Jillian Dickens
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 19/05) - Despite complaints a neighbourhood lot looks like a used-car dealership, the lot owner, Meda Shannahan, refuses to move the vehicles for sale on her lawn, saying they're her cars and it's her property.

Two sports cars and two trucks - all with clearly visible for sale signs plastered across each window - were perched on the lawn of 5030 57th St. on Tuesday.

At least one neighbour complained to the city.

"We received a complaint from a neighbour saying it looks like they're running a used-car lot," said Doug Gillard, bylaw enforcement manager for the City of Yellowknife.

After Gillard informed Shannahan of the complaint, she agreed to remove one used truck from her lawn because it did not belong to her or anyone living on the property.

Beyond that, she refuses to budge.

"I'm going to do nothing. This is my property. They will stay in my yard as long as I want," Shannahan said.

Next door neighbour Autumn Downey did not complain to the city, but did say there could be something nicer than cars on the lawn.

"I wouldn't want it to be happening on all four corners of the street or anything," said Downey.

It is against municipal bylaw to sell more than three cars in one year without a business licence.

If the cars were being sold from a residential property, a home occupation business licence would be required. And according to the city's planning and lands manager, Monte Christensen, Shannahan would be denied for such a business.

"Outside storage and display would not be allowed as a home business," Christensen said. "We don't approve any business that detracts from the residential character of a neighbourhood."