Do you remember Charles Williams? To us, he seemed like the ideal neighbor: he had his own garage, complete with lifts, and was always happy and willing to help out a friend work on their cars. Unfortunately, Charles’ own neighbors were the worst neighbors this side of a manure incinerator, and spent countless hours and dollars trying to make him stop. Well, I’m happy to say that Charles has finally, completely, won.
We’ve been covering the story of Williams since late last year. As you may recall, he’s a wheelchair user after an industrial accident took his legs, but he loves cars, so his elaborate home garage became his main social outlet. He wasn’t violating any zoning laws, and his request for a special permit for the garage was turned down because he didn’t actually even need a special permit.
It’s also worth remembering that the awful neighbors—Margaret Foulke and John and Carol Kane—who have been giving Williams legal hell for the past six years were also the ones who erected this sign, suggesting that Jesus was going to kill the LAWLESS ONE, Williams:
That should give you an idea who Williams has been dealing with.
After a judge ruled in favor of Williams last November, the neighbors appealed the decision, which sent the case to the Delaware Supreme Court.
On June 30, Chief Justice Leo Strine and Justices James T. Vaughn Jr. and Karen Valihura affirmed the previous judge’s decision in favor of Williams and his garage.
That means, finally, after six long and expensive years, Charles Williams’ absurd battle is finally over, and he won. And for his part, Williams told the Cape Gazette that the kindness of total strangers and fellow gearheads helped him get through.
A Gofundme account created after the 2016 article raised about $58,000 to help defray legal costs. Williams said after taxes and fees, it helped cover nearly $40,000 he spent on legal fees. He said he thanks everyone for their support during his ordeal. “It appears that justice has finally been served,” he said. “What a great time to get the decision.”
The garage stays, Charles can continue to work on his and his friends’ cars, and, for this one moment, all is right in the world.
kablammm on July 7th, 2017 at 00:06 UTC »
When my dad was building his garage our neighbors tried to legally put a stop to it by saying my dad was building another house or something on the property. My dad already had all the permits and paperwork in order so the judge said "He can build whatever he wants on his property. Maybe look out the other windows to see which neighbors you can piss off." Was a great day. Great win for this guy.
gimpwiz on July 6th, 2017 at 23:51 UTC »
I remember a year ago, some wanna-be lawyer on reddit was insisting that anyone with a lift in their garage was running a business.
You can get a lift for literally two thousand dollars these days. Add install costs and you can have a pair of hobbyist-grade lifts (which, yes, exist now, due to low pricing) bought, delivered, and installed for like ten grand.
If people buy $80k cars for their hobby (you know, enjoying nice cars is a hobby in my book, not many people need one), then ten grand for a lift ain't shit if you're trying to prove that it's a business. Some hobbies are ludicrously expensive. Ten grand in biking gear, ten grand in photo gear, ten grand in car gear...
Glad this guy finally won.
funnychicken on July 6th, 2017 at 22:11 UTC »
Man I remember this from like a year ago. It was the only gofundme I've ever donated to: $5 back when their legal expenses were mounting. I'm glad it's over with. He sounded like a friendly guy with a cool hobby that his neighbors were furious about for some reason.