Family faces many thousands of dollars in fines, legal bills over backyard patio in Indianapolis
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Kim and Ray Peck had no clue a backyard renovation meant to update a patio would wind up costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.
For the past 19 years, the Indianapolis couple has lived in a home that sits along Geist Reservoir.
“We’ve always wanted to live on the lake,” Kim told 13News. “It’s just so relaxing to be out here.”
But relaxing is not how the Pecks describe their lengthy legal fight with the City of Indianapolis - a fight that focuses on their backyard patio.
“It’s hard to even enjoy it because you’re thinking at any moment, someone’s gonna say ‘You have to rip this out,'” Kim said.
“It has easily been the worst experience of our lives,” added Ray.
The legal battle between the Pecks and the City of Indianapolis involves a zoning rule that few people know about. Legal experts say that rule impacts thousands of other homeowners across Indiana’s largest city and, if enforced, could cost other families thousands of dollars in fines and legal bills.
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They generally don't hound you until a neighbor that doesn't like you calls and complains.
So the city zoning office is sometimes used as a tool of revenge.
To a hammer, everything‘s now nail.
same with every and alllll governmental agencies...stupid and shameful
i had a neighbor who didn't like anybody. she'd look up things to enforce on all her neighbors. I couldn't park on the street in front of my house anymore because every house had to have a driveway, and not a gravel one! I eventually moved. guy across the street had a project antique jeep in his driveway that she got towed away...
if only people did the right thing the first time, instead of being selfish and trying to take advange of everyone else.
You are correct sir !
How do the people of that city feel about the city spending so much money on prosecuting a minor zoning infraction?
Excellent point!
Something that size is not "minor". What's so unclear.
I wonder who the piece of garbage neighbor is that made the complaint
Nasty jealous people
@Micheal Politicians are now getting in through dominion voting systems, they don’t have to please the people anymore they cheat to get in…
@@steelisthemeal You're projecting. Examine both properties. The complainant has a valid argument. The person in this video also has two boat docks. One of those is encroaching on the neighbor's property. Where is the proof they were told, years ago, LMFAO, by an inspector that everything was fine? And, talking is not a legal permit. It is obvious the complaining neighbor has enough money for any patio they want. So, this has nothing to do with jealousy or being envious. It is also obvious the people in this video believe they are entitled. Anyone, especially people with a house like that, knows they need permits to build.
This is why even where permits are not required. It’s a great idea to take tons of pictures of the entire construction process.
It should NEVER be this big of an issue getting a permit, after the fact.
My guess is that the neighbor has “friends” within the city.
Agree. This seems personal. The woman who works there, can’t clearly defined anything. So if she can’t, how can anyone rule on this. 🤔
You read my mind
EXACTLY
Your guess is 100% wrong. If that were the case, the so-called people in this video would have already lost.
Simply:
want to build;
make a plan and present it;
you may need a permit, or not, or more than one;
depending, it may not even be approved, at all.
BTW, the people in this video also have two boat docks, one of which is encroaching on the neighbors' property.
Ah. You are the neighbor.
Asking the government for permission to do something on your own property is not Freedom.
I have a tire and battery dump on my property and that’s my right!
If what you build cast a shadow on , or can spew smoke fumes or fire sparkle into your neighbour's property you should expect them to get help from the law.
@@enginerdy Is that sarcasm? Because rain will now drain into the water table as toxic water......which will become city drinking water. Runoff might make it's way into the ecosystem harming wildlife.
You benefit from living in a society and the rest of us follow laws/rules which protect or benefit you, so why not play along? Remember: *With freedom comes responsibility.*
The people voted this crap in, along with parking meters to charge you for using the road you paid for, thats why we have it!
Easier to go after homeowners than criminals.
This is civil. Totally different part of the judicial system.
You never own your property.
@@ljmac22 Still government, 🤡.
It’s all about the money
@@davebrown4841 you don't even understand what the word government means, or how or why it functions, yet you probably laughed yourself after posting the clown emoji.
When we bought our 110 year old home in Illinois property lines were identified. There was an addition that was 40 years old that was within the 5 ft required from the 7ft property lines. This was the first house on the block. A neighbor bought a house that was only 50 years old . She had it surveyed and the surveyor claimed we were on the property line and could have to remove our house. We went to county assessor and was told our place was right. The survey was from south to north and they went north to south and moved every lot 3 ft. Towards our house. The local inspector still said we were wrong. But county said we would have to take it to court to get it straightened out. After 25 years of living we sold it and left the shit hole town.
