SHARPSBURG — "Inside" furniture outside is a way of life for some people, but it is illegal in one Wilson County town.

The town of Sharpsburg says torn, dilapidated furniture is unsightly and potentially dangerous. The city of Wilson passed a similar couch ban a couple of years ago that put it in the national spotlight.

Now that the attention has died down, Wilson is glad to see other towns enacting the same rule.

"Oh yeah, everybody made fun of us. In fact, we got e-mails and letters from California, Canada and New York," says Steven Rogers, Wilson housing inspector. "We've gotten a lot of calls from a lot of jurisdictions who wanted to get a copy of the ordinance so they could enact it also."

About 20 property owners in Wilson have been approached about dilapidated furniture outside. So far, each person has complied, and no fines have been levied.

Old appliances are also forbidden outside in Sharpsburg. The new rule could lead to a $50 fine and even jail time. The decision to adopt the rule was unanimous.