Solar Rights

While going for a walk through my neighborhood the other morning I found myself coveting a neighbor’s clothesline. Perhaps a rather strange thing to do, but one of my fondest childhood memories is of my mom hanging fresh laundry on the clothesline to dry in the warm summer breeze; no “fresh linen” room deodorizer can even come close to the real smell. It also prompted me to wonder about legislative approval in my city and state regarding the use of a clothesline. Due to homeowners associations who argue clotheslines are visually unappealing, and lawsuit fearing landlords who are worried about personal injury liability, clotheslines have practically become a thing of the past. The “right to dry” movement sprang up because of people who feel they should have the right to utilize energy efficient, environmentally friendly clotheslines. Thankfully, clotheslines often fit under the umbrella of many states’ solar energy rights, so the right to dry using a clothesline can be protected. Are you living in a community with an “unlawful ban” against using the sun to dry your clothes? Perhaps it’s time to do some checking on your solar rights.