Garage sale restrictions, approved by Babylon Town, now come to North Hempstead

North Hempstead residents can hold garage sales only up to four times a year, according to a new town law.

The law passed 7-0 at the Oct. 20 town board meeting. Officials proposed the law after residents complained that some homeowners were exploiting the summer pastime for commercial gain.

The bulk of the complaints came from North New Hyde Park and Roslyn residents who said some homeowners were running the sales continuously, officials have said.

The law was introduced at an August public hearing by Councilman Peter Zuckerman, whose district includes Roslyn, but was postponed until the Nassau County Planning Commission gave its approval. They did on Oct. 1.

Supervisor Judi Bosworth said last month that the bill "takes into account the residents who are concerned with garage sales being made into a business."

With the passage of the law, North Hempstead becomes the first Nassau County town to restrict yard sales. Hempstead and Oyster Bay do not have laws regulating sales, and Oyster Bay Supervisor John Venditto has said there have not been issues in the town.

In Suffolk, Babylon officials in October approved restrictions for yard sales, limiting them to four times a year. The town had introduced a law in the spring but that proposal had changed several times since it was proposed.

In Babylon, penalties will range from $100 to $2,500. The original proposal limited the sales to twice a year.

North Hempstead officials have said the law would not apply to the town's 31 incorporated villages.

By Scott Eidler

scott.eidler@newsday.com@ScottEidler

Scott Eidler is a deputy editor for the towns department at Newsday. Scott has worked at Newsday since 2012 and previously covered municipal government and education.