City to limit number of garage sales

The Star

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City mulls garage sale crackdown
May 1, 2006. 07:49 AM
VANESSA LU AND PAUL IRISH
STAFF REPORTERS

For garage sale lovers, it could soon get harder to find a bargain.

Toronto is considering restricting the number of garage sales that residents can have to just two a year.

Under a proposed bylaw, to be debated at City Council's planning and transportation committee meeting today, no more than two garage sales in a year would be allowed on any premises in a residential area.

The penalty for failing to comply has not been set yet, but it would probably fall under the provincial offences act, and could mean a fine of up to $500.

The city would define a garage sale as not exceeding two consecutive days.

The move comes as a result of increased traffic, noise and litter from recurring garage sales.

"A couple a year is reasonable," said Councillor Mike Del Grande (Ward 39, Scarborough Agincourt), who first brought up the matter after receiving complaints from constituents. "But if you're doing it every weekend, you're causing problems for your neighbours."

While most people just want to have a sale to get rid of old stuff, Del Grande said some individuals are running businesses that are masquerading as garage sales.

Elisa Williams, 26, says she can understand why some people want garages sales controlled, but she wants to remind all concerned that the money raised at such events often goes to charities or other good causes.

She was holding her own lawn sale Saturday near her home at Gerrard and Hastings, with all proceeds going to Casey House, a Toronto hospice for those with AIDS.

"I usually have a sale like this once a year with all the proceeds going to a charity,'' she said. "The big (fundraising) walk for Casey House is next Sunday at Riverdale Park and this sale will help me reach the $2,000 goal I set for myself.''

Williams had hoped to make about $150 from selling items donated by her friends as well as items collected from her home, but stressed the sale is a one-shot deal.

But she says she knows of a few addresses in her community that seem to have more than their fair share of sales during the summer months and can understand the concern of the city and area residents.

"You'll see these people out every weekend selling stuff,'' she said. "I don't know where they keep finding things to sell, but they do. I don't think it's a spring cleaning ... I think they're trying to make an extra bit of money.''

Peter Stemp, 45, who was examining the merchandise at Williams' sale, said most people have one big sale a year, and keep it at that.

"It's fun and there are a lot of bargains,'' he said. "I'd say 98 per cent of the people have the one sale, but it's the other 2 per cent that wreck it for everyone.''

Stemp said when he was living in Willowdale there was a man who used to sell power tools from his home and every weekend he'd set up a stand in his driveway.

"He'd sit in his garage all day long and drink beer,'' said Stemp. "He didn't attract many buyers, there weren't big crowds, but who wants to own a home next to a guy that sets up a stall every Saturday? I think he was eventually told he was breaking some kind of law.''

Brian Chow, who was also holding a garage sale in front of his house on Rosevear Ave. in East York Saturday, said most people may have one event a year, and that there shouldn't be a bylaw limiting them.

"They're fun and kids like helping out,'' he said. "As long as they aren't causing a lot of noise, traffic or litter people should be left alone. Trade and bartering is the heart of our society.''

Mike Dimuantes, a senior policy research officer in the city's municipal and licensing standards department, said he is aware of complaints of individuals selling antiques at weekly garage sales, while retail antique shops are in the vicinity.

If adopted, the bylaw would have to be enforced on a complaints basis, he said. If a complaint is registered, then the city would send a bylaw enforcement officer to the location and investigate.

Some municipalities restrict the number of garage sales residents can hold, enforcing the rules through zoning bylaws. Guelph allows three two-day garage sales a year.

Brantford and Leamington have specific garage sale bylaws. Brantford allows three two-day sales and Leamington allows three a year of no more than three consecutive days. Burlington, Newmarket, Mississauga and Windsor have no bylaw provisions regulating recurring garage sales.

Prior to amalgamation in Toronto, garage sales were regulated under the zoning bylaw. But because that bylaw has not been harmonized yet, the city's practice has been to revert to the policies in the former municipalities.

