How screwed up this state is

**Vlad the lad** · 02-05-2021, 12:10 AM

A friend of mine lives in a community on the water. Their home backs to a small creek off of a river that feeds into the bay. At this house, they have a deck that sits about 30 feet above the creek. They wanted to enclose a screen porch on that deck.

They submitted plans to get a permit. 2 years ago
About a year ago, the county set up a zoom meeting. The home owners had to be present. And they had to send (usps mail) invitations to everyone within a certain distance. It was 56 homes.
Any member of those homes could attend the zoom meeting, that talked about a screened porch being added to an existing deck. If anyone objected for any reason, the permit would be denied.
The meeting happened over the summer and no one objected. 3 days later, the county (who set up the zoom meeting) informed the owner that there were technical problems and the meeting did not get recorded. As far as the county was concerned, the meeting didn’t happen. So they had to go back to the beginning and set up a new meeting. And send new invites by mail to all the neighbors.
The meeting happened last week. The screened porch was denied. Not by a neighborhood, but by a council member. And guess what they said. The house is already big enough for 4 people, they don’t need more space. And the county doesn’t need more roof space that will cause more runoff.

Y’all think the executive orders won’t impact you. Until one day, some power hungry politician decides your home, that you own, isn’t necessary for you. If I hadn’t been getting updates from them this past year, I wouldn’t believe this happened.

**wickedsolo** · 02-05-2021, 12:45 AM

I would just build it anyway.

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**LittleG** · 02-05-2021, 03:17 AM

I would have started after the first meeting and said ‘that is your error’ IF it came up later.

**Laxdad24** · 02-05-2021, 04:19 AM

Shoulda never applied for a permit. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. If they’re screening in an existing porch...shoulda just did it

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**blueridgemtnman** · 02-05-2021, 08:08 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

I would just build it anyway.

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As would I.

**Vlad the lad** · 02-05-2021, 08:10 AM

Originally Posted by Laxdad24

Shoulda never applied for a permit. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. If they’re screening in an existing porch...shoulda just did it

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No. Existing deck. Building a porch on the deck.

**blah3** · 02-05-2021, 09:31 AM

Sadly this is a common thing. Petty little township bureaucrats implementing ridiculous ‘zoning’ rules. Your shed can only be this big, your fence can only be this high, your going to get more runoff if you put up a roof. (Wonder where he thinks the rain goes currently). Like little home owner association brown shirts

**wickedsolo** · 02-05-2021, 09:46 AM

Out of curiosity, does this guy have an HOA or something?

The more I hear about people living in planned communities with HOA's, the more I am glad I don't live in one.

**ERey** · 02-05-2021, 09:54 AM

Not sure I'm following. Where does the run off go even without a screened in porch?

(I agree with the board. I would just build it anyway. And why do they need a video? Did they need a video prior to COVID?)

**Ortizer** · 02-05-2021, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by Vlad the lad

A friend of mine lives in a community on the water. Their home backs to a small creek off of a river that feeds into the bay. At this house, they have a deck that sits about 30 feet above the creek. They wanted to enclose a screen porch on that deck.

They submitted plans to get a permit. 2 years ago
About a year ago, the county set up a zoom meeting. The home owners had to be present. And they had to send (usps mail) invitations to everyone within a certain distance. It was 56 homes.
Any member of those homes could attend the zoom meeting, that talked about a screened porch being added to an existing deck. If anyone objected for any reason, the permit would be denied.
The meeting happened over the summer and no one objected. 3 days later, the county (who set up the zoom meeting) informed the owner that there were technical problems and the meeting did not get recorded. As far as the county was concerned, the meeting didn’t happen. So they had to go back to the beginning and set up a new meeting. And send new invites by mail to all the neighbors.
The meeting happened last week. The screened porch was denied. Not by a neighborhood, but by a council member. And guess what they said. The house is already big enough for 4 people, they don’t need more space. And the county doesn’t need more roof space that will cause more runoff.

Y’all think the executive orders won’t impact you. Until one day, some power hungry politician decides your home, that you own, isn’t necessary for you. If I hadn’t been getting updates from them this past year, I wouldn’t believe this happened.

But the deck already has runoff...

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**Ortizer** · 02-05-2021, 11:28 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Out of curiosity, does this guy have an HOA or something?

The more I hear about people living in planned communities with HOA's, the more I am glad I don't live in one.

We lived in a townhouse with an hoa a few years, and when we move an hoa was a big negative for any house we looked at that had one.

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**wickedsolo** · 02-05-2021, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Ortizer

We lived in a townhouse with an hoa a few years, and when we move an hoa was a big negative for any house we looked at that had one.

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I agree.

My house, my property, I'm paying for it and paying for the taxes. If I want a 6' fence instead of a 4' fence, I'm putting in a 6' fence. If I want to build a big-azz shed in the backyard, I'm going to do that. I dont want to ask permission from some fat piece of shit Karen neighbor that doesn't even live on my street.

I have an acre now and live on a country road and sometimes (a lot of times) it still isn't secluded enough for me. I've been looking at property in that 50+ acre range in the middle of nowhere.