Omg!!
Holy Hannah, that is terrible! F, that is ridiculous! Sorry you had to deal with that
That’s why I’d never put any permanent structure next to my property line. Surveying mistakes happen sometimes.
Always obtain a survey of the property and know where your boundary markers are located. Any discrepancy that crops up can then be dealt with by a lawyer in court. Your house is the first built so your boundary markers are what has to be used when they resurvey the subdivision.
@David Halverson if only they did. We fought and argued but the way the new survey was done and town code official didn't like us they could do whatever they wanted. The town even had the original survey but said it was out of date. I've been in construction most of my life and never dealt with some much crap.
I’ve been in construction for 30 years. Live in San Francisco. I will not even bid a job without including permits…love them or hate them, they are part of the construction process. Shame on the contractor for running a job of that scope with out a permit. A retaining wall? Fire pit? Next to a lake? Really? Go after the contractor’s GL policy (if they even have it). I think there is more to the story the HO is telling us. Just because the neighbors did it without a permit doesn’t make it right. The cheapest bid isn’t always the best bid! Hard lesson to learn.
You nailed every single point.
^^ This!
I have had experience with contractors in your nasty city...all fucked in the head morons
100% right. I know many of our neighbors did work they should have gotten a permit for, but we still went and got one when it was time to build our fence. Not a huge deal.
I was curious why the contractor did not pull a permit. Seems pretty bog standard procedure, especially with a nice expensive project like this one. Sounds to me like someone tried to skip the rules and got caught. Contractor, or person.
It is so sad that you have neighbors that are this jealous of your beautiful patio.
@@DaisyDay.-pm2cf YOU have got to be the Peck's neighbor Karen+.
Ha ha......I fell for the Red Daisy recently added troll account, created specifically to antagonize. Next stop for Red Daisy......someone posting a video of a baby laughing......can't have that. LOL
@@DaisyDay.-pm2cf I should have known by your blinking green lights Justin, we don't have those here. It's pretty obvious that all parties in the video are wealthier than the norm, however, I am not envious.
It looks like the Peck's patio blocks the lake view of their neighbors. It doesn't take a genius to guess that they would be opposed.
@@mikebronicki8264 yeah youtube comment section is the bottom 50% of of the average person's intelligence.
Bet the person that reported them didnt get a permit for theirs.
Another VanMeter. Look at that property and OMG that entire patio set up is outstanding! Gorgeous, so relaxing with a tremendously awesome view. My first thought was that the complaint came from a jealous neighbor being petulant and petty. Unfortunately, the neighbor has inadvertently opened a giant can of worms. All of the neighbors who will be potentially affected by this situation should know who it is that has destroyed their peace!
😆 jealousy is at root of this case
@@KingdomQueen75 jealousy or...more to the story. This couple pissed off someone.
@@lindaharrell3916 Yeah, probably nearby. The first inspector said no problem. That should be all that needs be said.
Doesn't matter if the person reporting got a permit. This homeowner can't get away with it by racking up legal fees and calling the media.
They had an inspector come out and they said no permits were needed. That should be enough to end this case.
Get it in writing
Should have had the inspector put his decision in writing. How will they prove a verbal clearance?
@@markseaman4750 same way one can prove their story is factual, it can' t be done.
@@dr.s4574 They should have gotten everything in writing, I live in rural Nevada on 40 acres no neighbors within a mile & I dont hammer a nail without checking with the bldg inspector to see if i need a permit or not!
I hope this inspires people to start asking why anyone has such dominion over someone's supposed private property.
Because the US has well regulated and documented systems. The family is wrong and they dont get benefits because they are rich
The city should be held accountable since the inspector said they didn't need a permit! Should also be considered harrassment!
I'm sure that was never in writing.
And, where is the proof that was even said by anyone?
yea he no longer works here or no one would say that.
@@banjobenson9348 To begin with, I was too nice. The OP is complete nonsense, nonsense he got from the self-entitled liars in this video.
Talking means absolutely nothing!
What to build?
Make a plan;
present it to the proper city department;
a permit may be required, or not;
or, the plan may need multiple permits;
or, the plan may be denied.
