There's an entire chapter of the City of Toronto Municipal Code devoted to garage sales.

Really!

It's short, but it contains several regulations I've seen many, many people acting in flagrant violation of! The highlights:

No more than two garage sales may be held in any year from a premises located in any residential zone.

So all the people who try to unload sketchy kitchen utensils and other crap from their lawns or sidewalks every weekend (and there are a few) are guilty. And don't even think about trying to flout the rule by holding a garage sale that never ends. That's what the formula is for:

If a garage sale is conducted over a period of more than two consecutive days, then the number of garage sales shall be the quotient obtained by dividing the total number of consecutive days, or parts of them, on which the garage sale is conducted by two, rounded up to the nearest whole number.

And apparently the shady antiques dealers who try to sell their extras from tables on their front lawns under the guise of yard salery are also... criminals!

No person shall sell personal property at a garage sale other than personal property that has actually been used on, about, or in connection with the residential premises or, in the case of a joint garage sale held with a neighbour, the residential premises of the neighbour.

It would take a special kind of asshole to call on Municipal Licensing and Standards to enforce any of this—that or a very enraged neighbor, tired of being awoken every Saturday morning by the sounds of people haggling over Led Zeppelin LPs and spoons and spatulas of unknown provenance and cleanliness.

The fine maxes out at $5000. So remember, internet: illegal garage sales are no bargain.

Comments

[Carly]

I guess this means that when I had a fundraising yard sale and people donated stuff - stuff which I had never used! - that made me a criminal? I had no idea.

[Steve Kupferman]

I'm no lawyer, but I think that type of thing might fall under the "joint garage sale" exemption.

As I read the chapter, its intent is essentially to prevent people from trying to run semi-permanent, tax-free retail on residential property.

[Skeezix]

I seem to recall when this by-law was passed. There were some problems with people actually running weekly flea markets on the laneways in front of their homes. Eventually, neighbours got fed up, complained to the city, and we ended up with this by-law.