Permit hassles

[Chas]

Well, I ran into something new: an 'encroachment permit' for the use of a crane.

I had a customer who went to the city hall in the city of Moorpark, CA to get her electrical permit. She was so excited about her new spa coming, that she talked and talked. The clerk was happy to listen, casually mentioning the encroachment permit, and then he sent his 'code enforcement' cop out to let her know that if she didn't have an 'encroachment permit' she had better not set up the crane.

I got the call from my son - our delivery crew chief- the code enforcement person was there at the exact same time they drove up with the spa. I called the crane guy. He was three blocks away! The customer must have talked about the time of delivery in her excitement!

The crane guy parked somewhere to wait - at $95 per hour - while I told the customer politely that I could not recommend going ahead. It was entirely her call, and her fine to pay if the guy did come back and catch her. I know it sounds like I deserted her - but what was I supposed to do? She announced it at city hall, and now I was thirty miles away guessing whether or not the code enforcement person was going to come by again in twenty minutes and write her a citation. I just couldn't bring myself to suggest she go out and commit a code violation.

The code person left, and my son called the crane guy in. They looked it over, and decided that they could do the job from the front of the house - by placing the crane on her driveway and going over. That way the crane didn't 'encroach' anything. They were even able to do the lift directly over her house so there was no 'encroaching' from that aspect.

The tub is in place and the electricians have been called.

Anyone else run into this? In close to twenty years of doing this, it's my first time ever hearing about this type of permit.

[hotubinn]

Big government has gone wild!  What a ridiculous situation.  This is why the majority of people don't even bother with obtaining a permit, lord knows I wouldn't!

[Zep]

re: decided that they could do the job from the front of the house - by placing the crane on her driveway and going over......They were even able to do the lift directly over her house.

Wow.....any pictures of the event?

Would love to see the tub being lifted over a house!

[Zep]

I guess it looked like this!

[salesdvl]

Encroachment is a new one on me.  I have had some pretty frustrating ordinances to deal with over the years.

The town where one of our stores was located made everyone that applied for a permit buy an anti syphon valve for their water spicket just in case at the very moment they were filling the pool the city lost all water pressure and the pool back flowed into their water supply and contaminated it.

Another town had a rule that nothing could be put on the back 25% of their property. Property, not back yard.  The customer that found this out was getting a 24' round pool but because of the code had to switch to a much more expensive oval and put it close to the house.  Not too close though because there is a code for that too.  

[drewstar]

I tend to keep my mouth shut when talking to city hall and related officials, and nosey neighbors.

I needed a permit for a crane? I did not know that.

[Chas]

I tend to keep my mouth shut when talking to city hall and related officials, and nosey neighbors.

ALWAYS the safe bet. But: Who knows!? You may not have needed one - the city of Moorpark is a small town in the shadow of a huge megalopolis. We think they are trying very hard to make the payments on the shiny new truck the code enforcement officer was driving around in.

Man! How would THAT be for a job?  

[drewstar]

We think they are trying very hard to make the payments on the shiny new truck the code enforcement officer was driving around in.

Man! How would THAT be for a job?  

Ya think?    

Hey, don't knock the enforcement officer, his dad  (the Judge) was on the phone for several minutes to get him that highly skilled job.  

[Brewman]

When the inspector came over to check out my hot tub install (and other electrical I was doing at the time), I asked him how often he finds work done without permits, and how he finds out in the first place.

He said the #1 way they get tipped off to non permitted work is by neighbors tattling on each other.
Something causes a rift between neighbors, and one snitches on the other just to get back at them.
There is so much inspection work around here, the city and state don't have much time to do any detective work on their own.  


So for those who choose to skip building permits, be nice to your neighbors!!  Or don't tell them what you're doing.  EVER.

[drewstar]

When the inspector came over to check out my hot tub install (and other electrical I was doing at the time), I asked him how often he finds work done without permits, and how he finds out in the first place.

He said the #1 way they get tipped off to non permitted work is by neighbors tattling on each other.
 Something causes a rift between neighbors, and one snitches on the other just to get back at them.
 There is so much inspection work around here, the city and state don't have much time to do any detective work on their own.  


So for those who choose to skip building permits, be nice to your neighbors!!  Or don't tell them what you're doing.  EVER.

My pool guy was a bit confused when I requested he NOT put the sign at the end of my driveway that said

"ANOTHER POOL BEING INSTALLED BY XXXXXXX CO!

[KarlXII]

Well, I ran into something new: an 'encroachment permit' for the use of a crane.

I had a customer who went to the city hall in the city of Moorpark, CA to get her electrical permit. She was so excited about her new spa coming, that she talked and talked. The clerk was happy to listen, casually mentioning the encroachment permit, and then he sent his 'code enforcement' cop out to let her know that if she didn't have an 'encroachment permit' she had better not set up the crane.

I got the call from my son - our delivery crew chief- the code enforcement person was there at the exact same time they drove up with the spa. I called the crane guy. He was three blocks away! The customer must have talked about the time of delivery in her excitement!

The crane guy parked somewhere to wait - at $95 per hour - while I told the customer politely that I could not recommend going ahead. It was entirely her call, and her fine to pay if the guy did come back and catch her. I know it sounds like I deserted her - but what was I supposed to do? She announced it at city hall, and now I was thirty miles away guessing whether or not the code enforcement person was going to come by again in twenty minutes and write her a citation. I just couldn't bring myself to suggest she go out and commit a code violation.

The code person left, and my son called the crane guy in. They looked it over, and decided that they could do the job from the front of the house - by placing the crane on her driveway and going over. That way the crane didn't 'encroach' anything. They were even able to do the lift directly over her house so there was no 'encroaching' from that aspect.

The tub is in place and the electricians have been called.

Anyone else run into this? In close to twenty years of doing this, it's my first time ever hearing about this type of permit.

Jeez. I didn't know this was a Bulgarian forum.  

[Chas]

Really Karl? You too?

[wmccall]

This lady was obbviously never in the Navy, Loose lips sink ships or Hot Springs.

Nobody in City Hall is your friend!

[tony]

I tend to keep my mouth shut when talking to city hall and related officials, and nosey neighbors.

I needed a permit for a crane? I did not know that.

Exactly what my install looked like.  No permit pulled.

[LtDan]

This lady was obbviously never in the Navy, Loose lips sink ships or Hot Springs.

Nobody in City Hall is your friend!

I'm from the government, I'm here to help....