# Is a plow a car part?



## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

So the township claimed that my plow was a "car part" and i could not store it outside. What do you think? is it a car part? Maybe i should take a video of it mounted to a skid steer so i can prove its not a car part. 

but hey, i wanted to do some refurbishing on it in the spring. im allowed to do periodic repairs on cars, now they wont be able to claim im working on equipment. chuckles.


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## SnoFarmer (Oct 15, 2004)

township ir your hosing authority for the subdivision.
What are convents?

care to share the ordnance # they cited so we can read what it say's, with out it we all just giving a blind opinion.
or what it says in the covets


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

..........


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## White Gardens (Oct 29, 2008)

I would talk to your insurance agent. 

The majority of the time, carriers will insure a plow under inland marine insurance. 

This technically makes a plow a piece of equipment. So, not a car part. Then you would have to talk to the village and see what their stance is on storing equipment at your residence. 


.....


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

White Gardens;1906542 said:


> I would talk to your insurance agent.
> 
> The majority of the time, carriers will insure a plow under inland marine insurance.
> 
> ...


That's actually a pretty good idea. think ill talk to my lawyer about that. I infact do have an inland policy on one of them.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

SnoFarmer;1906528 said:


> township ir your hosing authority for the subdivision.
> What are convents?
> 
> care to share the ordnance # they cited so we can read what it say's, with out it we all just giving a blind opinion.
> or what it says in the covets


The town i live in

https://www.municode.com/library/mi...}&nodeId=PT126_126.000VESTREORNO307EFMA231984


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

Judge said basicialy that "I" am using it as a car part. My argumetn was that it is equipment, capable of hooking to a vehicle, the same as many other tractors, skidsteers, ect.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Tell them it's a yard ornament


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

1olddogtwo;1906562 said:


> Tell them it's a yard ornament


i laugh, but ya know what. there are folks who keep tractors, and with the "art" they are making in this down. its actually not that far fetched. although i would have to stop using it to pull that one off.


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## gmcsirrra (Dec 12, 2014)

how could it be any different from say a trailer you hook it up to your vehical sort of like a plow ?


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

A trailer is a vechile all by itself as defined by michigan code


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

One Question.......Is the plow the only "car part" in your yard??

Or is your yard Full of "car parts" ????.......:whistling::whistling:


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

iv got a motorcycle in the back. they havnt brought that up for some reason.


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## maxwellp (Feb 16, 2013)

No - Because it is not required to use the vehicle on the road. It is not OEM and did not come with a vehicle. 
I am lucky I have to such silly ordinances where I am. I do leave just outside but try and keep it put away. Just built a 60x80 to put things in. I had a smashed up 2000 Dodge 2500 sitting outside for a bit. But that would drive Kalamazoo nuts. Ha


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

they did make me put my parts truck in the garage.

which is reason i don't have room for my 2nd plow in there.
lol


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## Mr.Markus (Jan 7, 2010)

Next question they will ask is "Are you operating a business out of your home?" Are you zoned appropriately, paying business property taxes...etc. You might want to be careful who you try to one up here..


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

Actually setteled that one the same day. along with several other things. They tried to claim i was breaking the home occupation laws by running a business. course. They also wanted me to pay 350 bucks to ask if i can do it, just so they can say no and keep my 350. Thank the lord the judge ruled that I was not operating a business in my home. on the basis that all i am doing is parking my vehicle there. so as long as i do not change my habbits, the only thing they can do is state my trailer is parked within 5' of the property line and say i cant have a trailer.

im planning on parking my trailer at a storage place in the spring anyway, but i don't want to have to pay for it on the off season.


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## GimmeSnow!! (Oct 23, 2008)

The city got on me a couple years ago. I was moving the plows to my house and the mowers to my shop. I had four plows in front of my pole barn and the inspector left me a note on my door that I was not allowed to run a business out of my house. I called him and told him that I wasn't running a business I had some plows there. He said that I couldnt have plows outside like that. I told him that there were plenty of other homeowners on my street that had plows and left them outside. He said yeah but they only have one, not a bunch of them. I decided to be a smartass and tell him some people collect boats and four wheelers and crap, I collect plows and just happen to own a landscaping business and that he needed to back off. Long story short I left the plows out just long enough that he couldn't get it to court in time (mostly just because I was very busy). I cleaned them up and put them in my pole barn for the summer. Now he goes down my street at least once a month looking for something to ***** at me about. He let me know that he is the authority and that I can't fight him. Don't make the same mistake I did. Just conform the best you can because the inspector for the local government can make your life hell if he wants to.