There is no way anyone can convince me the people in this video did not know that.
@@philgar7786 Probably correct you know when you live in a commie city as to how govt is going to treat you ahead of time. thats why the left coast is losing so many people.
Update: The Pecks agreed to pay $2,000 in fines for not getting the required permits, and they also agreed to make slight adjustments to the patio. Where the structure is more than 18 inches off the ground, the city required the Pecks to move the patio back two feet away from their neighbor’s property line. The Pecks also adjusted the cinder block walls around the patio to allow spaces between some of the blocks. By doing so, the walls are instead defined as fences under city code. A wall is subject to strict building and zoning rules. A fence is not.
Thanks for the update, I was wondering what they must have been in violation for since this has become such a problem normally you just have to retroactively file for a plan and pay a small fine in a situation like this
Thank you for the update
Something tells me that they were grateful to pay the $2000 not to have to completely tear their beautiful patio down completely. Something also tells me their neighbor is mad as hell they didn't have to tear down their beautiful patio down completely. 😉
Why do people think they can build up to the last inch of the border line?
She has no answers! Sounds like the City is trying to nickle and dime homeowners!!
No really, who would expend 200K+ .... just bring the thing to code for 10K or less and that it
@@santy33143 It's not a code violation. Did you even watch the video? They're being told AFTER it's been built, AFTER the city inspector approved it, that it required a permit to be built. They would have to (potentially) Demolish it and REBUILD IT, after having a permit to do so.
If they were LUCKY, they MIGHT be allowed to pay a fine equal to or greater than the cost of whatever permits they allegedly required, but considering how much the city has invested in litigation, I highly doubt it.
Never fails to have a Karen or a Chad to complain.
kevin
Karen or Scotty to complain
We don’t complain.. Scotty Jett etc sounds more suitable..
@@6foot7sun 😆 no complaints or snitching on my end
@@jazziez6467 or jazz
What confuses me is that they had to hire somebody to do this job. Usually a contractor pulls the permits for you. The fact that they assume they could build something this big and intricate without a permit blows my mind
This is where I'm at! No one is talking about this. Why didn't they go physically see for themselves BEFOREHAND what if any permits they would need?! 🤦🏾
Maybe the contractor was also told they didn't need a permit? Even the city lady couldn't say when a permit is or isn't needed and it's her job!
That doesn't look like a bootleg job, so assuming the contractor was legit, this whole situation is petty. The city needs maybe fine them and move on, or send out inspectors for ALL the properties with improvements. This seems targeted 🤷♂️
Everybody is disregarding that the fact that the first inspector that came said they were fine the way they were.
@@cybersal7 That's what they claim at least. Who knows what was really said "It looks ok but I need to go back to the office and check the zoning".
@@juelzm149 because they think theyre SPECIAL that they were even allowed to HAVE lakefront property in the first place the city oughta kick em the phuck out is what they oughta do
“Easily the worst experience of our lives” - May you continue to be blessed, Sir
right?? ..
It’s sad we can’t build on OUR PROPERTIES!
That's a false statement. With permits you can. Do you want a neighbor to accidentally weaken a tree's root system, causing it to fall on your house in high winds? Or cause rain to flow onto your property like a creek during heavy rain, washing away your vegetable garden?
Neighbor of the year award goes to.......
Some people are just mean and nasty through and through
Why do we let government do this to us?😩🇺🇲
Can you just think of how many landscaping contractors haven't pulled any permits?
A building inspector said no permits needed? Sounds unlikely. There is likely more to this story.
I got 99 problems, and a millionaire's foolishness with his money AIN'T ONE OF THEM ...
🙌 Thank you!!!! These must be other rich people ragging on the neighbor who reported it. 🙄 Why tf is this even a story? 🤦♀️
@@acgillespie Jealous !!!!!! Go back to watching Jerry Springer !!!!
Hi 🤡, the government goes after the average folks just as much. Good try democrat cheerleader.
