Boat Trailer Parking By The Street?

[teflon6string]

Not a fishing question per se, so I'll post it here for broader viewing.

I'm considering getting back into ski/fish boat ownership and can't find relevant specifics online regarding boat parking rules in Portland. I live on on a winding residential street with my own blacktop parking strip next to the road (not on the actual street) where I leave my truck 365 days a year without any hassle.

For some reason, I suspect that if the truck became 23' of boat and trailer the city might claim that my blacktop next to the street is not technically mine (despite the rapacious property taxes I cough up every year). I recall living somewhere else some time ago ago and getting hassled daily with chalk marks on my trailer tires and warning citations that "recreational vehicle storage" is verboten.

Can I expect similar harrassment here in Portland? Would appreciate info/links to specific rules I can cite before I dive back into the joys and complications of boat ownership. Thanks in advance.

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[jbett98]

Do your neighbors like you? If they don't, I can see a parking issue cropping up.

 

[Mbeef61]

If it isn't registered (the trailer) I think they can tow it. I think it has to be registered to park on public property long term.

Even with registration I doubt your neighbors will think to fondly of it.

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/319887#oversized

2. Is it legal to park large vehicles, such as mobile homes, trailers, or trucks on the street?
Over-sized vehicles of this nature can only be parked for short periods of time on the street, and then only for the specific purpose of loading/unloading. In commercial areas, the time limit is 4 hours from 7 am to 4 pm, and 2 hours from 4 pm to 7 am; in residential areas, the time limit is 8 hours.

 

[Mbeef61]

Also

8. Can I park my car on the street for longer than 24 hours at a time?

No. All vehicles must be driven off the block face daily. Private, legal parking must be obtained if a vehicle is not driven daily.


So if cars cannot I think it also safe to assume that trailers cannot. You may be able to get away with it depending where you are but it will always be a risk

 

[teflon6string]

Thanks fellers.

To be more exact, my parking strip is not actually on the street. That's my Dodge on the left, with plenty of room for a boat on a trailer. In fact, it's entirely on my property. But I think the city claims some domain or easement or something up to a certain distance from any road. Anyone know the rules there?

Ten years ago I was admiring a sweet trailered bass boat up around the corner with a nasty looking "Move-It" citation on the winshield. And that was neatly parked on the owner's side behind a steel guardrail! I'd go ask them what happened, but they've long since moved (probably someplace without suburban meter maids patrolling the hills).

Sadly, I suspect JBett is correct about "neighbors," too. I was born here, moved away and rushed back to PDX in 2002 when my 87-year old dad had a half year to live. It took maybe 2-3 months to hear second-hand rumors about complaints from the dentist 2 houses away about the out of state license plate on my Jeep. Nosey gossipy b*stard lacked the nards to talk to me. I've known him since he moved here in 1968.
I'll try to get some specific info from the city tomorrow - annonymously on the phone from work.

 

[jbett98]

I have a friend that was in the same situation, but in a different city (Seattle).
He came up with a proactive way of handling it.
He went to a custom sign store and had them make up a metal sign that was similar to the local city parking ordnance signs but not quite exact, and he installed it on his property next to his parking area.
It read "Parking By Permit Only" and then he had a special sticker made up and placed in the window of his truck & boat windshield.
The best part was that nobody parked in his spot and the neighbors left him alone.

 

[RicInOR]

Location: Portland, OR <--- there's your problem.

Some time ago I tried to get Washington County to do something about a trailer. They told me as it was registered to a home adjacent to where it was parked that it was legal. No moving, no nothin.

Good luck.

 

[Joe13]

Not relevant to Portland I guess, but after having others enclosed trailers parked on my street for over a year, I just gave in and pulled mine out of the driveway and now it's in the street in front of my house in the only parking place available on the street outside my place.

Pays to have neighbors that are doing it and don't give a rats bubblegum.

 

[Certaindeaf]

There's one way to find out.. and since it's a done deal and you're doing it, let us know

 

[teflon6string]

Actually, it'll spend most of the time in Forest Grove.

But there will be occasional weeks, maybe a couple months a year, when I bring it to my house in Portland. It's a nice looking boat and no bigger than a full size pickup.

I'm just trying to arm myself with knowledge and prep for whatever city/neighborly pettiness I might encounter when I park my property on my property. Will try to phone the city for info today and report whatever I learn back here if I'm able to get some answers.