Good move.

It will prevent junk collectors from holding them every week.

Who on earth needs more than two garage sales per year, anyway?

I haven't seen all that many garage sales in my part of town, but it would drive me crazy if my neighbour had garage sales every weekend.

I think the concern is that people would be operating a retail business under the guise of weekly garage sales.

That's stupid.

I would think City Council and city staff have better things to do then to debate this, nevermind trying to enforce it!

Louroz

Why is it stupid? Some people are running some business where they buy at auctions and eBay and resell on their front lawn. I don't see a negative aspect to a two garage sale per household per annum limit.

come on down to Queen Street just west of Coxwell where 'garage' sales are held on the sidewalk stretching for a couple of blocks for about 30 weeks a year. that's exactly the kind of thing that this bylaw is supposed to stop and rightfully so; not people who want to have the odd garage sale in their driveway

I loathe garage sales myself, but see this as perhaps a good incentive for streets to co-ordinate "street sales" where the whole street becomes a sale once a year.

Of course, people will complain about that too.

I don't think the by-law is unreasonable, however I disapprove of the philosophy whereby the municipality feels the need to micromanage every aspect of city life. The by-law beaurocracy in the city is horrendous. I am willing to bet that you could eliminate half the by-laws in the city without having any negative (and largely only positive) impact on the atmosphere, health and safety of the city. Have you read their 30 page document outlining the laws regulating those little a-frame signs merchants put on the sidewalks? It's truely Kafka-esque! There is so much beaurocracy the city can't even tell you what they are talking about or what the rules are on many issues particularly when different department fiefdoms overlap.

Have you read their 30 page document outlining the laws regulating those little a-frame signs merchants put on the sidewalks? It's truely Kafka-esque!

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It may seem that way when one thinks about the little-guy merchant or restaurant that simply wants to put out a small A-frame on the sidewalk advertising the daily special. But like all by-laws of this sort, the by-law isn't intended to address harmless situations like that (although, by necessity, it catches all such situations). The problem is that some busy sidewalks were becoming effectively impassable when a row of businesses were putting out numerous A-frames in close proximity to one another. And then you had third party advertisers dropping A-frames throughout the City in busy pedestrian areas -- mostly promoting condo sales offices, but others were getting in the game too. The City doesn't have an A-frame enforcement squad or anything. The by-law simply gives them the tools to deal with the really egregious situations.

Same thing with the garage sales. It isn't intended to stop Betty Lou Smith from having three garage sales a year. It's intended to stop the people who effectively operate a retail use in a residential area, adversely affecting their neighbours.

I welcome this bylaw. It would rid our corner of the woman who sells shit on her lawn EVERY DAY. It looks like a pawn shop on the street. Either take it to a store or junk it.

Illegal business I say lady.

Two a year maximum - or get a booth at the flea market.

I am in favour of people selling stuff from their lawn, maybe only on weekends though if it's every week. Sidewalks should be kept clear however.

I'm aware of a few people in the neighbourhood that rummage through other people's garbage on garbage day and then hold a garage sale on the weekend

21stcentury, what you're saying is reasonable as is the intention of limiting garage sales but I still think there is little benefit in expanding the hydra of by-law legislation to such trival concerns. The implications to small business owners is not inert the cost in time money and effort on behalf of people attempting to comply has become a huge drag on innovation and development. The city government itself becomes bloated and even if fines levied are supposed to cover the cost of enforcement, it distracts from the real priorities of the city which are sometimes ignored while trivial items are contemplated to exhaustion.

Many enterprising Canadians have been running hugely successful ( especially when the U.S. dollar was strong ) tax avoiding export businesses on eBay since the late '90's. Electronic garage sales, essentially.

Street sales ( which were very popular ten years ago ) and garage sales have been in decline for some time - people sit home with their digital cameras and sell on the net.

Irritating though these fake garage sales are, perhaps if the authorities went after the much bigger eBay fish they'd be more effective.