It’s a story to warn other riches that hiring illegal alien owned businesses or illegal alien workers, will result in more than the structural cost legally owned companies. I’m glad riches are finally being held accountable for hiring their modern day slaves, aka illegal alien cheap labor cost. If more start paying for hiring them, they start deporting themselves when riches stop using them over American own company. Easy solution to this problem, stop using illegals for slaves, hire American and pay some of them riches to Americans to be used in America to be taxed. Instead of the majority of the money being sent to the country they invaded from. The majority of the money never hits economy to be taxed, causing more taxes for citizens. Than 90% of the workers wives claim welfare due to no taxable income since they are paid under the table, causing citizens to pay more taxes to support them and their families, while watching job after job go to these illegals just to save a few thousand. Scum riches deserve this every time they hire illegals.
You sound so jealous, but thanks for taking time out from your many problems to let people know how you feel. We were all wondering. 😝😂😆🤣😆😆
I'm certain they feel harassed and frustrated, but they live on a lake with a boat, that's hardly hell compared to what many people go through just to get by.
It's time the people tell the government to stay out of our lives
I mean why do we need any laws, ordinances, building codes and rules anyway?!
You should definitely do that. 😂 But don't call when your house is on fire or there is a giant sinkhole in the road to your house or a flood or tornado or...
You will be the first to complain when the government does not do anything to help you, like repairing the road to your home, responding to your 911 call, helping you out with a neighbor who decides to build a racetrack in their back yard….the list goes on.
Democrats are for more government. A fact.
It isn't clear in the report, an inspector came out after the neighbors property line dispute... correct? Was that a city inspector? Were they there specifically to make a on property boundary or permit ability at that time? The the lady just says, an inspector....the reporter follows with, city inspectors later....who or what was the first inspector????
Hi there! I am the homeowner. The City inspectors were Jeff Vaughan, Brian Wilson, and Justin McBride. They each put in their reports that thry conducted inspections, met with the homeowners and the builder, determined it was like for like (those words are in their report), and closed the violation. It's completely documented. I would have thought that would have been the end of it.. but six years later, it wasn't.
@@GeistGuy it is hard to believe that a detailed plan and permit wasn't required pre construction for a project of this complexity. It would be required in my community. This is an observation not a judgement on what is right or wrong.
They should gotten a permit and the builder should know that.
She is amazingly clueless, fire everyone and rebuild the department.....
Its the entire country bro, every institution
you want the permit, but you can answer when you need or do not need a permit.
Anytime you are getting ANY construction to your property no matter WHERE you live it is wise to check on building permits. Since there are so many people who would be affected by this issue I would think that all _potential_ property owners who would be affected should petition their politicians to rescind this ordinance.
These guys are acting quite smug considering they definitely knew they should have brought the patio/kitchen plans to the the city and asked if a permit was needed before they started the renovation... they just didn't want to pay the permit fees and they thought they were too smart to get caught. (You can be sure if their neighbour built a loud obnoxious party patio right next to their quiet lakefront property, they would be all up in their face too.)
I am the homeowner in this story. We are not smug, we've been harassed by the City for six years! We just want our lives back. Please send an email of support to the City.
@@GeistGuy I am very sorry for all the headaches and expense you guys are experiencing over this. It is a stupid ordinance and it makes me sick. It seems that your local officials know even less about their own rules than the homeowners. This inability to define their own laws alone should have resulted in a dismissal of the complaint. As I said you should have checked in advance to see if permits were required, but from the response of the female official in the video I doubt that they could have given you a satisfactory answer at the time if you had.
@@ItsMe-yv9jd the city told them they didn't need a permit.
Homeowners are willfully ignorant. I worked for the EPA and any project you do that affects/changes the water runoff onto other properties, sewers/drains, watershed, and waterways (lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, etc) *NEEDS A PERMIT* Anything built on or near the water (lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, etc) *NEEDS A PERMIT* which includes boat ramps, lake access, and retaining walls. *ANYTHING* built that changes the land gradiation needs a permit. *RETAINING WALLS* need permits. *FENCES and RAILINGS* need permits. Outdoor permanent structures like kitchen, BBQ pit, highbar tables needs a permit. *OUTDOOR STAIRS* need a permit.
I had a snooty neighbor who forced me to move a building on my property due to it being less than 10 feet from the line. His property was an open field on the other side of the property line. I was forced to move the structure which only set him off even more with more unreasonable demands. I moved away. He became one of the local commissioners. I'm sure he wielded his new power against other neighbors after I left. It's all about power. Karens and Kens are real.
You were in the wrong. Easy to blame your neighbor’s character for your violation?
OH MY GOSH! "When do folks need a permit and when do they not need a permit?"