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## peteo1 (Jul 4, 2011)

You run a western on your truck right? Go spend ten bucks for those stupid reindeer antlers people out on their car and say it's freaking Rudolph Thumbs Up


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

peteo1;1906627 said:


> You run a western on your truck right? Go spend ten bucks for those stupid reindeer antlers people out on their car and say it's freaking Rudolph Thumbs Up


lol thats funny

My Parents and I store some of our equipment on our property we have not had any issues with any thing but my deed does say I cant use the land run a business on it.

On a side note check your deed and see if you can use the property for commercial or not. In my opinion I dont like people telling me what I can and cannot have on my own land they can go suck a pair of nuts.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

GimmeSnow!!;1906613 said:


> The city got on me a couple years ago. I was moving the plows to my house and the mowers to my shop. I had four plows in front of my pole barn and the inspector left me a note on my door that I was not allowed to run a business out of my house. I called him and told him that I wasn't running a business I had some plows there. He said that I couldnt have plows outside like that. I told him that there were plenty of other homeowners on my street that had plows and left them outside. He said yeah but they only have one, not a bunch of them. I decided to be a smartass and tell him some people collect boats and four wheelers and crap, I collect plows and just happen to own a landscaping business and that he needed to back off. Long story short I left the plows out just long enough that he couldn't get it to court in time (mostly just because I was very busy). I cleaned them up and put them in my pole barn for the summer. Now he goes down my street at least once a month looking for something to ***** at me about. He let me know that he is the authority and that I can't fight him. Don't make the same mistake I did. Just conform the best you can because the inspector for the local government can make your life hell if he wants to.


Iv won in court more times than not once i get to an actual judge. you just have to know the law, usually ordinance officers don't know the law no more than cops do.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

Put a mount on your Big Wheel and tell them its part of your toy.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

1olddogtwo;1907086 said:


> Put a mount on your Big Wheel and tell them its part of your toy.


was thinking of doing it to a skid steer


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

you have a skid steer ?


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

nop. but i can rent one.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

the judges opinion was that i was using it as a car part. if he sees it on a skid steer, then its a skidsteer part and not a car part.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

if they have an issue with the plow alone Im sure they are going to have an issue with the skid steer


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## CowboysLC_DE (Aug 17, 2013)

Sounds like you have strict ordinance codes to begin with but it is a piece of equipment not a car part. Show them your tax returns if needed and the plows should be written off as equipment, which is a separate category from vehicle parts/work.

Michael


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

xgiovannix12;1907108 said:


> if they have an issue with the plow alone Im sure they are going to have an issue with the skid steer


If i have a skidsteer i only have it at the house over night. has never been an issue.


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## 1olddogtwo (Aug 6, 2007)

birddseedd;1907121 said:


> If i have a skidsteer i only have it at the house over night. has never been an issue.


So if I apply your logic, bringinh home a heffer once in a while is OK in Kalamazoo Michigan


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## quigleysiding (Oct 3, 2009)

Doesn't sound like you won. Been there with the building inspector. Sucks


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

1olddogtwo;1907139 said:


> So if I apply your logic, bring home a heffer once in a while is OK in Kalamazoo Michigan


psh. they wont even allow me to have a chicken.

nothing illegal against renting a skid steer tho.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

quigleysiding;1907142 said:


> Doesn't sound like you won. Been there with the building inspector. Sucks


I won on the home occupation. they cant take my business away, nor can they even make me pay money for having it.

they would be able to require my plow be put in the garage. Wonder if i can appeal to another judge on that one.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

I think it would cheaper renting a yard then renting a skid steer just so you can keep your plow outside.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

renting a yard?


storing it next year will be a non issue once the parts truck is stripped.

and since if i make any money ill be working on the plow, it would be covered under the vehicle laws.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

just get a set of tanks and strip the dam thing already then... Not that hard to strip a truck down with a torch then scrap the rest you dont need


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## quigleysiding (Oct 3, 2009)

One of your neighbors must have turned you in.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

quigleysiding;1907159 said:


> One of your neighbors must have turned you in.


that is very possible. They dont wanna see all his crap he has around.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

quigleysiding;1907159 said:


> One of your neighbors must have turned you in.


