bureaucratic monkey wrench thrown in shop plans

[Wild Turkey]

Just found out I missed the county board meeting to get a "provisional permit" so I can build my shop before I build my house on some property in the country.

Now I have to wait until Dec 7 to have a hearing so they can be sure I'm going to build my house because they're afraid I might just build the shop and not the house and then it could be taken over by unsavory folks, etc etc etc.

Yeah, my fault for missing last month's meeting but it still peeves me that bureaucrats can force folks to meet their schedules regardless of the cost to the folks who want to do things right.  Building in November is much easier than building in December around here.


Not much of a rant because I'm too depressed to get really upset.

[Bill Wilson]

Bummer WT, sorry to hear that.  Hopefully it will be (mostly) forgotten, once the new shop is done.

[Phil Thien]

I hear ya. All you can do is play the game.

[daddo]

Makes you wonder who owns the land doesn't it?  Somehow and sometime many lost that rightful power.

Years ago a man here challenged the city for the taking of property without just compensation or due process under the law and they backed off. Don't ask me how he did it or the legalities. 


It seemed the supreme court explained it many decades ago; Property Rights: “Property in a thing consists not merely in its ownership and possession, but in the unrestricted right of use, enjoyment, and disposal.  Anything which destroys any of the elements of property, to that extent, destroys the property itself.  The substantial value of property lies in its use.  If the right of use be denied, the value of the property is annihilated and ownership is rendered a barren right.”     —Washington State Supreme Court Justice Richard B. Sanders.

“No person …………… shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without DUE PROCESS of law; nor shall private property be taken for PUBLIC USE without COMPENSATION.”


  The argument was his land was being taken by the public because of the public's interests. ???

   Just a thought.

[JosephP]

Well the principle may be worth the fight that will be longer than December 7th.

Good luck WT... Now you can use the spare time to decide if you have a big enough footprint or if you need to add another 12 feet.

[Admiral]

Zoning can be a big issue. Good luck.

[Stwood_]

Luck.

[MstrCarpenter]

Soon after I moved to New Hampshire, I decided I wanted to build a simple 12 x 12 addition for my office. So one Friday morning I went to town Hall to get a permit. I filled out the application, attached a set of construction drawings and asked "How much do I you?" She informed of the cost and told me that the building inspector likes to drive by and take a look before issuing a permit. I told her the stock was being delivered this afternoon, and it will be all built by tomorrow afternoon. She told me there is a $50 penalty fee for starting construction before a permit is issued.
"So I should just add that to this check, or do you need a separate one?"

When I picked up the permit the following week, I told them I was ready for my foundation, rough, and electrical inspections and the final any time after Saturday. It was completely finished, both inside and out, and I had been using the office for two weeks before he showed up for the first time.

A friend bought lake front property in the same town. He wanted to cut down some trees for a better view; the local inspectors told him he could not. He went to the Planning Board for a variance and explained that they were charging him extra for lake front property but he couldn't see the lake. They denied him and told him he could appeal it to the State level. That would require attorneys, Motions, money and time. He decided to just cut the trees down. The fine was $50 each for 9 trees. Done!

I'm not advising you to argue with the local authorities, I'm just suggesting that sometimes it's easier to beg for forgiveness than to ask permission.

[MarkSingleton]

Yup. A local rancher needed a small airstrip on his land here in our county. The cost of all the permits and inspections
was far more, both in cash and time lost, than the fine after it was done. Guess which way he went.

[EricU]

I'm sure there are jurisdictions that would require any un-permitted work to be removed

there is a building downtown that was reportedly built in violation of the permits.  I think it was setback from the street, very tall building.  I guess they didn't want to have the engineering redone. Just letting it go from what it looks like.