Jerry, I'm really sorry that this City Council trouble is on your doorstep because of a complaining neighbour. You don't deserve it, and it's good that you are now working on a strategic plan to overcome the problem.
Guns and threats will not help, they will lead to a media circus and you will lose bigtime if that happens. You are a decent gentleman and I know you already know this, but just thought I'd mention.
There are a number of things you might do to strengthen your case and I hope you don't mind if I offer some advice from a long distance away. Here are a few possible pointers for you.
1. If the City sends you a letter,
write back to them defending your case. Don't ring them, don't talk to them, put your case in writing and ask them for a written response. Explain you are sending all copies of correspondence to your lawyer. While correspondence is going on they are at risk of litigation if they have not responded to you before making a move on you. This will slow things down to allow you to make a case and get support.
2. It is likely this female dawg is only reporting your stuff to divert attention away from her problems. Don't stress or waste energy about this, just deal with the problem the City presents.
3. Make your case at the Council meeting if you want, but keep anger out of the situation, it is not your friend. My advice here is you bring the best restored car you have on the trailer to the meeting. Tell them this is the level to which
all your vehicles will be restored.
Tell them the story about bringing your pregnant wife to hospital in one of your pickups. Am I remembering that wrong? Anger is your enemy, nostalgia is your friend.
4. Get support. The SVX Network is only about '90s vehicles. Your cars and trucks are older and more venerable and as such more valuable for preservation. You need support from some of the classic PU or old vehicle magazines or journalists. Your historic vehicles are too valuable for the scrap heap. Why don't you write a letter to Jay Leno? He sounds like a man would understand your situation. Getting your stuff on the airwaves will make the City think twice. Also your case will be strengthened if any of your cars could be used for filming, so you should see if there is any way your vehicles can be listed for film use.
5. Do not allow them to put across the case that you are building hot rods, or hot rods only. Emphasise the fact that your vehicles are heritage vehicles, part of the backbone of what made America what it is. The vehicles you are in the process of restoring would be scrap if you had not cared for them. You have engines, windscreens, all of your vehicles are potential runners, none are in scrap condition, aside from the obvious lack of paint.
5a. Emphasize again and again that you are preserving America's heritage. Very few people have your metalwork and mechanical skills to keep old vehicles alive and running like you can.
6. Is it possible you can trailer some of the vehicles off the street or alleyway to the farm you mention? If you can even temporarily move one or two that you are not currently working on it demonstrates that you are willing to work with them on a solution, and allows the City officials to save face. Don't underestimate this possibility, it can be your saviour.
7. Emphasize at all times that you are a Good Citizen and a Good Samaritan. You are not telling any porkers here Jerry.
Explain how well you keep your premises, how you are helpful to the neighbours, how you are happy maintaining and prettying up Council property for the good of the neighbourhood. Explain that you do not dump oil like certain neighbours, but your rebuilding of old vehicles is all about conservation and heritage.
Keep cool Jerry and keep that blood pressure down. You have a really strong case to make here Jerry. Do it the smart way and you will win.
Best of luck dood.
Joe
[Sorry for the long post
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