What should I do?

GratefulDead

GratefulDead

Active member
So I just started building my summer setup two weekends ago, and was pretty excited to finally be able to ski again, especially at my own house. So while I am done with the tower and adding on the supports and such, my neighbor comes to see what it is. Hes some old guy that i've never really talked to much. He just asks what it is and i try to explain the best i can. He doesn't seem too interested and walks away. So his house is behind mine, and for the record you can barely see the setup from his house, and he has many trees blocking it in his backyard.

So i didn't take much from this conversation, and kept building. I finished soon after and could actually ski it. But the next week i got a letter in the mail from my town, saying they got a complaint and that i cannot have a "recreational facility" in my yard. This apparently violates the "zoning code". So now i have to set up a meeting with these people, and i really don't want to have to take down my setup due to some asshole neighbor.

What should I do?
 
Go to the council with pictures of other peoples backyard setups, explain what it is, and insist its for personal use only.
 
I have no advice for you considering the meeting but I do for your neighbor. Since he is an asshole snitch go to his mailbox and do the firecrackers in egg prank, then put a bag of flaming dogshit on doorstep, egg and toilit paper his house and finally one night dig tons of holes on his front porch the bigger the better and put all the dirt in front of his door. That would shoe him not to snitch on us skiers.
 
Town of Perinton

Town of Perinton zoning code chapter 208-24 (B) - Structural Recreational facilities

Which states:

structural recreational facilities may be permitted in all residential districts upon issuance of a special permit by the zoning board pf appeals.
 
tell them that you'd rather spend time being active in the summer than playing video games inside all day
 
invoke your Civil Liberties. There's probably something in the Constitution about the right to ski down wooden structures in the middle of summer
 
Here is the letter. He also just put in a tree right where it is only visible to his house. This guys a fuck, hes like 50 and doesnt have anything better to do than complain to the town about the one thing in my backyard
 
whoops heres the letter.
ccf0524201000000.jpg&w=400&h=600
 
what a pain in the ass. 2 questions:

what would it take to get the permit for it?

and what would the penalty be if you just used it without the permit?
 
Theres probably some restriction that doesnt allow me to get the permit.

And they would probably take down the setup if i dont, or charge me some fine.
 
go to the meeting and be as respectful and professional as possible. egging his house and putting dog shit in his mail box isn't going to help you. dress nicely, bring pictures, and in a respectful manner, let them know what you plan to do with it. let them know that you won't be bothering him with it at 3 in the morning, and that you will always be wearing a helmet. make yourself look like a fucking eagle scout, no talking about bleezies on 420.
 
Well the meeting is at my house, and my dad will also be talking to them (He is pretty intelligent). And i wasnt planning on destroying his property, i just thing its ridiculous to complain about something so little. I think its less of the safety issue, and more that he complained, so it must be harming neighbors.
 
same thing happened with my trampoline. some people in a neighborhood next too me could see it and thought it was on their property, when clearly it isnt. anyways, we got a letter just like that for violating some policy...i called the "manager" of their neighborhood and mainly told them until some guy from the city shows me its not on my property in person, fuck off.

..by the way, its the only level part of my yard
 
just how big is your set-up?
and i dunno how it is in the US, but in Belgium you actually need a building permit for everything, even for a simple garden-house or a porch, or whatever...that, strictly speaking, includes backyard setups, but most people are pretty chillax about these laws...
 
can't work, they proved it on mythbusters, but what i would do like rowen said is go to them and tell them that it is only personal use. in no way should you need a permit since it is not a stationary building, you can move it so it should be fine, and like someone else said, i forgot who, show them pictures of everyone on ns who has a setup
 
Post a picture of said setup, and some pics of it's context in the yard and your neighbours house, just so we have some perspective... because if you built an eiffel tower replica it's a different story to a tiny ramp and gas pipe....

it's all about the context...
 
