Pole Barn with no permit

[2manyrocks]

My sister and brother in law wanted a small barn on her place and decided to hire a contractor because they thought the contractor would be more familiar with passing code than they were. She's been in a suit with the contractor for two years now because of all of his goofs.

I agree with Mr. Brown. Codes inspection doesn't necessarily mean you get what you pay for.

 

[orezok]

Just to clarify things, I "have left him alone". I have not interfered with anything he is doing or will be doing. I don't plan on doing anything about his pole barn. I am just watching it all happen with the hope that he succeeds and if he does succeed I can do the same.

I want to build a bigger pole barn, but we are limited to 900 sq. ft. I would like to build a 2,000 sq. ft. pole barn, but the local gov won't allow it. But it is sillier than this (of course). I can build 3 x 900 sq. ft. pole barns, but I cannot build one 2700 sq ft pole barn

Don't you just love Government

Let me see if I understand your position with an analogy.

Your neighbor robs a bank and gets away with it. ...so that makes it OK for you to rob banks?

If it's illegal it's illegal whether you like it, agree with it or not.

 

[Dargo]

I agree with Mr. Brown...

There's your problem right there.

 

[2manyrocks]

Mr. Brown is correct that codes and standards are not necessarily a guarantee that things will be built safely and that in some instances codes are used to keep competitors out of a particular market. Read the opinion of the US Supreme Court in the Allied Tube & Conduit case.

Once knew a HVAC contractor who was thrilled that the local government was going to pass a mechanical code. Asked him why. HIs Answer: it would eliminate half his competitors.

 

[MicroPilot]

...Once knew a HVAC contractor who was thrilled that the local government was going to pass a mechanical code. Asked him why. HIs Answer: it would eliminate half his competitors.

Why would his competition suffer? Maybe because they were able to low bid by cutting corners and not building to code?

 

[Soundguy]

Might have been an extra license level that some contractors did not posess.. etc.?

soundguy

 

[Doc_Bob]

Let me see if I understand your position with an analogy.

Your neighbor robs a bank and gets away with it. ...so that makes it OK for you to rob banks?

If it's illegal it's illegal whether you like it, agree with it or not.

No, that means that local government has "okayed" it. Does that make it illegal or legal? Government, by it's action, decides if something is legal or not. Let me give you an example.

10 years ago, gambling was illegal in Wisconsin. Now it is legal. What happened to make it go from illegal to legal? The Gov let it happen.

We live in a very strange world.
Bob

 

[2manyrocks]

His explanation was that he would be grandfathered into not having to take any tests to get his mechanical license and keep operating, but a lot of his competition wouldn't go through the trouble of getting a license and just quit. Had nothing to do with whether their work met code.

And then his company installed a heating unit for me in a way that drew combustion fumes back into the house until I corrected their work.

 

[Skyco]

I'm about to get the inspection done on a 10x20 portable storage building I built on my NC property. $125 permit fee for a freaking $2000 building. What really chapped me though was the zoning fee- $100.
That consisted of me handing the lady $100, she gets up from her desk walks 8 ft to a map, points to my property and announces I'm in zoning district so and so, sits back down and prints out the zoning permit. 5 minutes and it was $100
I can't wait to see what the inspection consists of- I was told on a portable building all they are concerned with is whether it is tied down properly with 6 anchors.

 

[LBrown59]

Well..Like I said.. you had to get a permit!

soundguy

The permit was for a culvert not for mowing the area.