

You make an excellent point about covenants.

It makes good sense to communicate what kind of behaviors are and are not acceptable within a neighborhood, particularly out in the county where there are few legal restrictions. If I recall correctly, a covenant by definition is an agreement to specific obligations between two parties, more of a contract than a law.

I guess what I really wanted to say was that if one of my neighbors had a problem with me I would rather resolve it with a polite conversation than receive hate mail from an HOA.

 

Neighborhood

For the individual that asked about where we live-my mailing address is "Smithfield," but technically I guess you could say we're sort of Claytonish. LOL! We are right off of Cleveland School, the second development off of Dickenson.

Embarrasingly enough, I can't even FIND my HOA rules and regulations!! I'm not that type of "neighbor," usually, so unless I had to look up something that would concern ME not following the rules, chances are, unless it was endangering the kiddos or something complelely dangerous and illegal, I'd say I'm not a bit worried about what my neighbors do (or don't do). However, since I don't like to stir the water, I don't want to be the water, either!! LOL!

I totally agree with everyone here that laundry lines seem small in the grand scheme of things to worry about. Certainly I think so. My husband was a "city boy," though, and hanging things out to dry or even growing his own food seems a little strange to him. I grew up on a big farm-he played in the park whereas I played in the mud!! Both of us have comforts from childhood, but I'm a bit simpler, and laundry swishing makes me smile!! Heck, I envy kids that get to play in the mud now!!

Thanks to everyone that responded! I'm going to probaby go with something retractable for now. I also loved the idea of the post with the birdhouse on it. I love watching the birds, too, so maybe I'll treat them at the same time...that is if they promise NOT to play with my laundry! LOL!!:hurray:

 

I was the one who asked where you live because I didn't want to cause any trouble. I don't know anyone here except by their call name and surely don't know anyone on here by sight or real name. LOL I liked the idea of putting up a retractable line with a birdhouse on the pole. Wish I had though of that.

(We're having trouble in our neighborhood and we think we know who the troublemaker is, but we aren't 100% sure. Someone complained because we had a 2 year old running around outside, playing in the sprinkler, in his diaper! It was 95 degrees and the 2 toddlers were playing with one of their Elmo water-squirting toys and someone saw the 2 year old in his diaper. Dear God, what is the world coming to when a 2 year old is allowed to play in the yard in his diaper when it's hot out? We must be terrible people and unacceptable neighbors, right?)

 

My kids ran around in diapers/training pants playing in the sprinkler LOTS when they were little...and they LOVED hiding between the clothes, sheets and towels when I hung the laundry out. Your neighbors must have no life

 

Oh my - I'd be lost without my clothes line. I hate the thought of giving any more money than I have to to the electric company so up on the line they go. I grew up in upstate NY and we all had them and no matter where I moved, still had one.

 

:iagree:

No life and more money than sense. (Can ya tell I'm kinda ****y about the whole episode?????)

 

Dang, my memory is good. :lol:

http://www.4042.com/4042forums/showthread.php?t=14727&highlight=Americana

 

I knew you'd find it. :lol:
I was 2 lazy to look it up.

Hey, now that I think about it, I CAN have a clothes line now. Woo Hoo!