Finally underway...

[David Hawkins]

Sank the poles today...56'x32' clear span pole building with 10' sidewalls.

 

[chaingang]

congratulations! Nice view in last pic.

 

[sharpshooter]

looks good

 

[Down Under Bloke]

Great location for it should be nicely framed (visually) by the two trees when done. Looks like space is not a problem for you; if you fill that one, guess you can just put up another.

 

[David Hawkins]

I wish it were that easy. Even though I have 3.2 acres and am spending $5K on extras to make it look nice, my neighbors are putting up one heck of a fight even though the HOA approved it. I don't think another one will ever get approved at this rate. The view shot is actually from the back corner of the lot so that I can show the HOA just how badly I'm 'blocking' the view of the people who live behind me.

As you an see in the view shot here, they've got a lot worse things to look at right now...

After day 2:

 

[Itzkwik]

Gotta love a HOA. Looks like you'll be blocking their view of a power sub-station. What a shame.
Shop is looking good. Keep the pics coming.

 

[David Hawkins]

As of last night....the neighbors are seeking an injunction because its appearance will 'significantly reduce the value of the community'. These houses are all over 20 years old...and they weren't super houses when they were new.

 

[shopking68]

Wow I hate people like that, if anyone would ever try that **** on me, I would just tell em off.

But the shop looks good!!

 

[Matt2point4]

"....the neighbors are seeking an injunction because its appearance will 'significantly reduce the value of the community'. These houses are all over 20 years old...and they weren't super houses when they were new."

Don't you get need to get permission before building? Surely that would be enough for you to rest assured that you're not in trouble....

I bet if you planted some trees around the building they'd not even see your shop.. I reckon they're just jealous..I am

 

[David Hawkins]

I got permission...they're trying to say that I'm not building what they gave permission for. We're to a point that a judge will have to decide who's right, and I feel pretty good that the documents back me up. I waited 3 months for them to approve it - how stupid would I be to go through all that trouble and then build something that would land me in court?

I can't wait to get this **** over with so that I can pour the floor and run water and electricity.

 

[Matt2point4]

Sounds like the complaining party were unable to visualise your project from the details in the planning application, which is their fault! I hope it doesn't get petty and the planning authorities tell you you've built it 1cm too big or something..

I think it looks ace, in a year or so you'll not even notice it's there.

 

[Willy Victor]

Isn't it funny how everyone has at least one PITA neighbor. I know i've got one. Your building is probably going to be worth more than their houses. Gitter done.

Willy

 

[David Hawkins]

We got served with the complaint yesterday. The shell should be done tomorrow morning (all that's left is steel on the doors and the lower rollers and stops for the slider door), with only some grade work left.

I knew I never should have bought into an HOA...I even bounced what I wanted to do off of them before closing on the house and they assured me that I shouldn't have much of a problem getting approval. Lying SOBs...

 

[Kevin54]

They don't like the building but the substation is fine to look at. Throw a big party in the building when everything is done and over with, go up to your neighbors, invite them, then say "oops my mistake, sorry, you can't come over"

 

[Down Under Bloke]

I hope that if the finding is in your favour that some means of compensations is available to you for costs and damages.

 

[David Hawkins]

You and me both...this is a huge pain that's really put a crimp in my plans (I had hoped to have electric, slab and air lines run by spring).

The shell is done except for gutters.

 

[bmwpower]

What's the big deal? Is it the size or the style they're not keen with?

 

[David Hawkins]

Both...primarily the steel siding.

 

[bmwpower]

It doesn't even look like steel to me. The colors make it look like a wooden barn type structure.

 

[Matt2point4]

It looks really nice with the doors on, as I mentijoned before, offer to plan some trees around it.. it will hide it, and also create a weather break for the exposed sides, which will help keep it warmer.. it does seem to be plonked in the middle of field

 

[Down Under Bloke]

Can you get mature (or semi mature 5 years old) trees in your area, they might be a good idea. I know it sounds like a PITA, but look at it this way; The judge will see you are making a considerable effort to please the neighbours and the screening works both ways so you don’t have to look at them.

 

[David Hawkins]

We've got landscaping plans and we've offered to spend up to $1000 on screening trees.

The problem is that the board is in a position where the homeowners are telling them they should have never approved the building. They are taking us to court simply to save face because they feel that they screwed up - regardless of how nice the building looks. Had they done the right thing and simply defended their decision, we wouldn't be here now.

They have indicated that the only thing that will satisfy them is for us to remove the steel and put vinyl siding and shingles on it. We've indicated that we will do this if they pay for the work....and we're pretty sure that's not going to fly.

We're so fed up with their actions that we would rather spend $10K taking them to court to show that we've only built what they approved than spend it siding the building again.

