| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| dkelewae |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 3:07:06 PM
Last month I got a knock on my front door from one of our fine city's building inspectors. He informed me that we needed to restack our firewood within 10 days or get a summons. So, we restacked the wood neatly and even bought a very expensive tarp to put over it.
Fast forward to today. The inspector shows up at the door again and says "Oh I see that you've restacked the wood neatly and have a nice tarp over it, but now you're going to have to move it inside your privacy fence. You're in violation of a code ordinance."
Hubby contacts our alderman, who basically gave him a lot of political lip service. Then later this afternoon the supervisor of the building inspector calls my hubby. He told her what happened and she informs hubby that ordinance hasn't even passed yet! So, basically we're being harrassed to comply with an ordinance that's not even on the books yet...Grrrrrr! Oh and get this, she informed us that since we live on a corner lot that we technically don't have a back yard. What the heck?! We have a wood privacy fence that's around our non backyard, and also a shed.
Oh well, hubby is mad as a hornet...maybe that'll push him towards moving out of here and to my dream farm..LOL!
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| palmettogirl |
Posted - Nov 13 2008 : 10:17:27 AM
they do make you so mad! but sometimes i've found that if i walk out with the guy and tell him that we tried to fix it.....and then ask for his "expert" opinion on where to stick the wood (i know, you can have fun with that line!!) once he says something, he basically can't come back, and if another person from the department comes to complain, just say """""" told me to put it that way. i know it's unfair, but sometimes you just got to play the game. |
| Amie C. |
Posted - Nov 13 2008 : 09:11:56 AM
Diana, I've had my run-ins with city employees too. Everyone has their pet issues that they treat as being the most important aspects of the law.
We had to deal with a guy who kept sending us warning letters when my husband would work on one of our cars in the driveway! Now, that wasn't even against a code, and I told the guy so. Guess what his answer was: "You have to think about your neighbors. What if they wanted to have a cocktail party? They don't want their guests to look out the window and see that."
I've noticed that this sort of "code" enforcement gets worse when the city is going through a surge in prosperity. Hard times kinda have a way of making that stuff seem less important, which is one good thing about hard times... |
| dkelewae |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 5:15:59 PM
My hubby already informed the alderman and the supervisor that if they even think of sending the inspector back that there's going to be a lawsuit against the city, and that we will NOT be moving our firewood because we're not violating any laws.
Of course nothing is done about our next door neighbor who has rope tied to their fence to hold it up because it fell down over a year ago, and the swimming pool with the rotted out liner that is a giant mosquito breeding ground. It's so bad that we can't even sit out on our deck in the summer because the mosquitos will carry you away. Then there's the guy across the street who has big bonfires in his yard(burning is illegal here too) when he has parties. Or the other guy in the subdivision that has racks of wood in his front yard that he sells (also illegal).
Our city made the list of one of the top 100 places to live in a national magazine, and now the city seems to be getting a big head over it.
Alee- There's no deathtrap houses around here. This city is over run by the upper middle class for the most part. There's no lower income housing, etc. Heaven forbid anyone who needed an affordable place to live move here.
The only reason we're here is because this was my hubby's parents home and when his mom passed away his dad sold it to him.
Diana
Farmgirl Sister #272
St. Peters MO
Country Girl trapped in the city!
http://farmgirldreams.blogspot.com/ |
| lisamarie508 |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 4:47:20 PM
Well, I guess if that inspector comes around again, you can inform him that you are now educated and to get lost!
Farmgirl Sister #35
"If you can not do great things, do small things in a great way." Napoleon Hill (1883-1970)
my blog:
http://lisamariesbasketry.blogspot.com/
My basket Website:
http://www.freewebs.com/lisamariesbasketry/index.htm
[size=1]My apron website:
http://lisamariesaprons.bravehost.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 4:42:09 PM
Geez! And you would think there would be other things that the inspectors could be doing, like getting landlords to put in decent plumbing and wiring or making sure elderly people aren't in death trap homes. You would think something as innocent as a wood pile wouldn't really be an issue!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
Please come visit Nora and me on our blog: www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| acairnsmom |
Posted - Nov 12 2008 : 4:19:50 PM
I hear you Diana! Life in the city has it's own unique challenges. We too live on a corner lot and I was trying to wrap my head around them thinking you didn't have a "back" yard. HUH? What does the location on the block have to do with your yard? I'm assuming you still have your "front" yard on the same side as your "front" door and your "back" yard on the same side as your "back" door.
Just when you thought dealing with all the political wrangling was finished...
Hang in there!
Audrey
Toto, we're not in Kansas any more! |
