TAVARES, Fla. – The city of Tavares may limit the number of garage sales people can host in order to address complaints about the amount of them.
While nothing is set in stone, the current proposal would limit the number of garage sales someone can host to once every three months. The proposed ordinance would also require people looking to host a garage sale to fill out a permit online ahead of the sale.
City officials said the permit could be filled out the morning of the garage sale and would be good for three days.
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Samantha Neal, who was hosting a garage sale on Saturday, said it’s easier for her to hold a garage sale rather than posting items for sale online.
“If we want to get rid of our stuff, we should be able to,” Neal said. “I don’t think the city should try and control something like that.”
However, Neal said she understands why some people might take issue with garage sales that are happening weekly or even daily.
“So, with that, like, if somebody is doing it, like, you know, back and forth, like, out of their house, you know, I can see maybe wanting a permit for something like that because it’s more of like a small business as opposed to a garage sale,” Neal said.
Just around the corner, Tyrone Neal was also hosting a yard sale on Saturday.
Neal hosts frequent yard sales and is opposed to the ordinance.
“I met great friends. I’ve networked. I’ve gotten jobs just from having a yard sale and meeting someone,” Neal said. “The price of food and everything went up. I mean, everybody needs passive money, so I don’t see how having a yard sale once a week is affecting anyone.”
Tavares police said the permitting process would help code enforcement keep track of the garage sales.
“With that, we can track how many garage sales someone is having in that 12-month period and we can also track if someone isn’t getting a permit and then we can cite them from there with fines,” Tavares police Public Information Officer Caitlin Diaz said.
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City officials said recurring garage or yard sales can go from community events to something that causes disturbances, whether it’s more noise or traffic.
“It’s not about restricting residents’ abilities to host garage sales,” city of Tavares Communications Manager Tyler Wollack said. “It’s about preserving their abilities in a way that benefits everyone involved.”
It’s important to note the proposed ordinance is in its very early stages. An ordinance has not been formally voted on or approved by the Tavares City Council.