« Clinton Lied, People Died | Main | There Won't Always Be an England »
August 28, 2007
Six Months in Jail For Making Home Improvements
Francisco Linares is facing six months in jail for violating the building code of Rolling Hills Estates, California, with a few modest home improvements:
When Linares asked the city to repair the white three-railed fence behind his house, he was told it was on his property and his responsibility. So he replaced the termite-infested planks. Then the city reversed itself and said Linares had illegally built the fence on city property.
In October 2004, the city charged Linares with three misdemeanors: for not taking down the fence, having a retaining wall built higher than a 2-foot restriction and for erecting stone columns without a neighborhood compatibility analysis. Later inspections found eight other violations, including a lack of permits for plumbing and grading.
He was eventually given six months to either acquire a pile of permits or tear down his work. When he did neither, Torrance Superior Court Judge Sandra Thompson threw the book at him.
Gasps Linares' lawyer:
We're talking about fixing a fence that was on city property. He didn't build a Las Vegas casino. You put a guy in jail for six months because he repaired the city fence?
Maybe Linares will learn that if you just sit on your tail and let everything go to seed, you can avoid attracting the attention of bureauweenies and stay out of jail.
Posted by Van Helsing at August 28, 2007 8:00 AM
Comments
This is why my dream home is a double-wide on 5 acres 20 miles west of Nowhere, TX.
Posted by: Jimbo at August 28, 2007 8:15 AM
I realize the city bureaucracy demands that the peasants "ruhspect their authorituh" but I would think a fine would be sufficient to drive the point home.
My dream home would be on 16 acres, way out of the path of future development, on unincorporated land with no HOA... but I'm not sure which state. Tennessee is looking kind of appealing.
Posted by: V the K at August 28, 2007 8:23 AM
except for the twisters :(
its hard to find a piece of land not covered in moonbattery now :(
Posted by: furballz at August 28, 2007 10:10 AM
i love arkansas!
when we lived in californistan - we were told by the city inspector that we'd need to purchase a building permit to replace our outdated front window with an energy efficient insulated window - then he winked at us and said, "unless you do it on a sunday..."
not only were the property taxes too high, but you needed a building permit just about everytime you wanted to hang a new picture in your home!
Posted by: nanc at August 28, 2007 4:13 PM
p.s. - once, my dad planted some trees near the street on the other side of the sidewalk - apparently, they were not city approved - you could only plant three or four different kinds of trees - they pulled them up and told him the kind he could plant - one being crepe myrtle and the others being the kind that leave sticky spots all over your vehicles - what a bunch of buffoons!
and of course, the property owner is responsible for the upkeep on that side of the sidewalk...
Posted by: nanc at August 28, 2007 4:44 PM