"Unfortunately, that's not clear."
I don't see how they have a legal leg to stand on.
Those neighbors should not get away with causing all this trouble & causing that family to spend all that 💲.
Clearly, the next door family is f*cked up, & jealous of all the gatherings this family has with people who love them.
Here's a thought, why not call and ask. FFS, it ain't hard.
There is nothing like arbitrary code enforcement.
well said
If youtube ran communities
The city would have never showed up had the neighbor not complained. Once the neighbor complained their hands are tied.
$240k defending in a recession? What a wonderful life and God bless America
The ultra rich are not your friends.
It’s beautiful. Let them enjoy it in peace. 😢
my sentiments exactly!
Owner says he spent 240k on defending what he built, it would have been easier to hire a civil engineer or architect to prepare plans for what he built at a small fraction of what he spent. Maybe some retrofitting would be necessary. Homeowners go through situations like this all time and at the end of it, the city or county always wins.
It's probably all about the standard 5 or 6 foot setback restriction from the property line, which arguably is a reasonable thing to have in place.
@@matej.m.rejsek8537 Maybe should have your 5 yo watch the video and get back with you on that..
This is an absolutely beautiful patio! This family should be able to enjoy it. Sadly, small minded and controlling folks want to cause misery.😮
The city should come out tomorrow with a bulldozer and push everything into the lake - including the family! 😃
Good to talk with neighbors. Where i live in California most inspections and enforcement are complaint driven. So yes it's your property, but you have to consider how you impact your neighbors and their property too
People from California should not be allowed to comment. You have allowed the destruction of society in your once beautiful state. Clean up your own mess before you step across that state line and criticize others. I lived in Indiana and moved because of Federal pricks who live there.
That's one way of doing it. Just talk.
Man that is crazzzy. Lord have mercy. Now I’m gonna have to go get a permit for my front porch.
Nice deck. So what’s the problem.
$240,000 in lawyer fees?!!!! I would have given up.
I wonder what the patio costed? I would guess maybe 20 or 30 grand material and labor?
But yeah $240 grand would just not be worth it. Unless that guy has more money than we could even imagine. Even then, dealing with the legal hassles, forget it.
An inspector literally came on their property and told them no permit was necessary THEN issued cease work orders AFTER constitution's over? Someone needs FIRED. Then this couple should be given a waiver.
I don't see why they couldn't just retroactively permit it. Pay the fees and be done.
Yes, seeing as there was already an existing patio there anyway.
@@cybersal7 Correct it was a repair and the inspector said no permit needed..The homeowners are more articulate in presenting their facts than the city was ..
They thought they could build THAT without a permit? The retaining wall alone is a reason enough for a permit. Any time you build, dig or cut trees you have to get a permit.
go eat ass
Sig heil right back at you.
Glad I live in unincorporated area without a bunch of Nazis telling me what I can't do on my own property.
That dude said this was the worst experience of their whole lives. I wish the biggest problem I'd ever faced was a dispute over a f***ing patio that cost more than my house. I pray to sweet baby jesus that whole neighborhood slides into the river. 💩
I am the homeowner in this story. It really has been a miserable experience.six years of hearings and judges and lawyers and expense. Worse yet. Just having this hanging over our heads. We're good people. We're just a family trying to raise our kids and enjoy our lives.
@@GeistGuy Fair enough. Sounds like a pain in the ass. Fancy problem created by an abundance of expendable income, and time to sit on a patio. Something completely foreign & trivial to regular people. Not a tragedy. Not even worth any emotional bandwidth for people with actual problems. Good luck with future patio experiences. I hope they are less painful & traumatic.
Not going to waste my time feeling outraged for wealthy people who describe a permit dispute for their waterfront patio as the worst thing that ever happened to them and then go on to spend 200k fighting it.
I agree. He said this is the worst experience of his life. They’re so privileged. This story is so out of touch.
That’s nuts. It should be clear if a project needs a permit. You should not have to pay just to find out.
18 inches and taller needs a permit. Did you not watch the video?
If you're going to build anything, get a permit. It's that simple. If someone tells you you don't need a permit, get it in writing.
nothing like a Karen or Kevin to make life hell on their own property
It IS their own property but they are treating the property like a secluded lake lot. not the neighborhood that it is. MACMANSION comes to mind.