I suggest you set up a meting and here's why.
1) That dude probably exaggerated the size of your setup painting it as like some huge tower or something.
2) A summer setup is no bigger than a swingset really, which is also a recreational device made out of similar materials. You are allowed to have a half pipe in your back yard, which is bigger and made of similar materials.
I reckon you haven't even done anything wrong and this guy has just made it seem like you are building a 20 foot tower in your back yard or something. There is probably a maximum height for self built structures and I bet a summer setup is under it. If you can build a shed in your back yard, you should be able to build a summer setup.
 
damn son. Be professional about it. Read him what woozy^ said. And tell him its for personal use.
 
"and similar activities" is going to be the clincher if you can try to get your setup exempt from it. If you do have a flood light set up, make sure you take it down and just put it up when you need it. Make sure they understand that it is strictly for skiing as well.
 
Im gonna follow woozy's advice.

Ill update this once I talk to this guy and figure out what he has to say.

Thanks everyone.

Sincerely,

420_Bleezy
 
try to bring it to the town and see what they do.
if not dog shit in the mailbox always seems to do the trick
 
It states that the codes are in place so that neighborhoods are

"pleasent, attractive, and a safe place for residents to live"

Will this cause any disruption in your town? will it be loud or anything like that...? (no

Can anyone see it from the road? (i know your neighbor has an obstructed view, what about other neighbors?

and will this be a hazard to anyone besides yourself?

talk that over when you meet with the guy. its a home made ramp so that you can practice skiing in the summer, it is a passion of yours and you really would like to be able to use it.

just be reasonable and respectful and be passionate and you will be fine
 
thats a joke man. there's no way. don't take it down. what would they do? i would talk to the guy, i know you have, but if you know you are going to have to take it down just make his life suck. don't get caught but just fuck with him a lot, like break shit in his yard or ring his doorbell a bunch of times in the middle of the night. don't know if you tried it but get a bunch of signatures to get you to keep it. or tell people that it is not for skiing, its a tree house or some shit. there is no way that they can make you take it down. i just can't imagine it happening in my situation. that suck sorry man.
 
how exactly did you lose the "case"? seriously. all the laws and facts and everything seemed to be on your side.
 
do you know anyone who is a lawyer? i have an uncle and a neighbor who is a lawyer who would probably give me some advice if i was in your situation, ask them.
 
just add a rope ladder or something up it so its a playground. if that doesnt work fuck with him big time. firecrackers are very useful in a situation like that
 
I would laugh so hard at someone made a complaint for me to take down a ski ramp. If you seriously have to take it down, look for a collapsible drop in, i think in build-a-jib theres some plans for some.

Really though, you need to fuck with this neighbor so bad that he gets the point to worry about his own fuckin property and not yours.
 
dude talking to the city council sucks iv had to deal with them alot they like to lead you in circles ALOT dont let them do it just explain to them whats up, maybe even cry a little i had a girl do that for me one time talking to them and they passed it imediately haha.
 
I "lost" because they said its 7 feet tall and violates the code. And yes there is consequence for not taking it down.
 
my favorite way to get back at neighbors for petty shit is to cut their cable where it goes into their house. pretty inconvenient for those who watch tv (or rely on a cable internet connection)
 
The guy is not really someone i have a desire to fuck with. He obviously just really cares about his yards image, he cares for it all day everyday. My "obstruction to his view" is all he thinks of the setup obviously but he ended up ruining all my fun.
 
just kill him... jokes

thats really shitty of him did you try talking to him at all? and could you move your set up to a freinds house with less dick headed neighbors so its not a waste?
 
once you take it down can you use the materials to make like a giant stick figure statue? I didn't see anything listed about artwork (although I'm sure there's a separate rule for that) and I don't think that would fall under the definition of structural recreational facility. It would sure be a lot uglier than a drop-in ramp
 
YESSS, just find a loophole and make things worse for him!!!

of if hes really in love with his yard, just set your dog loose to dig holes or just like go over one night and start tearing up grass.
 
that is actually insane. what an asshole. frig i read what woozy posted and for example, i have a 50 by 50 feet hockey rink in my backyard and i dont have a single permit.. i guess thats cause were in canada but still, its your own property, thats fucked. what is the legal height? you said it's 7, but maybe if you make it lower, you wont have to take it down?
 
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