 

[Bam]

I have a friend that was in the same situation, but in a different city (Seattle).
He came up with a proactive way of handling it.
He went to a custom sign store and had them make up a metal sign that was similar to the local city parking ordnance signs but not quite exact, and he installed it on his property next to his parking area.
It read "Parking By Permit Only" and then he had a special sticker made up and placed in the window of his truck & boat windshield.
The best part was that nobody parked in his spot and the neighbors left him alone.

Surprised he hasn't gotten cited yet, in Seattle of all places. This was tried in NE Portland, neighbors didn't like people parking on their street so they put up a sign... city forced them to take it down.

Like it or not, you don't own the public street in front of your home, nor do you have the right to reserve or restrict the use of the space. If someone wants to park in front of your property on a public right of way they legally can.

But it really comes down to how good do you know your neighbors and if they even care.

 

[PiratePast40]

We had a situation in our neighborhood a few years back where some neighbors were letting relatives park their camper in front of the house for a few weeks while they were on vacation and visiting. Someone must have complained because I noticed a ticket on the camper and it was gone a few days later. Later on, I pulled our camper out from behind the house to get it ready for a camping trip, and the county cops were there within hours telling me I couldn't park it on a public street. I let the deputy know that I had no intention of unhooking from the truck and it was just a case of pulling it in front of the house the night before so we could get an early start. She seemed satisfied but was still pretty snotty about it.

Guess it all depends on who is having a bad day when they see your boat. But realistically, if it's going to be there for several months, might want to think about better long term storage.

 

[Martini_Up]

buy a bunch of potted arborvitae and hide the trailer behind them.

 

[teflon6string]

Phoned the city and actually got through to a human on the second ring.

The responses above all seem to pertain to parking ON an actual street, like with sidewaks, curbs, city pavement, etc, which I have no intention of doing.

Rather, I would be parking OFF the "thoroughfare" (city term), on my own property, which is simply next to the street. Some homes here have parking strips like mine and some do not. Nobody ever gets cited for parking cars, pickups, company vans, work trucks, etc. I was just concerned that a boat or RV might be regarded differently even though the property is mine.

When I spoke to the city, I related the anecdote I shared above (post #5) about my neighbor who was cited with his boat parked off the road behind a guardrail. The lady told me that patch of gravel must have belonged to the city or they would have left him alone. Darn shame. It was a great spot and you've have to ram it with a Suburban to even scratch the boat. Anyhow, not an issue here.

City confirms that's not on the street. My asphalt, my property, my place to park. Cool.

I agree Pirate, any long-term storage will happen outside of Portland. I just want to do some boating around here sometimes and not have to drag it back out to Forest Groove every night.

Thanks for the input guys!

 

[teflon6string]

So here's the fruits of my labors: 18' Four Winns with no rips or tears, quiet 190hp I/O, everything works. I'll be popular with some of my neighbors... and the other ones, not so much.

 

[PiratePast40]

Good for you! If you need information on tune-ups, maintenance, winterizing, or anything like that, iboats forum is great.

 

[teflon6string]

Good advice Pirate. I'm from here, but the four boats I owned in decades past were all in San Diego. That's where "winterizing" meant skiing Mission Bay in January with a with a wetsuit.

So I need to learn exactly what winterizing entails and do it myself cheaply between freezes. Just guessing, it probably includes unhooking all hoses for a full drain, and maybe douching the cylinder walls with Sea Foam. Portland typically has 2-3 cold snaps between Nov-Mar, and I don't want to sit out basically half a year.

Actually, instead of all that business, maybe a heated storage place would be deluxe. What the hell, if maintenance gets too expensive I can sell my house and move in with the boat, yes?

 

[PiratePast40]

For most engines, it's not that difficult to prevent freezing and the resultant cracked block. And it's not the same as annual maintenance or long term layup. A lot of people do the maintenance when winterizing, but it's not mandatory, just a good idea.

Get a manual, and roam the forums. You'll gain a lot of good information and meet a lot of good people.

 

[coupeowner]

Check out portlandmaps.com to find out where your property lines are. Put you address in, look under "maps", then "photo", then make sure "lots" is checked. Frequently the City does in fact own the 5-10 feet on either side of the street, especially on minimally improved streets like yours (and mine). I am in SW PDX and found out the hard way where my property line was. The bastards ticketed my race car on the trailer for no registration (trailer was registered) when I was having my driveway resurfaced. The car hadn't touched a public road in over a decade.

And congrats on the boat. Looks like fun.

 

[spectra]

I winterize my boat in the garage Had to buy one that fit in there and wish I had a bigger garage.....

If it comes down to it convo me I can help have done it many a times with other boats over the years. Fun to work on the stuff if you know what I am saying.