Karen, Kevin, Adolf...
I grew up in Indiana, and it’s the home of Karen’s! Someone tried to do this sh!t to my parents! Indy has other things to worry about, decks and patios shouldn’t be one of them!
Like freaking potholes
If this is the worse thing you’ve ever experienced in your life you’ve had a nice life
"This is the worst thing to happen to us" the privilege is breathtaking
The neighbor must be even richer to get the city to do something like that
Moral of the story is apply and get permits so many think they don't need them. Best way is go to your city and ask them.
Agreed, but they told us we didn't need them...
It sounds like the city doesn't know either.
At first I thought "backyard patio" city shouldn't have a problem. Then I see their "backyard" is waterfront. That's not really a backyard at all. And yes building code is separate from zoning. There's also separate fire department code. All 3 has to be checked. It's free to go speak with people in those department to evaluate a future project. They will even explain how to get want I want without a permit.
It's not free to check with the City. It's $85 to have them evaluate your project.
Sounds like a major PIA but "Its been easily the worst experience of our lives" ?? Is it really worse than when grandma died? Grandpa, Uncle Joe? You've had pretty darn good lives! LOL!
Contractor should have known that a permit was required.
0:48 If that's the worst experience of your life and you live in that house, your life has been beyond privileged.
As several others have mentioned, why did the initial inspector say that they didn't need a permit? They did inquire about necessary permitting. Isn't that due diligence??
Government out of control!!
1776 was over a 2% tax........
It’s interesting how willing some people are to have other people tell them what they can and cannot do on their own property they bought and paid for and impose it on others. Kind of psychotic in my opinion. Slaves ask for permission. It’s also disturbing how other people are willing to use violence or threat of violence to impose their will on others. Most people just want to be left alone by these psychopaths.
Yes, it is called society. We agree, through representation, how far others can go on their property before it impacts the neighbors. We do this through laws and regulations. It’s common sense. It is those who are ignorant of the regs, or refuse to follow them, that cause the issues.
Not pulling the proper permits falls on the architect, builder and the homeowner. A project as large as shown on this report, especially on the waters edge should always require approval from the community. Who do they think they are? Dan Snyder?
Its the owners and the builders responsibility to find out if they need a permit or not. Many waterfront property owners are expanding into the sensitive estuary at the edge of their property without a permit.
That is an amazingly beautiful patio! Hope the family wins this. What a shame if it’s destroyed.
So sorry, I stand with you as a homeowner myself
Imagine being hard-headed to pursue it in court for six years spending more money than to rebuild it with permit.
In all fairness, if your municipality offers a permit and you don't get one, they do have the right to demand you remove any improvement performed without it. They also have the right to offer you to get a permit after the improvement is built, review any plans, offer to let you do any minor destructive testing or revealing, and approve the improvement. I'm guessing Minneapolis, as a sanctuary city, has a budget deficit and has better uses of their limited funds than penalizing and toementing a tax payer.
Although, that railing is ugly and not the minimum height. And that patio furniture, ugh! What were they thinking?
This shows us that even if you own your property, they still own your property... because your property is in THEIR property.
Your car is your property. Do you drive on the sidewalk?
@@emilyfeagin2673 What is the point that you intend to make here?
Because building an noninvasive structure on the property you paid for and on is NOT the same as driving your car on the property owned by someone. I wouldn't drive through your yard.
The builder for the Pecks should have understood this little known ordinance. It also would have been good for the Pecks to have kept the renovation simpler space and approach with no steps, but an incline to facilitate moving wheeled carts to and from this lovely patio.
Applying for a permit is also so easy. Half the time they come back and say I don’t need one which is also in writing. It seems like a very easy first step that could have saved a future headache.
If this is the worst experience of your life, you need a life.
The permit process is there to protect the homeowners, neighbors, and future homeowners and neighbors. It sounds like they’re upset with the city but their contractor should’ve filed all appropriate permit applications. The problem is with the contractor that probably bid the job nice and low because they neglected to do an important part of the job.
Did you not pay attention? The first inspector said they were fine.
I would issue a complaint on everyone in the city with a patio close to 18 inches and get more people involved.
I'm not going to spend $240,000.00 defending my patio, so no, this does not apply to me.
