[DugwayDuke]

The Hopkins and Potters are my in-laws. My in-laws have owned this property for 20+ years and now they want to build on it. The county is holding up their application for a house number. Without a house number you can't build even if you own the property. One you can't build a home on your own property, property rights become meaningless.

[DugwayDuke]

If you have a property rights ping list, I would appreciate a mention of this thread on that list.

[squidly]

Huntsville bump

[netmilsmom]

Wow!

[PAR35]

Could you post the letter when it is received? (Perhaps you could set up an inexpensive web site to track this matter). I would be interested in reading the "simple" 6 page explanation as to why two numbers could be issued, but other numbers couldn't be.

[farmfriend]

Rights, farms, environment ping.
Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from this list.
I don't get offended if you want to be removed.

[Libertina]

Good luck. If your county Planning & Land Mangaement is anything like my Planning and Land Mangement, your in for a rough road. I would contact my district county council representative. The county councils usually decide on funding for the county departments and therefore ahve some influence. I would also contact the County Executive. ALL in nice ways of course. Ticking them off won't help.

[Carry_Okie]

So, the people you have to see in Tennessee for a an road encroachment permit and addrss don't get a nickel of the taxes because the house is in Alabama? Man, this is nasty.

[secretagent]

I can't see why they should need a permit to build a house, numbers or not.

If they want to risk it falling down, let them.

[Triple Word Score]

It is not in the county's best interest to prevent people from increasing their property values. If there are recall mechanisms to get these bozos replaced with public servants who will do their jobs, that, not just litigation, would be a great next step. I know the odds of getting their financial interest in this matter investigated are slim and none.

Good luck to your family. I hope they get their construction started reasonably soon. I hate the thought that all over the country, the economy is being hamstrung like this.

No, you can't pursue your dreams, no you can't implement your plans, no you can't invest in this or that to create jobs and innovative new products and services...

...but rape somebody, and you'll get probation and the state will support your girlfriend and her children....

[DugwayDuke]

It's been a long time since I first started this thread and it's time for an update.

Essentially, the letter from the county commission stated that they couldn't locate the right of way connecting the property to the private road. We initiated a survey and had deeds recorded that incorporated the right of way. We then reapplied for the house numbers in August. After receiving no response, we reappeared before the county commission (twice). Some one on the county commission (I don't know exactly which commissioner intervened with the county attorney but the attorney's comments indicated that at least one had.) We now have our house numbers.

The county commission has decried that a committee of 'interested' parties will meet in January to address the policy for granting house numbers.

There were two issues from the commissions perspective. First, they want the authority to zone the county, something that has been refused by the state legislature and which lost soundly in a referendum. Second, the county wants to limit growth where that growth would be inconvienient for the county to provide services. We had to agree that the county would not be obligated to provide basic services such as trash pickup and 9/11 services.

[RightWhale]

Sounds like a case of illegal subdivision. Do it right.

[1rudeboy]

In a perfect world, one would simply walk in to the proper office and say, "No house number? No property tax."

[cowtowney]

A ninety eight year old man from Maine (aka a Maineiac) was sitting on his front porch early one spring morning when a man walked up to him and asked,“ Are you Mr. Lawrence Pinkum?”

“Aayah, I’m him,” came back a rather slow reply.

“I’m afraid I have some very bad news for you, Mr. Pinkum. I have just surveyed your property and you don’t live in the state of Maine. In fact, you live in New Hampshire.”

The surveyor was sure this would upset the old gent and was quite surprised when the senior Maineiac replied, “Thank God for that. I don’t think I could stand another Maine winter.”