Yup... Same thing here..

Why not put christmas lights on the plow and call it a day ?


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## rjigto4oje (Oct 27, 2010)

1olddogtwo;1907086 said:


> Put a mount on your Big Wheel and tell them its part of your toy.


Does this count as a big wheel


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

yea. they tried to get the guy to come testify against me. i want to try and find out who it is.

I don't know how to get the gas tank vent tube disconnected from the box.


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## Nero (Aug 10, 2009)

That may be open records, you may be able to find out.


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## xgiovannix12 (Dec 8, 2012)

birddseedd;1907174 said:


> yea. they tried to get the guy to come testify against me. i want to try and find out who it is.
> 
> I don't know how to get the gas tank vent tube disconnected from the box.


just 2 clamps holding it on or cut the tube


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## Nero (Aug 10, 2009)

Did they say it was okay to run a business out of your residence? Or did they just claim it as personal storage. Due to.. you go to your customers they do not come to you.


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## Dogplow Dodge (Jan 23, 2012)

Nero;1907177 said:


> That may be open records, you may be able to find out.


Yup, just did that...

Go to township Get an OPRA form and fill it out.

They are required to provide you a copy of the complaint against you.

Most likely, as it was in my case, it will be signed by Analmouse. Douchious across the street thought he'd be off the hook if he signed it Analmouse, but I recognized his handwriting from previous dealings with him.


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## BuffaloJoe (Oct 20, 2009)

Grow some balls and remind this tax eating jerk off that this is America. It's just more proof that you don't own your property, you rent from the government. At what point are we going to say enough? When they start doing mandatory inspections INSIDE our homes?

Don't be afraid to go in front of a judge.
Don't be afraid to seek out and elect better people who will represent you and not themselves.


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## Nero (Aug 10, 2009)

BuffaloJoe;1907221 said:


> Grow some balls and remind this tax eating jerk off that this is America. It's just more proof that you don't own your property, you rent from the government. At what point are we going to say enough? When they start doing mandatory inspections inside our homes?


Yes, sad it is getting to that point.
And may I say... you're being nice about it.


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## GimmeSnow!! (Oct 23, 2008)

birddseedd;1907029 said:


> Iv won in court more times than not once i get to an actual judge. you just have to know the law, usually ordinance officers don't know the law no more than cops do.


Unfortunately the court that I would be going to has two judges and one magistrate. All that they care about is money. There is only one ordinance officer and he is definately full of himself. I have tried to do business with the city I live in and they are horrible. The fire chiefs son seems to think that he is going to run a landscaping company with a craftsman lawn mower and making his wife and kids work for him. The price he gave for the cemeteries was half the price as the reputable companies around here. The ordinance officer is related to the treasurer and they are all friends and neighbors. I would try to get involved if I didn't have better things to do with my time but it's just not worth it. Just because its wrong doesn't mean that you have to be the one to take them on. My cousin went to jail for 10 days for building a pole barn just because he fought against the city he lives in. He ended up being asked to run for a position but turned it down. The point is. I've got better things to do than to go fight in court and go to jail and lose time and money over a few plows.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

magistrate here is pretty corrupt.


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## Nero (Aug 10, 2009)

xgiovannix12;1907155 said:


> just get a set of tanks and strip the dam thing already then... Not that hard to strip a truck down with a torch then scrap the rest you dont need


That's the way I do it.


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## birddseedd (Jul 12, 2010)

yea cept my wrench broke doing it.


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## Nero (Aug 10, 2009)

Get yourself oxygen and gas tanks. and a nice set of torches if you don't have them already?
Forget about the wrenches, that's just creating too much work for yourself.


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## allagashpm (Sep 29, 2012)

My argument would be you write off car parts for repairs one time (unless you do mileage). My plow you can do the one time write off or the depreciation over time. It is a peice of equipment you mount to your vehicle. I have separate insurance for my plow. If they view a trailer as its own vehicle then are the things on the trailer considered vehicle parts


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