Geneva residents want to limit 'perpetual' garage sales

Geneva may start limiting the number of garage, yard and estate sales a resident can have each year.

Alderman Ron Singer brought up the idea at a committee meeting on Monday at the request of one of his constituents, who is annoyed by a neighbor who has seemingly "perpetual" garage sales, he said.

Geneva does not define what a garage sale is, does not say how many garage sales you can have, and does not require sellers to obtain permission from the city.

The resident who complained to Singer said shoppers fill up the parking on both sides of the street, making it difficult to pull out of driveways.

"I think that everybody here knows what a 'perpetual garage sale' is says there are more than we think there are," Alderman Craig Maladra said.

Singer also said he wonders if people who have frequent garage sales aren't really instead conducting a commercial business. Alderman Don Cummings recalled at a neighborhood-wide garage sale weekend in his area, a resident who works for a clothing manufacturer made $9,000 selling that clothing.

Aldermen and Mayor Kevin Burns do not want to require permits, and said if the regulation is adopted, enforcement should be undertaken only when someone complains. "I think, respectfully, this is not the best use of our time," Burns said.

Alderman Dean Kilburg asked how the city's enforcement officers would know, however, how many garage sales a person has had, if permits aren't needed.

He also floated the idea of limiting all garage sales in the city to one designated weekend per month.

The council directed community development director David DeGroot to present a proposal to the city's Plan Commission. That could happen as soon as August, according to DeGroot.