Homesteading Forum banner

It is just not fair (LONG RANT)

799 views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  Sonshine  
#1 ·
I hate this county. When we bought our home 15 years ago it was so nice. Two acres surrounded with pasture land and trees. Then the housing boom hit and subdivisions went in every where. Our '' good old boy'' run county have cost us tax payers millions by buying land from each other, relatives and friends. They got caught but one plea bargained and resigned another was arrested and they say more charges will come soon. But before they left they decided to make sure every one had garbage pick up and just to be sure, they would add it to our tax bills and we would pay 18 months in advance. I have had this service for years and never had a problem but last week they left me a note saying I had to have my can out the night before. They never come by until lunch time but like the model citizen I am I braved the rain and placed it with a few bags in another can on the side of the road. Today I got another note saying my trash wasn't picked up because I exceeded the limit of one trash can. Excuse me I never got anything telling me I could only have one can per week. Funny thing is I got a call this morning from the zoming board to let me know they would be out this afternoon. They want to widen the road in front of my house and need at least one eighth of an acre of my land and a few trees will have to be cut down. The amount they are offering is laughable but if I don't accept they will condemn it and take it. The econemy being what it is and with our honest commisioners in trouble the county is broke or so they say. I am just venting I know life isn't fair but honestly if I could I would move out in the sticks so far I would have to pump in sunshine.
 
#2 ·
You can fight city hall or county supervisors or whatever .gov is around. You can go up and down the road getting signatures on a petition stating that you all don't want the road done. You can appeal the amount they offer you. You may lose but you can give them major headaches for giving you one.

I worked with a bunch of other residents to block a planned ditch expansion that was nothing short of an idiot project. It took up most of one summer but we eventually won despite some dirty tricks on the part of the other side.
 
#3 ·
I can't really comment on the garbage (when it started was it ever mentioned about a bag limit or can limit?), but as for your property, there is NO REASON for you to take their first offer and sign it over to them!!

Can they eventually take your land through emiminent domain? Yes. BUT - they will have to go through the court system and a judge will determine what value the land and trees are. (Are they really going to want to do this?)

Also, you can counter their claim for the value with your own information - what is property like yours selling per acre? Are the trees just "trash" trees or trees that could be timbered? If they are timbered trees, you might say you aren't ready to get them cut yet, and they need to pay you for what mature timber trees would net you in the future.

(If the county has no money as they claim) how do they have money to buy your property and widen the road?

I wouldn't care if the "zoning board members" were my friends or family. If the actually NEED your land because the road "HAS TO BE" widened, then they MUST pay you fair market value for it.
 
#5 ·
The amount they are offering is laughable but if I don't accept they will condemn it and take it. The econemy being what it is and with our honest commisioners in trouble the county is broke or so they say. I am just venting I know life isn't fair but honestly if I could I would move out in the sticks so far I would have to pump in sunshine.
I wonder if you could divide your lot and make the part that has road frontage the absolute minimin size for a building lot. Then if the county decides they need some frontage they would have to pay for the whole lot rather than a slice or that would leave you with an unbuildable lot. just thinking...........
 
#6 ·
I know how you feel I lived in a nice small community and then boom its a tourist town. We lived in the country and burned our garbage and the next thing you know some chicago folks moved in and started taking pics and took them to city hall to complain. You wanted to say hello idiot its all our family on the board. Well this last year they put up a car traker and said oh this road needs 3 lanes, remind you its a country road which they put a casino on the otherend so nobody turns they drive through why do we need a turning lane? They just fixed the road instead but while doing that dug up the backup dranage line and flooded the basement. Also a few years ago we were forced to pay for city sewer and water. Anyway I feal your pain you just want to stand outside and say scream to the world LEAVE US ALONE!
 
#7 ·
I hate this county. When we bought our home 15 years ago it was so nice. Two acres surrounded with pasture land and trees. Then the housing boom hit and subdivisions went in every where. Our '' good old boy'' run county have cost us tax payers millions by buying land from each other, relatives and friends. They got caught but one plea bargained and resigned another was arrested and they say more charges will come soon. But before they left they decided to make sure every one had garbage pick up and just to be sure, they would add it to our tax bills and we would pay 18 months in advance. I have had this service for years and never had a problem but last week they left me a note saying I had to have my can out the night before. They never come by until lunch time but like the model citizen I am I braved the rain and placed it with a few bags in another can on the side of the road. Today I got another note saying my trash wasn't picked up because I exceeded the limit of one trash can. Excuse me I never got anything telling me I could only have one can per week. Funny thing is I got a call this morning from the zoming board to let me know they would be out this afternoon. They want to widen the road in front of my house and need at least one eighth of an acre of my land and a few trees will have to be cut down. The amount they are offering is laughable but if I don't accept they will condemn it and take it. The econemy being what it is and with our honest commisioners in trouble the county is broke or so they say. I am just venting I know life isn't fair but honestly if I could I would move out in the sticks so far I would have to pump in sunshine.[/QUOTE]

Yep, pump in sunshine and pump out moonshine. :happy: