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

We're on the same level...must be a FL thing.

 

hoa's blow ... anyone who lives in one and is somewhat normal (likes to park in their driveway instead of garage for example) is an idiot.

 

The bike- Border line illegal but mostly just rude. A quick "Hey-Could ya not" probably worked better.

A large addition to the house costs money...You really think a neighbor who you aren't really friends with is going to just stop what they are doing and run out and get a permit and get the thing up to code?? That costs MORE money....so I doubt it. If they were trying to get it done on the cheap to start with...A neighborly talk isn't gunna fix a thing.

 

I agree with the others, speak with the neighbor in a polite way; inquire about the addition and a permit. If the neighbor says F off, call the the permit authority. The neghbor should expect a right of privacy, yetthey shouldn't infringe on the neighborhood. Seems there is a portion of folks here who turn a blind eye. Seems to be the way of Society thesse days, and then we all tunr and wonder how folks slip through the cracks.

I'm dealing with a circumstance with my neighbors as well. There son skateboards. Not that the skateboarding bothers me; if they actually went somewhere, but the teenage son and 8 of his friends loiter on our corner. They skate out into the street blindly wearing headphones. When cars drive up to the cornet stop sign, they make no effort to get out of the way and will continue skating holding up traffic at times. Also since they all think their the next Tony Hawk, they just do tricks mostly never pulling them off, and the neighborhood is polluted with the sound of loud clanking skateboards, cursing and yelling of teenagers. I talked to the parents and their reply was pretty much "What can you do, their teenagers?" Well the neighborhood has a no skateboarding policy, so we've resorted to calling hte neighborhood management on them. It does create a tension becasue as the management has gone out to their house, they have to of known we are the one's complaining.

 

Id tattle, just yesterday we had an electrical fire in a house that had been professionally wired but had a loose neutral wire, theres just too much to go wrong to be safe

 

You're right, the neighbor won't be happy to get a permit and might ignore you. I just know that if I were his neighbor, I would appreciate being warned that he is going to call the authorities soon and that I need to stop and get a permit. Give me a chance to fix it before the cops/fire department/code enforcement show up.

 

Don't go talk to him first if you plan on dropping a dime later when he tells you to go get f*cked. You would be asking for a shitstrom IMO with that strategy, if you wanna rat him out do so, just be aware if you go over there & address the issue with him probably better just drop it if hes a d*ck about it.

 

I would agree that it would be nice- but you don't sound like the kind of guy who is an asshole neighbor. The OPs neighbor on the other hand....sounds like kind of a jerk.
Were I living next to you- We'd talk. Next to the OPs neighbor- I would called code enforcement a while ago if the guys yard is that bad. Bet there are some blight laws where they are...

 

First off, the OP needs to let his nuts drop, then walk around the front of his neighbors house and look for a posted permit ( check windows or door), if none found then make a call to zoning office, and ask if one was issued for that address. If in fact no permit was issued then make them aware of construction being done at the present time. Next time a car or truck is parked in your yard, call a tow truck to remove it.Just be a good neighbor and go over and explain your concerns. Or maybe let your wife do it for you

 

I voted to not call the inspectors, but after reading a few pages I think you should make the call. Here in so Cal the permit to repair my deck would have cost more than the materials. I just told my neighbors what I was planning and asked for their impute. Made it pretty easy, no permit required. Now this was breaking tha law and I know it but smoothing things out with the neighbors helped avoid incidents. Now if I was building a addition you bet I would pull permits. That will come back to bite you in the end even if you somehow complete the addition without the city noticing. Good luck when you try to move that property!
I also think a face to face is usually the best option but in your cast I would say the phone is the best bet. Pretty unlikely he will know it was you, even if he suspects it you can always just say you have no idea what he is talking about.
Best of luck to you.

 

So when you try to sell your house, every prospective buyer will walk up and go wow, I do not want to wake up every morning and look at that shithole. What's the next house on the list, Mr. real estate agent?

And who the hell parks on their neighbor's lawn? WTF? When is that ever OK?

Code enforcement is a big difference between a crappy neighborhood and a good one. If you don't want your real estate investment to appreciate, by all means, don't tell anyone.

 

Pick your battles. Which would you rather live next to, a crappy illegal addition or your new enemy neighbor? Easy as that.

 

if it doesn't effect you...then don't be a bitch