Pauline Liles said she was threatened with arrest by Holly Hill Police officers for having a garage sale at her home on Center Avenue.
Posted on 11/02/2009 11:26:58 AM PST by BGHater
HOLLY HILL -- The yard sale at 722 Center Ave. has been canceled. That much is clear.
The rest of the story, including allegations that police threatened to arrest the 80-year-old homeowner because she didn't have a permit? Not so much.
The facts are these: After 60 years in Holly Hill, Pauline Liles is moving to Tennessee to live with her daughter's family. Her husband, Jack, is already there, having suffered a stroke that has immobilized him. Pauline, an old hand at yard sales, was hoping to sell most of their stuff before joining him next week.
She advertised the three-day sale in the newspaper, but when she went to the city first thing Wednesday to purchase the $5 permit, it was denied. The city currently allows just two such sales in a year, and city officials said Liles had already met her limit.
Ironically, city commissioners gave unanimous preliminary approval to an ordinance increasing that limit to four on Tuesday night.
That was no help to Liles on Wednesday.
A code enforcement officer later came by and ordered Liles and a group of friends who were helping her to halt the sale. Police officers came to reinforce the message. An officer returned in the afternoon to confirm the order had been followed.
It's here the accounts diverge.
Police Chief Mark Barker said officers described the meetings as "cordial."
"No one was cited. We didn't file any paper on it," he said.
Interim City Manager Kurt Swartzlander said someone at the house -- he wasn't sure who -- told the code enforcement officer they would have the sale even if they had to pay the $250 fine.
"We don't normally call the police on a garage sale," he said.
Liles and her friends describe the encounter with police differently.
"He started screaming and yelling. He took his handcuffs out," Sue Baderman said.
"Two of them showed up and said, 'We're going to arrest you,' " Roger Ables said.
"He boomed, 'Everybody put your stuff down and leave the premises. If you accept one more cent from another person, you'll be fined $250,' " Gail Halfhill said.
Mayor Roland Via said he wished something could have been worked out beforehand, especially given the commission's intent to increase the annual limit on yard sales.
"I'm really sorry something like this happened," he said. "We are a city with a heart."
He said the rules are necessary to protect neighborhoods from anyone trying to run a business out of their house.
"The red tape got in the way," he said. "I wouldn't be happy if somebody got a speeding ticket for going 26 mph (in a 25 mph zone), but, then again, that's the law."
Liles isn't sure what she'll do about packing up her home. She hasn't decided whether to sell or try to lease the house. She just knows she has to get out and help with her husband's care.
"It just got ridiculous," she said Wednesday night. "It was a big blow to me. I'm not out to hurt the city or anything. I'll be glad to get out of here."
derek.catron@news-jrnl.com
Holly Hill's Rules for Garage Sales
· Only two garage sales allowed per calendar year
· You can have up to three consecutive days per garage sale. Or two consecutive weekends at two days each.
· Only two signs shall be allowed and they shall not be placed on the right of way.
SOURCE: City of Holly, Hill Web site
Pauline Liles said she was threatened with arrest by Holly Hill Police officers for having a garage sale at her home on Center Avenue.
NJ police state ping!
The cop was a mentally challenged jerk. Anyone who would make this big an issue out of an 80 year old lady having a yard sale (and why in the hell should anyone need a permit to do so?) has big time anger and control issues. Another bully in uniform.
We don’t need permits here but if you have a yard sale too often, it can bring the attention of law enforcement.
People with personalities like these seem to be attracted to power.
The small town where I live in Tennessee, put in the same thing. Limit of 2 garage sales per year. You have to get a permit to put up signs and you have to buy your signs from the city.
Dad bought the permits, and had a sale. And dang it if the city didn’t misfile the paperwork and pulled up his signs anyway. They offered him two free signs after the garage sale was a bust.
We got 3/5’ths of the city council thrown out at the last election and the garage sale law was rescinded.
I dare say she’ll be happier (and freer) in Tennessee.
How is New Jersey still part of this Land of the Free and Home of the Brave?
Our city is the same - you have to have a permit and only a limited number of yard sales per address per year.
I’ve never seen any cops checking for permits.
Most people to get around the “numbers” issue go in with neighbors.
Only big problem is people who don’t take down their signs they stapled to every pole in the area.
The trouble with idiot rules is they throw out common sense. There is a big difference between someone hosting Pampered Chef parties twice a month, an 80 year old lady trying to sell household goods so she can move and someone selling drugs or prostitution out of their home. But these rules make no distinction.
The Corize Death Panel said “NO!”
This happened in New Jersey?
Why are there palm trees in the photo?
***why in the hell should anyone need a permit..?**
Try doing anything and you realize you have to follow some damn formula or you need some sort of permission to breathe.
i.e. HOV lanes (gotta have an extra person in the car)
Recycling bins - don’t put stuff in that don’t belong.
Buying cigarettes - show I.D.
And don’t get me started on *planned communities* where you are not allowed to paint your house, have a clothes line, have a party, burn leaves, run the mower off hours, post for sale signs, leave garage door open, park on the road, erect a gym for the kids. etc., etc.,
I truly believe that those planned, age-segregated communities were an experiment in community control....works nicely with preparation for re-education camps and communist gulags.
Lol. Posters fault.
Florida.
My fault. Can you change from NJ to Florida.
Global warming, I thought palm trees in NJ were common.
I agree. That’s why I hate all these ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policies. It promotes a zero tolerance for common sense. We see it over and over again.
short sleeve shirt and palm trees. something is odd.
this happened in florida, not new jersey.
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