  Ldog04 Member Username: Ldog04 Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2007 |
I live in an apartment building near Wayne State. and for the past 2 summers i have grown tomatoes, peppers, and herbs in pots on my window ledge. Today, via a very poorly worded letter, my landlord informed me that "By order of the City of Detroit" I cannot have these pots on my window sill. I searched an online copy of the city code (below) and could not find any such law on record. is anyone aware of a law against potted plants on apartment building windows, or is my landlord just making this up. http://www.municode.com/resour ces/gateway.asp?pid=10649&sid= 22 | ||
Viziondetroit Member Username: Viziondetroit Post Number: 1082 Registered: 11-2003 |
Dunno... could be legit as they pose a safety hazard to those below and also from the tenant saying the landlord owes them because the sill wasn't flat enough to hold thier plant and it fell. | ||
Bumble Member Username: Bumble Post Number: 135 Registered: 11-2004 |
They are technically not allowed, although you might squeak by if they are secured from falling. Not every last ordinance or subsection is on municode. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 308 Registered: 05-2006 |
It sounds like nonsense to me. Besides, just who is going to enforce this ordinance? The DPD won’t respond to domestic violence complaints, B & E’s, car thefts or other assorted real crimes, but they’re going to ticket you for a couple of flower pots on the window sill; I don’t think so. As long as you’re not growing marijuana in them, I wouldn’t worry about it. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 624 Registered: 01-2007 |
I don't think they ment "potted plants". I think they ment "pot plants" | ||
Ldog04 Member Username: Ldog04 Post Number: 2 Registered: 06-2007 |
Thank you all for the input on this matter, although I still think building management is was not truly acting "by the order of the City of Detroit" as was stated in there letter. I have decided that this is just not worth the fight. I'll keep the unsightly AC unit from 1980something but the flowers tomato plants and herbs will be moving to a friends house in ypsi tomorrow. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1127 Registered: 10-2006 |
"It sounds like nonsense to me. Besides, just who is going to enforce this ordinance? The DPD won’t respond to domestic violence complaints, B & E’s, car thefts or other assorted real crimes, but they’re going to ticket you for a couple of flower pots on the window sill; I don’t think so. As long as you’re not growing marijuana in them, I wouldn’t worry about it." The DPD doesn't inspect rental property. Every tennant renting property has an inspector from the city come once a year and ask you if you have any concerns about the place that you are renting from the landlord. They would probably be the ones to enforce anything like this. | ||
Fozzy3 Member Username: Fozzy3 Post Number: 24 Registered: 04-2006 |
As someone who works in property management, check your lease. If it isn't in there, nothing can be done to your poor plants. I'm sure DPD really cares about plants, even pot plants. | ||
Supergay Member Username: Supergay Post Number: 59 Registered: 05-2006 |
I was once told on the patio of Agave that I could not be served my $8 margarita in a glass, I had to have a plastic cup. When I explained that I am just not a plastic cup person and is there any way they could do it since we were the only customers in the place, they came back with the response "there's a city ordinance that requires us to use plastic cups outside." Which sucks for places like DBC, Slows, Twingo's and Small Plates because they could be in for some serious trouble with the law. You just never know what little secret laws there are in the city. | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 632 Registered: 10-2003 |
"I have decided that this is just not worth the fight." Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!?! Hell no! | ||
Winstin_o_boogie_iii Member Username: Winstin_o_boogie_iii Post Number: 62 Registered: 02-2007 |
Germans? | ||
Supergay Member Username: Supergay Post Number: 61 Registered: 05-2006 |
Oh come on. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 647 Registered: 01-2007 |
...Don't stop him, he's on a roll... It has become a cliche' in many movies: that falling potted plant hitting the poor sap on the coconut. Cities are run by all kinds of stupid rules, and the dumber they are, the more likely you'll get busted for a 'glass' or a 'potted plant'. As for the real crime? HA! | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1132 Registered: 10-2006 |
A falling potted plant sure beats a falling piece of cornice from a historic building. Oh wait, those were removed decades ago... | ||
Why Member Username: Why Post Number: 30 Registered: 04-2007 |
Personally, I don't think it's a "stupid" rule. I just gave up my home & garden for city life (not in Detroit) and unfortunately you just have to adjust. I know there is a rule in the small condo complex that I live in that you can't have flower pots outside either. It's too bad but I agree with it at the same time. You allow flower pots, next thing it's garbage cans, panties out to dry, etc. I guess flower pots are allowed on the rear of the of the units as I woke up one morning to find one of them broken on the hood of my new car. I wasn't happy about it either. There are also many older apartment buildings near me and if you really take a close look at all of the creative ideas that people come up with to "secure" their a/c units in the windows, you'd be afraid to walk down the street. | ||
Crash_nyc Member Username: Crash_nyc Post Number: 935 Registered: 08-2004 |
It sounds nitpicky to me, but if you search deeply enough within the law, you might find a reason. Living in NYC (which has less than 2% apartment vacancy rate), our living situations are often governed right down to the last syllable of city code, as landlords can use any minutae of a violation as grounds for eviction. For instance, a neighbor of mine got shit for mounting a Direct TV dish outside his apartment window, because it's "outside the perimeter of his domain" (the landlords words). I'm not sure if the restrictions in Detroit are nearly as strict as the restrictions here, but here are a few likely scenarios related to potted plants on the window sill: - Renters' insurance policies tend to only cover the "perimeter" of the rented domain, which does not include outside window sills. - Many landlords' general insurance policies do not cover anything outside of the perimeter of the apartments, other than the general facade. In other words, if a brick fell from the facade and killed someone, the landlord would probably be covered (as long as the building passed it's last inspection). But if a potted plant fell from someone's windowsill...probably not. - Most importantly, if the potted plant was on a windowsill leading out to a fire escape, then you can't argue it. By law, there can be no obstructions at all leading to, on, or down, a fire escape. - You're growing some stinky kind-bud, and not offering it to your neighbors. Good luck. | ||
Bumble Member Username: Bumble Post Number: 184 Registered: 11-2004 |
quote: The lease need not include a separate clause to cover every last thing. Even the most boilerplate lease will likely include a clause requiring tenants to abide by government authority or to refrain from doing anything that would effect a landlord's insurance coverage. Planters on window sills are not allowed in Detroit. |
