Got a permit for that treehouse?

[Blue]

Treehouse dispute prompts new regulations

http://triblocal.com/arlington-heights/2011/05/17/treehouse-dispute-prompts-new-regulations/

It all started with a two-story treehouse that towers over the Belmonte home on North Dwyer Avenue.

Joe Belmonte said he built the structure at the request of his now-8-year-old son, spending about $500 on materials purchased online and consulting with his next-door neighbor before drafting plans.

But as the treehouse went up, that neighbor, Norbert Piotrowski, began lodging complaints with the village that the treehouse was a “monstrosity.”

But Trustee Thomas Glasgow, who lives in the neighborhood, said the treehouse is overwhelming. He believes property values in the area have diminished as a result.

At Glasgow’s recommendation, the board agreed to limit the structures to the height of the home on the property.

Mayor Arlene Mulder expressed concern, however, that the code could effectively ban treehouses for some properties.

But Trustee Joseph Farwell said: “Sometimes, you can’t build exactly what you want where you want it because you live in a community.”

 

[draglink]

I'd have no problem with it....looks very well done from the picture

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Those neighbors should get a life and quit complaining about stupid things.

 

[alabamavolvos]

I have houses in my area that are more of an eyesore than that treehouse.

 

[SuperSocket]

So they asked him to make it a tad shorter and they would be happy but the guy ignored the requests... so now they had to make a law to affects EVERYONE including him.


Serves him right.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

So they asked him to make it a tad shorter and they would be happy but the guy ignored the requests... so now they had to make a law to affects EVERYONE including him.


Serves him right.

Where did they ask him to make it shorter and they'd be happy?

 

[slowmo5o]

Just connect it to the house and it will no longer be a problem.

 

[ozyborn]

I would have told the neighbor to go to "another word for Dante's Inferno". Not a darn thing wrong with that tree house. His land, his choice. If his whining neighbor wants to be part of that then he can buy the property. Until then he can stuff it.

 

[SuperSocket]

Where did they ask him to make it shorter and they'd be happy?

After the treehouse was completed, village officials, prompted by the complaints, looked into the matter and required Belmonte to hire a surveyor — at a cost of $750, more than what he spent to build the structure — to make sure it met village code. The village employed the same standards used to regulate structures like sheds and gazebos.

As a result, Belmonte had to shorten the structure and move it away from the lot line, but the treehouse remained. And so did complaints.

Well and that he moves it after he had to get a surveyor (probably did not know where his property line was).

 

[GirlnAgarage]

City also paid $750 to make sure that things are kosher.

No sir.

After the treehouse was completed, village officials, prompted by the complaints, looked into the matter and required Belmonte to hire a surveyor — at a cost of $750, more than what he spent to build the structure — to make sure it met village code. The village employed the same standards used to regulate structures like sheds and gazebos.

 

[Az Scooter]

The complainer is just hateful because his name is Norbert

 

[neonnblack]

HE paid that 750, and they did it AFTER it was built AFTER his neighbor said it was fine then the **** head **** off of a neighbor reported it excuse my language. But these stories are getting ridiculous. What gives one person the right to tell me what i can do with the thing i bought that harm NO ONE. I'd slap the **** out of that guy.

 

[neonnblack]

And thats a wicked cool tree house, i woulda loved something like that when i was a kid

 

[slickgt1]

Similar thing happened to a bud of mine. We are in the city, and he had an old school lot that was really big by our standards. So he decided to build a garage at the end of the driveway, but behind the house. Two neighbors took him to court because they said it was blocking their sun. Two years later they lost, but they made him plant bushes around it so that they would see green vegetation instead of a green building. He can't see those bushes himself, but he has to maintain them. Fuckers.

 

[mgilde13]

I've got a two story tall castle in my back yard for the kids. I wonder what that guy would say if he lived next door to me. At least the guy in the story made his to look like his house.

