If one person's trash is another's treasure, is one person's garage sale a neighbor's pain in the neck?

In an effort to crack down on serial garage sales, the West Sacramento City Council on Wednesday will consider a limit of three per year.

For some residents, the proposed law is an overdue way to remove blight. That, however, does not please at least two Cummins Way families who staged garage sales on Saturday.

They objected for financial and property-rights reasons.

"I don't like it," said Zhanna Dronenko, whose regular sales helped convince city officials that West Sacramento needed an ordinance.

"I don't make that much," she said, standing amid a collection of stuffed animals, chairs, baby clothes and toys. "I make $50. I need it to pay my rent."

Down the street, Linda Olvera knew all about the proposed ordinance. She doesn't think it's right.

"I pay taxes," she said. "I should be able to do what I want to do at my home."

Garage sales are an American tradition – when children have grown out of clothes, or when a family has to move or remodel a home.

West Sacramento officials said an ordinance is needed no matter how important it is to get rid of those Milli Vanilli cassettes, the ThighMaster or that like-new Veg-O-Matic.

The proposed ordinance would bring West Sacramento in line with other area jurisdictions. Currently, West Sacramento is the Wild West when it comes to garage sales; there are no limits.

That has led to unwelcome noisy weekend traffic and trash from unsold leftovers placed in the street, said West Sacramento Code Enforcement officer Larry Brooks.

Brooks has seen a recent increase in serial yard sales.

"I imagine that people are using yard sales to get some extra cash during tough times," he said.

While Brooks is sympathetic, West Sacramento residents deserve order.

"People bought into the notion that there would be a certain quality of life in their neighborhood," Brooks said.

If approved, fines could range from $100 to $130.

Brooks suspects some items at garage sales come from other sales, storage locker auctions and flea markets.

It is unfair to brick and mortar stores to allow garage sales – which don't charge taxes, buy business licenses or pay for building overhead – to hold yard sales week after week,Brooks said.

"Citizens complained code enforcement wasn't doing anything," Brooks said. "Well, that's because there's nothing in the city code that prevents people from having a yard sale every week if they so desire."

Still, at the Olvera home, assembled family members said they'd like West Sacramento to stay lawless on garage sales. They hold about six sales a year at their home.

"The economy is so messed up that people are just try to survive," said Angelina Ornelas, daughter-in-law of homeowner and yard sale operator Olvera. "Food has gone up, and people are just trying to get a little money."

Around the region, ordinances on residential yard sales vary:

• Sacramento has a limit of one per calendar year, not to exceed two consecutive days.

• Sacramento County allows up to three sales per year at the property where the sale operator resides. The sale may not exceed two consecutive days.

• Folsom limits residents to two garage sales a year.

• Citrus Heights limits a parcel to no more than three sales per year, of no more than two consecutive days.

• Rancho Cordova allows three sales a year, of no more than six straight days.

• Elk Grove allows three weekends a year.

Call The Bee's Bill Lindelof, (916) 321-1079.