My first Property Line Fence Issue...

[JamesHW]

We brought our 2 bdrm for $189k in DC in the 90s and a realtor friend told us recently we are the last sub-million dollar house on our block and likely will reach that valuation soon. Fortunately yearly property tax increases are limited so our taxable value is far less. The only substantial improvements we have made was adding central AC 20 years ago. One of the only remaining 2 bdrms bungalows a block away sold for 950k last month. Crazy.

 

[widefat]

We brought our 2 bdrm for $189k in DC in the 90s and a realtor friend told us recently we are the last sub-million dollar house on our block and likely will reach that valuation soon. Fortunately yearly property tax increases are limited so our taxable value is far less. The only substantial improvements we have made was adding central AC 20 years ago. One of the only remaining 2 bdrms bungalows a block away sold for 950k last month. Crazy.

When you sale, the person that buys will tear the house down and put a 10,000 sq, ft McMansion on the lot.

 

[JamesHW]

When you sale, the person that buys will tear the house down and put a 10,000 sq, ft McMansion on the lot.

Almost certainly (except not that big and maybe not a tear down). The house next door, the mirror image of ours, was gutted and redone, new floor plan with second floor added and the basement completely finished and they added 2 bdrms and a bathroom. their basement was already finished so the house was considered a 2k ft ft & they added 1k to total 3k sq ft. Unfortunately the folks that did it had to relo so they took a bath on the reno that completed a year before they moved.

 

[JamesHW]

There is a big brick colonial down the road that was probably 3k in size on a more than 9k lot and they pratically added a whole new house on the back of the original house, completely opening up the side which was interesting to watch. They ended up with 6k house, 6 bdrms, 5.5k baths. Figure the contractor went as large as the city would allow considering setbacks and zoning.

 

[fried1765]

How'd you build a building only 9" off the line? Its 15 ft minimum back and sides where I live to accommodate such nonsense.

Different setback/sideline rules in nearly every town and city across the USA

 

[3gunr]

We do remodeling for a large realtor in st louis. we fix up many homes to sell in the 3 to4 hundred thousand range that are bought and torn down to build million dollar plus homes.

 

[Jstpssng]

My sister sold her camp on the water for 90K. The woman then tore it down and built a very nice home. What was unusual about that is that the lot was leased from another landowner; all that was transferred besides the building was the right to have a camp/house on that land until the lease was cancelled. Fortunately for her, the landowner eventually allowed her to buy the land.

 

[ultrarunner]

Different setback/sideline rules in nearly every town and city across the USA

Remember this is 1922 Construction and setbacks didn't apply to accessory outbuildings back then...

Lot is little more than 40' wide with drive down one side... if the garage didn't line up with drive it really wouldn't work.

The entire city is the same until after WWII

 

[George2615]

Remember this is 1922 Construction and setbacks didn't apply to accessory outbuildings back then...

Lot is little more than 40' wide with drive down one side... if the garage didn't line up with drive it really wouldn't work.

The entire city is the same until after WWII

But this is 2019 not 1922. I can understand no set back back in 1922 but didn't the town have a setback requirement for a NEW fence so he couldn't erect it on the line?

 

[ultrarunner]

No fence set back requirements at all... most fences are deemed common fences and placed on the line in subdivisions...

The only fence constraints are in regards to height.