You certainly aren't, but oddly enough, I have yet to be hassled by any "official" people regarding vehicle maintenance. This includes the 3 month head gasket/turbo project I did on my truck while it sat in the driveway in plain view, in one of the most expensive areas in Palo Alto.

I also never ran into any trouble while living in San Jose, although that was probably luck more than anything else...although I did once have a neighbor in SJ who complained at every opportunity (including when I parked on the public street and "blocked the view from her kitchen window")...

I have no intention of living within an incorporated city any longer than I absolutely have to...