Informed Opinions on Today’s Topics : Not All Favor Restrictions on Garage Sales

Citing increased residential traffic and noise resulting from garage sales, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance Tuesday that would restrict households in unincorporated areas to two such sales per year. Under the new law that will go into effect Jan. 7, first and second offenders would be fined an amount equivalent to parking tickets. Repeat offenders could be charged with a misdemeanor and be fined $1,000. The decision may revive a 1989 proposal by City Councilman John Ferraro to limit Los Angeles residents to the same two sales per year.

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Should Los Angeles limit households to two garage sales per year?

Tom Hilborn, president of the Reseda Chamber of Commerce:

“I would be in favor of a two-per-year (limit). I believe you have to have some type of mechanism in place to stop the ones that have 30 to 50 per year. Some of them are out there every week. Some are actually selling retail items. . . . I think the biggest impact is the traffic they create and the havoc they cause for the neighbors.”

Aline Hausman, executive director of the Canoga Park Chamber of Commerce:

“The chamber is basically against this (restriction). There are already laws on the books dealing with the hanging of signs. . . . We are not in favor of the household swap meets. That’s people who abuse the law. True garage sales do not have new items. . . . The average person may have a garage sale four times a year and most of the items are strictly their personal items.”

Frank Jacobs, president of the Sylmar Chamber of Commerce:

“If they’re going to sell household goods, fine. If they’re constantly having a sale, then it becomes a problem. (Those people) should have to pay taxes. I’d really question (a restriction) if someone wants to do it and they’re doing it with stuff in their house. I don’t see a problem if they’re going to have more than two . . . if they’re not in direct competition with store owners.”

Chester Ingram, unit director for Goodwill Industries of Southern California:

“Yes. I think it will (help) increase donations tremendously. It will be a benefit. . . . There is a major problem (with repeat garage sales). The sales have become so popular, our sales have actually dropped.”

Julie James, nine-year Encino resident organizing a four-family garage sale this weekend:

“(Restrictions are) unfair. We’ve been forced out of our home due to the economy. The stuff that didn’t sell last week I might want to sell this week. I think it’s unfair that the city would restrict us from income on things we own. . . . Garage sales are a lot of fun. You get to meet neighbors you don’t normally meet.”

Karl Cade, general manager of Disabled American Veterans Charities of Greater Los Angeles, which operates four Southland thrift stores:

“Most people do not have two garage sales per year. Most people have one or less. I really don’t expect (a restriction) to make a heck of a lot of difference. I can guess that people who make their living from garage sales are simply not going to pay attention to the law. What determines the frequency of garage sales is the economy.”

Robert Schwartz, 17-year Hollywood Hills resident planning an upcoming moving sale:

“This is probably only the second garage sale we’ve ever done. I can sympathize with the homeowners in a neighborhood that’s having a lot of garage sales frequently. . . . Two a year might be rather restrictive. I can go with four.”