 

[ptschram]

Similar thing happened to a bud of mine. We are in the city, and he had an old school lot that was really big by our standards. So he decided to build a garage at the end of the driveway, but behind the house. Two neighbors took him to court because they said it was blocking their sun. Two years later they lost, but they made him plant bushes around it so that they would see green vegetation instead of a green building. He can't see those bushes himself, but he has to maintain them. Fuckers.

I have a neighbor who complains about my shop. Last August, I built a fence to screen the view. The SOB went behind the fence to take photos and complained about vehicles that were behind the fence I put up to satisfy him.

How can one defend themselves against someone who intentionally goes out of his way to see things that were put behind a fence so he couldn't see them?

I have a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing next Tuesday to see if I get to keep my house.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

I have a neighbor who complains about my shop. Last August, I built a fence to screen the view. The SOB went behind the fence to take photos and complained about vehicles that were behind the fence I put up to satisfy him.

How can one defend themselves against someone who intentionally goes out of his way to see things that were put behind a fence so he couldn't see them?

I have a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing next Tuesday to see if I get to keep my house.

Sounds like you've got a stalker or peeping Tom

 

[SuperSocket]

HE paid that 750, and they did it AFTER it was built AFTER his neighbor said it was fine then the **** head **** off of a neighbor reported it excuse my language. But these stories are getting ridiculous. What gives one person the right to tell me what i can do with the thing i bought that harm NO ONE. I'd slap the **** out of that guy.

It was not just one neighbor, a lot of people complained.


While I agree with you for being your own property... the only issue I have is that how come should this guy be allowed build a TWO STORY house in a tree and I have to get permits and permission to build a functional shed that would help cleanup my property by storing parts and lawn tools?


Personally, if they had approved of his massive treehouse, I would have built my own and used it for extra storage... that would get me around the shed requirements and ordinances.

 

[SuperSocket]

I have a neighbor who complains about my shop. Last August, I built a fence to screen the view. The SOB went behind the fence to take photos and complained about vehicles that were behind the fence I put up to satisfy him.

How can one defend themselves against someone who intentionally goes out of his way to see things that were put behind a fence so he couldn't see them?

I have a Board of Zoning Appeals hearing next Tuesday to see if I get to keep my house.

Did he cross over your fence to get the pictures? File a police report for illegal entry and trespassing. Simple as that.

 

[ptschram]

Did he cross over your fence to get the pictures? File a police report for illegal entry and trespassing. Simple as that.

He owns the farm field behind the house/shop and claims to have an easement across a side of my property.

I have the attorney who basically re-wrote Indiana's eminent domain and real estate laws working on suing to extinguish the easement.

There are seven people who have a right to see behind my barn (neighbors to the west, their kids, my wife, I/me and the neighbor to the east who complains). I'm hoping the BZA finds him to be an unreasonable curmudgeon who needs to mind his own business.

I'm only allowed to have one client vehicle in front of the shop. The problem is that I own 15 Land Rovers (the only vehicle we work on in the shop) and how can he determine if they're mine or a client's?

 

[blkhonda1991]

He owns the farm field behind the house/shop and claims to have an easement across a side of my property.

I have the attorney who basically re-wrote Indiana's eminent domain and real estate laws working on suing to extinguish the easement.

There are seven people who have a right to see behind my barn (neighbors to the west, their kids, my wife, I/me and the neighbor to the east who complains). I'm hoping the BZA finds him to be an unreasonable curmudgeon who needs to mind his own business.

I'm only allowed to have one client vehicle in front of the shop. The problem is that I own 15 Land Rovers (the only vehicle we work on in the shop) and how can he determine if they're mine or a client's?

he can claim that he has an easement all he wants but it should be on the deed/survey, if its not then tell him to pound sand

 

[ptschram]

he can claim that he has an easement all he wants but it should be on the deed/survey, if its not then tell him to pound sand

There is a notation on some of the surveys, but we reasearched (not just Google, we visited the Auditor's office, the Assessor's office and the Recorder's office) and there were some deeds/surveys with it and some without. There was no document that defined the easement and its permissible uses.

