Never start a War with the neighbors-Advice Needed

[angels4]

Quote:
Seems like if her "friend in code enforcement" overlooked the need for a permit when the porch was built and now wants to make trouble for you. I would think this "friend" would get into some hot water if he knew about the porch when it was built and is now enforcing the rules.

Trouble is finding out exactly who her friend is. I hope ALL of you take this as a learning experience. If you ever buy a house, don't ever do it without first contacting the permitting department and making sure every single item is permitted for. Maybe even have an officer do an inspection if they're nice enough to do so.

If he is the one who came out to give you the citation it should be on there or maybe she mentions him by name in the facebook threat.

 

[Chiefs Mess]

I feel for you!! We had neighbors who rented their home out. Yep, loud music, destruction of property, even had dog feces coming in our yard (there was a cement run drainage going through our backyards) from the neglected dog they had. Then we had a neighbor who drove his Semi in the Cul de Sac. Mind you against codes. (Now there is a reason for codes.) I called. Yeah neighbors were p***ed. Even had other neighbors go against me. Did not care in the long run I was right and can say won. When it did come time to sell our house we did not take a big loss if things were left to carry on.

I am with you, you did not open a can of worms. You wanted your home back, not live like the trash next door. I have this belife, if your living standards impedes on my land and disrupts my living on my own land I will correct the matter. Now mind you I have 5 acres now and things are good. I would not do something to disrupt my nieghbors and feel they should live with it.

Definatly get a good lawyer. Call the local news if the county is working with the neighbor and not you.(since the good ole boy system is working in that county dept.) Never know what else that county did for friends and not following their own laws.

What I did was contact a supervisor in the county I lived in and develop a good relationship and she helped me out greatly.

sorry for any misspelled words still groggy and shocked from this town you live in.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Everyone has someone who is over them, so forget worrying over WHO her friend is, just find out WHO Code Enforcement reports to and go over their head. Let them know that you made a complaint against the neighbors, that someone in Code Enforcement is friends with your neighbors landlord, that the daughter came over and pointedly said that their friend in Code Enforcement gave your name as having reported you, and that she then threatened (and followed through) to report you for the porch that her brother (or uncle or whomever the relative was) had built on your home before you had bought it.

Their report of you was vindictive behavior, not a valid reason, because they were angry that they were caught in the wrong.

BTW- TP'ing your place and trespassing to knock over things on your property - reportable. They had to trespass on private property to do that, and I'd be making police reports on everything that happens in your yard if I was you. You DO NOT have to name names in the report, just report that this was done to your property. Let the Police figure out who was doing it.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
The code enforcement officer who is now harrassing you needs to be reported to the county attorney. Tell them you plan to file suite against the officer AND the county for harrasment and retaliation.
Also, you might be surprised at just what the red-neck owner of the propery next door actually has. I see 'em daily around here. Look too poor to even afford the water to bathe. But the bank account is brimming or they own half the property in your county. They may have a shed full of jet ski's and RV's you can put a lien against. There are ways to collect. BUT, unfortunately for you, its going to cost you to get the ball rolling. And it is a gamble as to collecting. But if you back down, with the mentality level they are showing, it WILL get worse. You've started a genuine feud and now you need to finish it. Legally. You need to show them youre smarter and more tenacious.

 

[redstars]

Sorry to say but I think this won't go away for a while. Best advice is to straighten out your own violations the best
you can and lay low. I know it stinks to have to put up with crappy neighbours. You can always hope they move or
have a really big fire. I have a neighbour that has a dog tied up that barks all day I could let them know it bothers me but I won't.
That way when he gets off that chain and wanders it the no fly zone (my yard) it will be like the Bermuda Triangle. Never to be seen again.
Anyone that is gonna go on record and complain about a neighbour needs to think about it first. It might be easier to block out the initial
annoyance.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Perhaps becasue the OP did not knowingly break any laws or rules; they purchased property with a screened porch. Nowhere in the prepurchase paperwork or inspections, etc. did it come to light that the porch was an unpermitted add-on. The shed is small enough that most communities would not require a permit. Notice that most of the sympathy and comments are about the existing screen porch, and the ones about the shed have overwhelmingly been towards finding out whether a permit is needed or not.

The concern is about equal protection under the law: a biased code inspector reporting violations that are not in fact violations.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You need to move this to the legal section

 

[redhen]

All i can tell you is to not back down... do NOT pay code enforcement a dime. Call a lawyer asap..

 

[herfrds]

I agree with Milton. You tried to be a good neighbor until to new bozos moved in.

Document everything. Any damage done to your property get pictures, ones with dates on them work the best.
Look on e-Bay and get one of those game cameras that have the infared flash. Get a couple of them. Set it up where they cannot see it towards their side of the fence.
Follow the chain upwards. Had my county attorney bail on us concerning a dispute with the local school. They thought it was done until I went clear up to the head of education for our state. No more problems.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Quote:
When we bought our home (So. Cal) it was disclosed to us that the entire second story was added without a permit. They had some buyers that backed out because of it. We didn't care as we had it inspected and it was built to code, just no permits were pulled. HOWEVER, when we move we will also be obligated to disclose to any future buyers OR to have it legally permitted. We won't be able to sell it otherwise.

I can't imagine that you have to have the porch permitted right now, only when you get ready to sell.