Man can't get permits - told to raze his boy's treehouse

Here is a prime example of the absolute lunacy of the government today. This guy looks to build his kids a tree house, thinking that there may be hoops to run through with the city, he calls the city and is told that there are no codes for the tree house. He builds it anyway and is then informed by the city that because it does not conform to a code, a code that does not exist, he has to tear the structure down, despite the fact that it is on his property. He also does not live in a community where there are covenants preventing such a building. This is all the idiocy of the city permitting process.

www.wtop.com...

"Treehouse faces demolition in dispute with Fairfax County"

"The guy in building permits laughed me off the phone," Grapin says. He was told it's a treehouse and not built to any code.

"So Grapin went to the local home improvement store, bought $1,400 worth of supplies and spent six weekends building the treehouse."

Grapin was told he had to treat it like an addition to his house and get a zoning variance. He spent more than $1,800 getting the proper forms and going through a hearing.

"The home sits on a corner lot and Zoning Board Chairman John Ribble says that means what Grapin thought was a side lot is actually the front lot.

The variance was rejected."

If that happens, what will he tell his kids?

"Daddy makes mistakes. We tried our best. I made a mistake by not knowing enough."


It is none of the city's business what this gent does on his own property. He does not live in a planned community with building rules, hence it is none of his neighbor's business either.

A typical example of an inflexible government using zero common sense and treating a citizen as a subject.

20 years ago this never would have happened

i have a new approach to these things ,if somebody tells me I have to do something like this I'm going to tell them YOU DO IT!! if it's a law and I'm violating it then it's your job to tear it down or jail me or whatever ,you do it

if YOU don't tear it down,the treehouse stays,

reply to post by dolphinfan


These days you need a permit for EVERYTHING.
It wouldn't surprize me if one day we have to get a permit in order to obtain a permit.

Ridiculous!!

EVERYTHING is a money grab it seems.

Since there's no code governing tree houses, they used his as reason to make him tear it down??
So does this mean nobody's allowed to invent new things because no code exists for how they should be built?
I would have an appropriate response if I were in this guy's shoes. I can't say what it would be though, as I'd have to become creative.

Any one tries to stand between me and my children, and i dont care what the matter is..... ill rip some ones head off. I dont care if it is a tree house or if my child needs a new heart, he will get one.

Permit Permit Permit

What if......any permit needed....had to be offered FREE by the government to a FREE PEOPLE

How many PERMITS would we need - THEN?

Unfortunately. You don't really own your home. Even when the loan is paid off.
You are still at the mercy of the city/county/state/federal government.

What this guy should of done is built it and not said anything. If the city asked a question he should of said it was always there.
He just trimmed the tree and it's more obvious. And since it was obvious he painted it so it could look nice.

As long as you don't make any changes to the home they really can't say anything.

I thought it was only the UK that had crazy folk working for local councils. We hear about stuff like this all the time.

Heavy-handed council workers order couple to apply for planning permission... for their daughter's Wendy house.
Over zealous council officials took bureacracy to the extreme when they ordered a couple to apply for planning permission - for their daughter's Wendy house.

The bijou Wendy house measures 6ft by 8ft and was a birthday present for three-year-old Abigail Gent, from Shropshire.

www.dailymail.co.uk... l

reply to post by dolphinfan


I wonder how long will it be before you have to have a permit
for a dog house?

doesn´t this make you people sad?

that they are bickering over a guy building a treehouse?

how about adressing some REAL freaking issues

i for one would NOT tear it down, especially after spending some 4k.

reply to post by mamabeth


I have a house that I rent out. The tenent bought a dog and built a dog house. The neighbor called and complained to the humane society that the dog house was not sufficiently vented and as such the dog would be too hot. Mind you that this is in Washington State where heat is generally not an issue.

The Humane Society, along with a cop came by, demanded access to the dog house and wrote him a summons to vent the dog house and that they would come back in two weeks to reinspect it. The gent cut a few holes in the sides and when they came back, he was good to go.

Keep in mind that when they initially came as well as the subsequent visit, they came with an armed law enforcement officer.

OP your right.

This is all about the Stazi type governing
coming from your local faction..

Follow the money, they want to screw people
out of money anyway they can..

In my district they were doing helicopter fly byes
looking at peoples property, getting them for
having an extra car in their yard and nailing
people for not having permits for their kid's play set's.

The best course of action this person can do is nothing. Let the city tear it down. When they do it his job as the parent to explain to his son that this is just a precursor to how an authoritative government that does not know when enough is enough will act. It will breed dissent and eventually cause a major issue in the system. Much like we are starting to see now.

Originally posted by mamabeth
reply to post by dolphinfan

 

I wonder how long will it be before you have to have a permit
for a dog house?

Reminds me of a Married with Children episode where Marci sicks the building inspector on Al, while he is building a dog house.

reply to post by Kingbreaker


I do have a life and I also have an ATS life.
I am very happy in both of these lives I lead.

I'm glad I live in a rural area, where I can do what I want in my own yard. If my son could enjoy a tree house, I would build it in a heartbeat. Anyone who would begrudge a child a playhouse, a treehouse, or any other bit of fun in their own yard on such a pretext is a heartless sack of crap. Its obvious that this father did his best, used quality materials, and took his time to do the job right...so its not like there were half hammered nails hanging out to snag tender flesh or slipshod workmanship that would endanger the child's life. Hell, I climbed trees all the time when I was a child, and enjoyed many an hour in treehouses. That was a wonderful time, and should be enjoyed by all children.

I just don't understand this. It is a crying shame when you cannot build your child a tree house. This is the very reason we live in the rual area. If I want to build 100 tree houses...I can!

How soon till we have to get a monthly permit to live?

Todays check list

1 get milk and eggs
2 buy green stuff
3 put minutes on the phone
4 put minutes on life.
5 buy permit for fliud exchange with wife.
6 use permit on wife.