As he has land contiguous with that which he needs access, he has no "necessity of easement" and therefor, it's a "Hostile easement" subject to legal/court challenge.

I don't like the fact that I have to mow it and pay taxes on it and he can use it to obtain evidence to be used against me.

 

[Vicegrip]

Guy 2 houses up from me built a ugly sloppy cube of a thing 8 feet to the floor and 8 feet tall. He has 2 girls that have used it perhaps twice. Took him a year to even finish it and then he paints it pink to top it off. Think 8X8X8 pink painted OSB cube with a couple too small storm windows nailed on. It sits within 2 feet of his back prop line and well above the fence on the back lot. The $1.5 mil house behind his gets a unubstructed view of it day in and out. Kids out grew it before he even finished it.

If I was the guy looking out my bay window at that thing 20 feet away rather than the trees it replaced I might be inclined to make a call or 2.

 

[Alchymist]

Sure am glad I live in the country! The cows across the road couldn't care less about a treehouse!

 

[Alchymist]

Thread recalled to mind an issue I had with the township supervisor where we lived a while back. Here's th garage almost finished.(Pic also shows the daughter's treehouse).

Anyway, drew up the plans for the 24X40 garage shown, took to the township for permit. One particular supervisor who later bought the house behind where the garage was going up was the one who signed off on the permit.

Fast forward to middle of the build - supervisor came walking by and realized I was starting on the second story. He looked around and realized the house he just bought would be looking into the side of the second story about to go up from about 20 feet away. (House set on a rise behind the garage). Immediately he was all upset - then I reminded him that he was the one who had signed off on the plans. Needless to say, life was hectic after that. Fought a number of code violation citations (and won) after that. We eventually sold the place, and a year or so later the garage was torn down. Didn't bother me, I had my money. Did notice that the 24X40 foot concrete pad was still there though.

 

[SuperSocket]

There is a notation on some of the surveys, but we reasearched (not just Google, we visited the Auditor's office, the Assessor's office and the Recorder's office) and there were some deeds/surveys with it and some without. There was no document that defined the easement and its permissible uses.

As he has land contiguous with that which he needs access, he has no "necessity of easement" and therefor, it's a "Hostile easement" subject to legal/court challenge.

I don't like the fact that I have to mow it and pay taxes on it and he can use it to obtain evidence to be used against me.

So he doesn't even use the easement but only uses it to piss you off? Gotta love that neighbor. Personally I would drop some tacks on the easement in hopes of giving him a flat tire.

 

[SMKS]

So they asked him to make it a tad shorter and they would be happy but the guy ignored the requests... so now they had to make a law to affects EVERYONE including him.


Serves him right.

Actually, the new rules wouldn't affect the treehouse in question.

Because Belmonte’s treehouse was built before the new regulations, his and any others already in existence will not have to be modified. Belmonte said he will take his treehouse down when his children outgrow it.

Also, it looks like the treehouse guy did modify it to make it meet the codes the city said applied to it.

The village employed the same standards used to regulate structures like sheds and gazebos.

As a result, Belmonte had to shorten the structure and move it away from the lot line, but the treehouse remained.

 

[KCarGuy]

Ya Know its one thing if the 8 year old boy was stairing in the Bedroom window at the neighbors wife while she was changing, but I dont think thats the issue here.

Some people just live to just Plain ***** about everything.

I have a real problem with a village or Town telling everyone what they can and cannot do. (to a point)
I pay my Morgage, and I pay (Too much) Taxes.
If I have a 1 story Ranch with a large tree in back and wanted to build a treehouse that is up Higher than my house (hence the name...Tree House)...as long as it meets all the codes and safety requirements. I should be able too.

This would be different if it was built like **** and looked like ****...but thats not the case here!

