I have poured a few slabs in my day. I've got a picture around here somewhere, my grandfather is coaching me on footings. I have the shovel, he's supervising. Twelve inches deep into undisturbed sol.
I helped my Dad pour slabs and build pole-barns. If anyone had told the old man (either my granpaw or my dad) that they needed a permit to build a shop, or a bran, they'd have shorted and looked at you like you'd lost your mind. What a man does on his own property is really not the business of government, and if you do something stupid and have your foundation crack, that's not the government's problem.
Several years ago, I put in a swimming pool in the back yard. Didn't need a permit. No one asked. But, when I put in a pool house and told them I was putting a toilet, I had to have a permit. The permit cost me $35.00 No drawings or nothing. The whole permitting process went like this.
Me: "They tell me I need a permit to put in a bath house."
Gov't lady: "It's $35.00. What's your address?"
Not so much these days. We have a bureaucratic regulatory infrastructure that bleeds a man dry, oversees every aspect of his life and oversees his every move.
SO, for a project that 50 years ago would have been done properly by family with no government involvement at all, now we're having to ask the government for permission to build a structure on my land. I consider that an utter confiscation, and I'm going to have to pay a tax (permit fees) based on the square footage of the building.
I am outraged, but I'll channel my frustration until the permits are obtained, the building is complete, then I'm going to start writing hate mail to my elected representatives. The Founding Fathers would be apoplectic. The very idea that a confiscatory government can tell a property owner what he can do with his own property is anathema to freedom loving people.
7 comments:
Don't feel bad, I had to get a permit pulled to CHANGE A HOT WATER HEATER!!! @%P#%!
Here in commiefornia the permits cost as much as my first house. My developer buddy told me for a tract house he paid $27,000 per.
I'm with you there. I have been disappointed to find out how many places in the US require you to get permission to build on your own property. What is even worse to me are the places with planning laws where you have to get what you want to build approved as well as permitted; I know of places where you aren't allowed to build what you want no matter the permits ...
Agree with original post.
About 10 years ago, my Mom was given notice by the city she resides in that her car in her carport had to be removed because it was visible from the street. Note - the vehicle was not taken apart or in the yard surrounded by weeds or anything like that. It was her car that she no longer drives, but can't bear to sell (1977 T-Bird). We put a car cover on top of it and called it good.
But the gall of the city. A vehicle on her property under a car port - and they complain about it ? Geezy Peasy !
Pulling permits just gives the government an excuse to increase your property taxes.
Steve
Anon 6:18 here again - same city pulled a stunt on us two years ago, about water line back flow preventer installation on our pasture. The device was supposed to be installed for our property, which was supplying water to a BATHTUB for livestock drinking. Because the water stop device (much like a toilet tower valve) requires to be in contact with water, they argued for the back flow preventer. About $120 in cost, plus another $60 installation cost, Plus an annual inspection charge of $30 every year to be sure the unit was working.
We elected to do away with device and swing by everyday to turn water on. The ditch rider said he'd be checking to make sure we didn't later put it back on - we told him to knock himself out.
I refuse to live in city limits, have for decades, & I thought that kept me safe. A few years ago, before I bought this place, my landlord & next-door neighbor decided he wanted a gazebo in his (enormous) front yard.
We're roughly the same age, a little over 50, & I was as outraged as he when he told me that some county flunkie had told him he had to move it; seems there's a county code against any structure in front of the dwelling.
I remember when you had to get electric wiring inspected, but water didn't require it, in this county. Then again, I remember going to school with a rifle in the rack in my truck & nobody cared.
I'm minding being in the latter part of my time here less and less.
--Tennessee Budd
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