Every single person who has heard this story has had the same reaction -
'WTF is wrong with them??'

 

[Willy Victor]

David when I put up my pole building in Mi. my neighbors said I was spoiling their view. Their view was of my back yard. This came from halfwits that had been partying till the wee hours for more than twenty years. Thank God they have since sold and moved away. Like I said every one has at least one PITA neighbor. Good luck with your project.

Willy

 

[Down Under Bloke]

Not sure who the ‘board’ is but sounds like some local authority. My experience / advice is; establish the chain of command in the ‘board’ and start communicating your case to people higher up the authority tree. This works because no one wants their error to end up on the boss’s desk and the higher you go the worse the whole problem becomes for them.

If you arrive at the head honcho and no positive outcome go to the media. Usually the problem is resolved before the local paper is printed.

BTW; learn their rules better than them, apart from scraing the **** out of them you will know every mistake they have made.

Good luck with it.

 

[David Hawkins]

The 'board' is the board of directors of my Homeowners Association. They are the top of the local 'food chain' and they are the ones who approved my building. The township issued a building permit based on the approval that I had obtained. As far as enforcing the neighborhood restrictions, there is no one higher than the board...the buck stops with them.

We are intimately familiar with our governing restrictions, which is why we really don't feel like backing down. They approved it and there's nothing in the restrictions to say they shouldn't have. We have a couple more tricks up our sleeve....but I need to speak with my attorney before we act on them.

 

[Down Under Bloke]

Way to go, I'll be interested to hear the outcome.

 

[trust]

Good luck brother, a buddy bought into a HOA/Covenants area, the first neigbors were cool, and even helped him with 'project', but he has some new ones that don't approve of his 'lifestyle' (he drives a built 4x4) so they are trying to drive him out of the area because he works on it in his garage with the door open and it's presence offends them, of course the myriad jeeps and others of like ilk that show up to help really spins them up.

Good luck, hopefully it'll work out OK

BTW, the only thing I don't like about your building is it's not on my property!

 

[Will67]

Maybe this will brighten your day to know you are not in this guys situation?

A very close friend of mine bought a new home right next to a green-belt. He wanted a buffer between him and his neighbors. His house is sandwiched between two homes in front (to the north) of him shielding his house from the street and the green-belt behind him (along south and east). The green-belt is under control of the Army Corps of Engineers and is a bunch of olive trees and a small creek. His house when he bought it had a fence all the way around his backyard and NO fencing along the green-belt running along his 300 foot concrete driveway to the city street.

After a year or so of living there he decides to have a pool installed for his two kids. He goes to the HOA to get the pool approved and then to the City. The City tells him he must keep his pool so far from the house foundation and the property lines (called setbacks). He gets his permit from the City and contracts a large in ground pool company to begin construction. His pool is about 70% completed and he gets a cease and desist order from the HOA. It tells him his driveway which he did not put in, it was installed by the home builder, and his pool are all or in part on the green-belt. He has to move the driveway and his pool. WTF? He finds out that the "as-built" plans he got when he bought the home has the entire lot about 15-feet shifted to the north versus where it actual is now, and that his home is supposed to have built in fire suppression sprinkler system. Since his house is greater than 300 feet from a City fire hydrant he has to have built in fire sprinkler system.

His lawsuit against the builder has gone on for over one year and the pool builder has since declared bankruptcy. No other pool builder will touch it. He has drawn all his and his wife’s 401Ks to pay legal fees.

So be glad you’re not this guy

 

[happy]

I just wish people would stop feeling it is OK to meddle in someone elses business. Most of us take pride in what our property looks like and I personally am disgusted with people who pass judgement on others without looking in the mirror. I have a neighbor who complans every time I construct something with proper permits yet he lives in a house sided by tyvec. Instead of painting he just changes the paper. Keep your chin up and continue building this beatiful buiding.

 

[David Hawkins]

I'd probably have a better outlook on my neighbors had they waited to see what it was going to look like before complaining. They saw 'metal siding' and went into combat mode.

I'm still waiting for the builder to come finish the grade work...so it's just a big shell that I can't use yet.

Will67, that doesn't make me feel so good

 

[Matt2point4]

So they actually complained before you'd put the side on!, I guess they assumed metal was shiney shiney not green and natural coloured.

Do you know when they're going to get back to you about all this?

 

[David Hawkins]

No...they're just snobs who have lived here for 20+ years and think that nothing should ever change. My neighbor has a small shed that he sided to look like his house - it's baby blue aluminum siding...but since it matches his house exactly as to material, it's okay.

I suppose they'll get back to me when we have our hearing...right now, the only people who are winning are the lawyers.

 

[Matt2point4]

Maybe you should paint your shop to look like their house too, it might confuse them