Quirky local laws require careful reading

Yesterday Newsday ran an article about issues with fences in Southampton, which can be found by clicking here. While I found the entire article an interesting read, the part of the article that cought my eye was the definition of front yard and rear yard used by the Town. Specifically, the front yard faces the water if the house is on a pond, lake or bay. Yet, if the house is on the Ocean, the rear yard faces the water. Talk about crazy. The point is that a person interested in looking up anything in a law and more specifically in a Town Code must always look to the definitions and not assume that a provision applies until a complete understanding of the terms is achieved. Navigate carefully my friends.