My first house has an area in the front yard that backed up with my neighbors front yard. I decided to add some landscaping in the shape of a triangle with a tree, some plants and bushes and 2 sections of FencePosts. One section was along with the sidewalk (1 foot back) and the other section split our two yards.
It looked really nice and broke up the boring area....Well, the village had a fit, because the village rules states no fences around the front of your property.
I fought and fought with them and explained that it doesnt surround anything, its purely part of the landscaping, not to keep anyone in or out!
They would not budge!

So, I told them to go ahead and put a lean on my House...I didnt care. I was not going to remove it and thats that! The day I put the house up for sale, I would that a chain-saw to it and then remove it!

It was up for 10 years, I stopped by that house a few months ago and its still up and I left 20 years ago.

 

[Weps]

i wonder if the complaining neighbor is the one in the picture that apparently does not know how to mow or maintain a lawn.

 

[ptschram]

So he doesn't even use the easement but only uses it to piss you off? Gotta love that neighbor. Personally I would drop some tacks on the easement in hopes of giving him a flat tire.

He uses it to access the field behind my house because he doesn't want to cut the pretty trees on his property down to access through his property.

I don't wanna do anything that would damage my clients' trucks tires any more than I want to flatten my neighbor's tires. I went out of my way to befriend him when we moved in but he has resisted for some reason.

The neighbor whose driveway runs right beside my property wrote a letter to the BZA telling them that I'm a clean and quiet neighbor, always quick with a willing lended hand to help them out. I've never had a neighbor say "I" was clean and quiet, I'm more than a little proud of that!

I don't shoot at the coyotes in the backyard for fear of accidentally shooting his dog. I'm the kinda guy who when there's a stray dog in the yard, I grab a lead to try to get it to its owner. The complaining neighbor has kicked our dogs (both VERY friendly, the Border Collie was probably barking at him to be petted!) rather than sending them home, or taking them to their owner.

 

[half_full]

screw the coyotes, shoot the neighbor. JK of course. I have zero tolerance for others that don't play nice. I have a masters degree in assholeology that I prefer not to exercise if I can avoid it.

 

[ptschram]

screw the coyotes, shoot the neighbor. JK of course. I have zero tolerance for others that don't play nice. I have a masters degree in assholeology that I prefer not to exercise if I can avoid it.

LOL-my father tells me I have a PhD in Assholery and lots of post-doc work.

The older I get the more I try to tone that down.

I am willing to admit that I do have a few junk trucks behind the shop, but they are behind the shop for a reason. Hey-we all have dirty laundry.

If the weather ever decides to cooperate, I'll fire up the plasma and cut up at least one of them and turn it into dollars from the scrap iron, but only because I need the money, not because of the neighbor's actions.

The funny part is that it really looks like I'll get a loan from the economic development folks to make some improvements, but I don't want to do anything until I determine what's up.

 

[STClurker]

I have a masters degree in assholeology

LOL! I am definitely stealing that phrase

 

[lilredex]

Another treehouse dispute..

http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/...fort_080718/20080718/?hub=BritishColumbiaHome

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2008/07/18/bc-treehouse-house-court-ruling.html

 

[OccupantRJ]

Sounds like you've got a stalker or peeping Tom

And a trespasser.

 

[jdv]

That tree house is pretty darn cool. I had a couple when I was younger, none of them were as tasteful as that one. Wouldn't bother me one bit living next door to someone like that, just as long as they respect me, I'd give them respect right back.

 

[yellowdartdave]

" But Piotrowski, who spoke at a recent village board meeting, said the new rules don’t go far enough. He wants to see the houses banned all together because he believes they are not safe."

So I would like to see this *#shole a structural engineering degree.

 

[buddyboy]

But Trustee Joseph Farwell said: “Sometimes, you can’t build exactly what you want where you want it because you live in a community.”

I counter with:

“Sometimes, you can’t tell your neighbors what to build and where you want them to build it because you live in a community.”

 

[Andy Griffith]

Busy bodies are present everywhere.

 

[SPDMETL]

How come these mind-everyone's-business-help-me-I'm-constipated shitheads are never the ones attacked by Pit Bulls ?