Only in America where in your own backyard you still government permission to do your own remodel... no shame whatsoever
Not only in America. I live in Africa and we know not to build or do additions without checking if you need a permit.
Imagine living in a country like mine where zoning and rules is non existent and even if there is, it's never enforced. When I was a kid I used to be able to see the beautiful panorama from my surrounding but now it's impossible because my neighbors built their houses three stories high in front of mine and there's a hotel 100 m away sucking all of our water, not to mention I couldn't get proper reception because of all of the concrete buildings surrounding me
If this deck drama is “easily the worst experience” of your lives, then you should consider yourselves extremely lucky! 💯
I find it hard to believe that the contractor didn’t get any permit/s for a project that large and extensive. It required power source for the grill, drainage considerations, excavation/grading…. And if someone came out and said ‘you’re okay, no permit needed’ they should have gotten his/her name. Was it ‘Inspector uh John Wilson or something like that’?
WOW!!! How great to have that much money to spend on litigation over a patio. What a great life!
Your jealousy is gross
Bunch of BS. "See the plans..." without clearcut definitive zoning rules that ALL can understand = subjective judgements = injustices guaranteed.
The city won't even notice if the damn neighbor did not say anything. So it's the neighbor's fault
ew. homeowners not getting permits. the City should go after them
The city must get rid of that patio. Bring the money 💰 to the city.
There is a good reason for zoning, you can't do whatever you want with your property. You can't open a factory in a residential neighborhood, as just one example. You would think their contractor would have told them, and contractors probably should have a legal responsibility to make sure permits are applied for an approved before building starts.
Their main problem was believing the first inspector that came, looked, and said they were fine.
@@cybersal7 that is why it should be a legal responsibility of licenced contractors, and ideally they would be bonded and insured if they were wrong.
That pissed off neighbor feeling like a champ right now
Hard to believe they didn't know they'd need a permit. They placed dumb, hoping they wouldn't get caught.
Wouldn't having only structures less than 18 inches be a tripping hazard for most people?
I am thinking though, if this is "easily the worst experience of their lives", how blessed they are.
Administrative and Government bullshit. We have given these people so much power.
Isn’t it common sense that you need a permit?
If they had any professional construction people working on this they should have known. I built decks in California for 40 years, this was rule number one. You also need to know rules like if it's less than 18 in it doesn't require a railing.
The intent behind a permit process is to ensure structures is built within the cities control are safe… so it seems to me there should be a way to inspect structures post build (maybe for an additional fee), to approve them. Any safety findings, of course would have to be fixed. instead, cities tend to treat permits as a revenue generation operation and not as a safety goal. This is shameful.
This seems an awful lot like tyranny in the form of over regulation. I could understand if it was an enclosed structure of some sort… but regardless our government at every level it seems has gotten way too comfortable with limiting our rights, imposing excessive codes and regulations, and taking tax upon tax upon tax. Retired people who own their homes, paid in full, are having to relocate because they can’t afford property tax. You can go and buy land, but you’re still renting the ownership rights from the government based on a percentage, which they decide, taken from the valuation, which they also decide. If you don’t pay, they seize your assets.
Looks like an easy win if the community stands and voices their OUTRAGE
I don’t think zoning was the issue as much as it was encroachment. At least here anyways you can only build or fence up to within 1 foot of your property line. The marker post they showed for the other property owner was right beside their wall. So say both of them built retaining walls or fences. There would be a minimum of a two foot gap in between to allow for property line deviations. Instead of spending a quarter million and a goofy deck he should have spent $500 on a land survey.
If that’s the worst experience of their lives what are they complaining about
Know what you’re getting into “before” you get into it. Ignorance of the code requirements is no excuse…it can get very costly indeed.
The answer is clear: The Pecks should just cruise around the lake looking at backyards. Every time they see a patio, every time they see a retaining wall, every time they see something built-in that is over 18 inches, they should file a complaint with the city. The city is mandated to investigate each and every case, with a final report of findings. Meanwhile, request a continuance with the court until all the reports are in. If there is a preponderance of unprosecuted violations, file for immediate dismissal based on unequal enforcement of the law. If the city does start prosecuting, the outcry will force something to change.
Judges. Attorneys and towns are out of control in America.
Corruption digs deep down to the devils playground, literally corporate America's subterranean world
They have a lot to be grateful for if this is the worse thing that has happened in their entire lives 😂