Restrictions on using your land for the long term

Discussion in 'Off Grid Living' started by duane, Aug 20, 2017.


  1. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    In the various discussions about off grid living I seldom see any discussion of the biggest problem, restrictions on your land use. It is no longer strictly a local manner and many have been severely impacted by state and federal regulations. Here in the live free or die state, a new lot will have acreage restrictions, driveway restrictions, right of way restrictions, well and septic regulations, heating and lighting restrictions, set backs from lot lines, water ways or wet lands, scenic views and historical districts restrictions, window, wall, roof, foundation, etc restrictions, zoning restrictions as to what businesses you can have on your property, may not have rights to the water under the land or be prohibited from having a septic system, have limits on solar and wind power and they have almost prohibited the use of water power. Some of this is written into your deed, restrictions and covenants, some is city, county, special districts, state and federal rules and regulations and while the punishments may be severe, they don't make it easy to find out what they want. I for example can sell my greenhouse produce at a farm stand or a farmers market, but if I wish to sell it to a super market, the required tests and inspections make it prohibitive on any scale I might actually produce.
     
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  2. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    And therein lies the biggest problem! We are supposedly Free Men, and yet we are not allowed to do with our own property as we see fit! Just ask me about my Dam project, my "Hydro electrics" and my steam system, my Grist Mill and other land uses that some one wants to control, tax, regulate, and restrict!!! It's been a Journey to say the least, but it's been fun and a learning experience, and I have learned many tricks that "they" cannot touch!!! My Dam project got State and County funded (With a 99 year lease and management contract), and my Hydro Electric got a fed tax break, my water rights no longer bear on me or my use, and any claims on my water as rights went away with the dam construction and hold back/flood control! In a lot of ways, I am more free then many because I have found all the holes in the system and used that system against those who want control!!!
     
  3. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    Bureaucrats are lazy unless it affects them personally, like something that causes them to score low in some criteria that reduces their potential bonus. If you put them in a position where they have to do a ton of work with nothing in it for them they will pass every time.
     
  4. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    My family has never worried about restrictions, Pretty isolated property where you can do pretty much as you wish.
     
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  5. duane

    duane Monkey+++

    3M-TA3, I have fewer problems with the bureaucrats than I do with my neighbors. A bureaucrat will always protect his turf and his butt and when your neighbor, who paid $400,000 for a faux colonial on a 2 acre lot, and has lived in it for 6 months, decides that your 200 year old barn is an eyesore, calls the state and complains that you are running an illegal junk yard, some idiot comes by and informs you that you can not have 2 cars without plates if they aren't in a building, that you can't park farm machinery along the fence row, that your pig pen has a wallow in it and that causes water pollution and is visually offensive and on it goes. Put up a 5 k windmill and the same neighbor, with funding from a group in Calif, takes you to court for noise, visual pollution, exceeding 35 feet height without a special exemption, and destroying the resale value of their property. They all believe they are doing God's work and must protect both the environment and their investment. Gator 45/70, history has a habit of making examples of people in your situation, Randy Weaver was doing fairly well in an area with few restrictions and got along with both the local government and the local police. Some how, and that is open to discussion, he incurred the wrath of some federal organization and that did not end well. There have been hundreds of similar cases over water retention ponds with local and state permits, that run into problems with the feds, or raising the wrong bread of pigs or the wrong crops or marketing them wrong. Being isolated works well right up to the point it doesn't work, then it can turn into your own personnel SHTF. In my limited experience, the main danger has been the do gooders who force the government to do something about the X problem and suddenly bring you into the eyes of some governmental employee, often code enforcement or building inspector, who has to protect his turf or the town will face a liability suit for not doing its job enforcing state and federal regulations. Our town passed a change in the building ordinances exempting buildings under 200 sq ft from all building codes and inspections, the state said we could not do that and that the rule was illegal. Now our building inspector can be held in contempt of court if he tries to enforce the local rather than state rules and we have many people in our town who will call the state and report your construction if there isn't a building permit posted
     
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  6. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I had a neighbor like that.
    I fired my guns almost every day for 6 months. That's wasn't having the desired effect so I built a cannon. After a year to year and a half they moved.
     
  7. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    I could post a map showing the location but that would blow my BOL, Lets just say i have a 1/2 mile cushion on 3 sides and we are known for doing a lot of shooting just for the heck of it.
     
    sec_monkey, Ura-Ki and Tully Mars like this.
  8. Bandit99

    Bandit99 Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    I am going through some of this right now. In fact, this morning before I opened up the forum, I was reading and trying to decipher county codes to allow me to build a lean-to off my garage. I can't figure it out and will have to call them when they open. I do know that anything over 200 sqft I will need a permit so need to ensure I keep it smaller. What a mess... Many here just ignore it but they can nail you if you ever want to sell the house, even charge you accumulated interest on the fine.
     
    Ura-Ki likes this.
  9. Tully Mars

    Tully Mars Metal weldin' monkey

    One of the good things about BFE Alabama is that a person can do pretty much what he/she wants on their property. I've only had one issue with a state official and that was over my septic system. In this state you have to be licensed to put in a septic system. Had everything in order but waited 4 months for the permit because the inspector was a jerk. Long story short I got Montgomery on his @ss and he got really mad and refused to come out, so I went to see him. I had recorded our phone convo in which he stated he was putting my app back at the bottom of the pile to teach me who was in charge. I played it for our sheriff who just happened to go to school with my wife and who I have built some weapons for. We marched up to the next floor into the inspector's office, I played the tape for him at which time the sheriff told him that if I didn't have my permit within 24hrs he was going to swear to the DA that I shot in self defense.
    My permit was hand delivered to me the next morning while me, the wife's uncle and the sheriff were drinking coffee under a big oak in my yard. We were all open carrying...
     
  10. