would you call the city inspector on your neighbor's illegal remodel?

THIS! haha. My parents are in the same boat. You still need permits, but seeing as we are outside city limits, we go by county rules. So the permit regs are much less strict. However we did have one of our neighbors call the county on us and have all of our permits checked. Went through WEEKS of inspections. Not my doing, but the keys to her 65 mustang are now buried about 2' down in the back 40. haha Thing hasn't moved.

 

people my folks know who live in the county didnt want to bother to get a permit for a deck .... they were putting in a new vineyard at the same time so they just put a big mound of dirt in front of where the deck was gonna go so you couldnt see em building it from the road.

 

DAMN! i hate being a snitch.. i have NOT called. i did see a city car pull up and leave. maybe they caught them on their own.? i am in a wait and see pattern. i think perhaps my contractor called.

them parking on my yard..i only saw the tire tracks where they went up onto the mulch, backed it up and left the 4runner. it was obvious. if the car was still on the mulch..i would have "set MY car on fire"..they had a huge party, celebrating some muslim holiday. being muslim, i cannot go there with a sixpack of beer..no drinky. i made that mistake giving them bubbly last new years. they gave it back to me and told me muslims dont drink.

to answer an earlier question..no way there is a permit. the foundation is not to code.

i may ask the owners which direction they plan on facing any windows..because i do like mowing my lawn in my tightywhiteys hahaa.

 

i will improve my financial situation where i can buy a home where i DONT see my neighbors.

 

If he has a Permit it should be posted in a front window.

 

nice delete Ryan

 

if the addition is really that bad i would call it in if not then just let it lie and tell him if he parks in your yard again your gonna whoop his a$$ lol

 

2 things I see wrong with this thread:

1.) It's not like the OP found a car parked in the middle of his front yard. Ok so a friend of your neighbor parked in your yard and left....it's gonna happen again with the UPS truck, delivery truck, county/city truck, etc. The local power utility drove a damn truck right down my side yard to replace a power pole in my back yard...like what are you gonna do? It's an easement. I'm assuming this [neighbor parking] doesn't happen regularly, right?

2.) Permits don't necessarily make "ugly" renovations magically turn into "pretty" renovations.

 

I'd say no if it was all internal, but if he's building an addition...that can impact your property too, and you want to make sure your rights are protected (required setback, for example).

 

Crikeys.... I work for an engineering firm and have done my own household additions - got my own permits and all, mind you. I know for a fact that the VAST majority of city/county/state jurisdictions will come out and mark gas lines and such at no cost to you, at least up to the property lines...

Serves that guy right - one for not getting the permits and two for doing the crap on a Sunday

 

This is right up my alley, I work construction and engineering and deal with city officials on a daily basis, I also have "illegally" built a few things in the back yard. I however always make sure my neighbors are cool with what I am doing because our neighborhood association are Nazis and would definitely burn me if they came across my little projects. So I say burn his ass, call the inspector just be ready for a pissyfit shitstorm if he finds out it was you.

 

we need to see some pics of it to get an accurate answer!

 

I'm tellin ya those of you who bitch out and tattle on your neighbors are asking for it later on in life. Learn to deal with your neighbor without getting some 3rd party involved.

 

Pretty sure I'm not asking for anything. I do plenty to keep my karma neutral. This is a neighbor to neighbor issue- This is a legal/ethical issue.
If your neighbor was slinging crack from their house...Would you "bitch out" then??

 

Slinging crack is not the best analogy IMO. All I'm trying to say is he who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.

Example: Friend of mine asks his neighbor to quit dumping yard trash onto the empty lot behind neighbor's house...for whatever stupid reason the neighbor obliges. Fast forward a few months, we're clearing some trees on my friend's property and all of the sudden it's ok to dump on the lot, "just make sure he doesn't see you man". You think his neighbor didn't see all that happen? Now they don't even talk.

I'm not saying the OP is a hypocrite but I'd just warn you to make sure you know what you're doing before taking this route.

To the guy who went to the HOA...HOAs are like the worst possible thing to come out of the past two decades. Yes, they have their advantages but overall their power is far too overreaching and unchecked. Just wait until you get fined for some stupid shit or drama starts at a meeting. They can make your life hell.

 

I voted no. I find it interesting how many people would deal with this by running to the authorities BEFORE having a man to man talk with the neighbor. Try to reason with the man first and, if he won't listen to reason, then 'tattle'. (Nothing wrong with that word, btw)

 

It's hard to "feel" the anger of a neighbor being an A-hole.

But if I REALLY had the @ss for someone because of prior indiscretions I would probably blow the whistle.

If he was a d!ck, I am sure I could be one as well

 

Knock knock. Hey neighbor. I'm here to ask you man to man to stop adding the illegal addition to your house.

LOL!! What do you think the answer will be??

Just call your local officials and let them know. The bylaw guy will "accidentally" notice the extension and make them get a permit. Then it will be inspected during, and after construction and everyone will be safe!!

 

It is a hyperbole but it's in the same vain- It's illegal and it's happening in the residence next door.
All the other stuff- Tell him you don't want him on your grass, hanging shit on your fence, etc etc etc cause the cops are going to laugh when you call them about a rug on a fence. Illegal construction puts people at risk, Ugly construction hurts property values, and I don't know any one who will stop construction on a project they have already put money into cause you ask nicely....Friend, enemy, or otherwise.

And I do know what I would be doing if I were in his place- Getting a permit when the time came I needed one.

 

How about this: "Hey neighbor, I noticed you're building an addition on your house. I'm concerned about the safety of the wiring and I'm wondering if you have a permit." If he says yes, then all is well. He says no, strongly encourage him to get said permit and follow up. He tells you to shove it, gladly call the inspector and make his life hell.

And as for it being ugly, well, if it's within HOA rules then it's tough luck.

I have a neighbor who has a loud motorcycle. He used to rev the hell out of it at all hours. One night I went over there and asked him not to rev it so much and especially at night. Problem solved. Should I have called the police every time to file a noise complaint?