It's beginning to look like this is commonplace in the area around St. Louis. It's funny; I used to travel there for work frequently, and I don't recall any of the locals ever mentioning it. But the last time I was there was about five years ago. Maybe it's gotten worse since then.

One of St. Louis' "suburbs" is East St. Louis, Illinois, just across the river. I went there once by accident (because I got tricked by a misleading sign on the interstate). It looks like what I imagine Somalia looks like.

Somalian refugees don't want to live in East St. Louis because it's worse than Somalia.

This is why you have to worry-in ANY city- when the city hires more staff. CITY STAFFERS ARE NOT YOUR ADVOCATES. In Austin they claim they need more staff to process building permits. What that mean is that they need more people to find reasons to say no to your project or renovation.

And one of the worse things you can do for yourself is get on the "code compliance" department's radar.

I generally suspect that when code compliance people seem to have a hard-on for one particular residence, somebody higher up wants that property condemned. (Or somebody's neighbor has it out for them.)

"....need more people to find reasons to say no to your project or renovation...."

Well, I live in Austin, and I just choose not to tell the COA when I'm having work done on my home. I just had my kitchen remodeled, and it never occurred to me to contact an inspector. They'd have just been in the way. I suspect this will happen more and more; people will simply choose to non-comply with what they perceive as onerous rules and regulations. Passive resistance, as it were.

> I just choose not to tell the COA when I'm having work done on my home.

Good thing contractors have those invisible trucks.

There is a law saying you need a screen door?

In a glaring example of city incompetence, when they installed the water main covers in front of our house they cut into our drain and blocked it off with concrete except for maybe 1/8" on one side. We have spent nearly the whole time since we moved in last year trying to track down the source of flooding in our crawl space that occurs every time it rains (a frequent occurrence in Oregon). The builders re-graded, re-waterproofed the foundation, have come out numerous times to pump out the water, and have a big construction fan in there now. We were finally going to have a sump pump and additional drains installed to fix it since everyone that's come out was saying we just had really wet ground. My husband made the accidental discovery of the concreted off drain when he was edging the grass strip along the sidewalk in front. There was debris in it that he cleared out and realized all the water was backing up so he got a flashlight and looked inside. About 8" in was a wall of concrete that corresponds with being directly below the water main box and covers. After sourcing the installation to the city we've been trying to get them to fix it and they refuse to saying they didn't do it. We know the builders don't and the city requires it be done by their water division. We applied for permits to get it fixed ourselves and they've denied us three times now. Now we are probably going to have to sue to get it fixed and who knows how much damage this may cause to the house aside from the obviously damaged insulation. On top of the obvious need for them to fix their screw up, we think they should reimburse us the nearly $4000 we've spent so far on inspectors and work to try to fix it, and they won't let us.

Sound familiar?

"He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance."

ahw hits the nail on the head. This couple isn't being randomly targeted for this sort of enforcement. There's a reason for it. They may not know what it is. They need to find out.

Code- and -ordinance compliance (like so many government functions) has morphed from 'protecting property values and preventing neighbor disputes' into a self-perpetuating activity requiring budget, manpower, resources. Bureaucracies always grow and change to support their own existence, seldom for the purposes for which they were (purportedly) established. When I am put in charge, one of my first edicts will be that no 'quality of life' code violation (tall grass, ball hoop, Cambird in front yard on blocks) will be even investigated until there are two attributable complaints from bona-fide residents within 1000 feet. No anonymous complaints, no complainant who is not a bona-fide resident. That's just a precursor to sweeping away virtually-all of this 'quality of life' regulation that just becomes a golden opportunity for graft, petty corruption and malicious enforcement. Sweep it all away.

Dennis Rader, the notorious 'BTK killer' of Wichita, KS, made his living as a code enforcement officer and dog-catcher in some clone-zone suburb of Wichita, and was apparently notorious also for the zeal with which he carried out his work. The people who pass these kinds of ordinances, and the people who enforce them, should be run out of town on a rail. Let the neighborhood decide how they want to live.

llater,

llamas

That's enough to get my vote for supreme overlord Llamas!

Bunnygirl, have you considered getting your homeowners insurance company involved? The city might respond better to well funded lawyers. Just a thought.

@ BunnyGirl - screw them and their permits too. Fix it yourself. It's the only way you'll get it done this side of never.

It's just a ground drain - right? Worst comes to worst, you dig it upstream of the blockage and just route round their mistake. Do it on the weekend, landscape it back the way it was, nobody the wiser.

If anyone questions what you did - deny everything. Refuse to even discuss it with them. I don't know what you're talking about. Drain? What drain? I'm done answering your questions. If you keep harassing me like this, I'm just going to refer you to my lawyer.

And before you take them on to either get this fixed or recover your losses - think hard. To you, a lawsuit is a threat, because it will cost you time, money, trouble, damage. To them, a lawsuit is an opportunity - it means work, time, resources, meetings, plans, institutional growth. They will deny everything and fight you every step of the way? Why not? Nobody will be fired, either for the original screw-up or for fighting you. Nobody will even be disciplined. And they'll fight you with - your tax money.

If it were me, I'd thank my lucky stars that I found the problem and it is (relatively) easy to fix, and then I'd just fix it. Drop off their radar and stay dropped off. Your losses are - unfortunate - but probably tolerable if you stop the losses now.

Sad, isn't it?

llater,

llamas

Yeah, it's the drain that runs out to the street so there is the circle opening in the curb for it. My husband thinks it's the low point drain, but isn't sure. Right now our builder is working on trying to get the city to approve or fix it. Our next door neighbor said he'd help us dig it out if we can't get it fixed by the city. I'm not sure how easily we could get it done without people noticing since it's at the street. I really don't feel like the city should be able to tell me we can't fix it if they won't do it. I should be able to correct and prevent damage to my own property.

@BunnyGirl: If I understand the situation, it calls for a hammer and chisel. Done.

If you do want to fight, which I would understand, the homeowner's insurance is the way to go. File a claim, hand them all of your documentation, and let them go after the city.

It's an open secret that in many cities, the primary purpose of permitting is revenue. You want to build a house? That'll be $2000. You need inspections for foundation, framing, roof, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, gas, and final. There is a $75 charge for each visit including callbacks, and we can guarantee you that there will be at least one callback on everything. Oh, you've decided to move the range to the other side of the kitchen? Submit new plans. That'll be $500. And we're making notes of everything that is going into the house, to pass along to the property tax assessor.

Even where I live, where the inspection process hasn't gotten to that point, there are still unnecessary hassles. I want to add a circuit to my basement, but I know that requries a permit. The permit will probably be about $50, which doesn't sound like a lot, but considering that the total cost of materials will only be about $100, that's a third of what I'm spending to do the job. Plus, I have to do a drawing, and then I have to take time off from work to go to the permit office and sit and wait for two hours. (Being a homeowner, I'll be last in line behind all the builders and tradesmen.) And when I'm done I'll need to take more time off for the inspection, since they don't come out after hours or on weekends.