Garage sale guidance offered

The more time one spends running, the more calories they lose. The taller you are, the larger the shoe size you're likely to have. The longer your hair is, the more shampoo you need to wash it.

All of these are examples of positive correlations (if one goes up, the other goes up).

Another example: the better the weather outside, the more likely you'll find a garage sale.

"They'll start any time now," Paul Eisert, the code enforcement officer for Wapakoneta, said. "As long as it's warm, that's when they'll be out."

It's his job to handle building codes and complaints that aren't police related, which means it's his job to remind people about rules for having garage sales.

According to Eisert, these sales are popular around this time of year.

But did you know garage sales should only last for three consecutive days? And technically, you're only allowed to have them twice a year.

"The twice a year I'm not so concerned about that," Eisert said. "… I don't even watch that. I don't care if they have [more than] two a year."

But he does care if sales go over three consecutive days, because then sales become businesses, and businesses aren't allowed on residential areas.

Advertising more than 48 hours in advance isn't allowed either.

"Most people don't wan't all [those] signs sticking in their front yard," he said.

While Eisert may not throw you in jail for breaking Wapakoneta code 1292.22, you can be given a minor misdemeanor or arrested and given a court date - although Eisert hasn't had to do that either.

"I'd always been able to talk to people, explain [it] to them," he said. "They just do it. It's not that big a deal."

Another garage sale rule to know

is that you can put signs out between the sidewalk and the street as long as it's no more than 24 hours before and after a sale.

"If you don't take them down I'll be knocking on your door," he said.

Also, advertisement can't be put on city poles, you don't need a city permit to run a garage sale and don't block sidewalks.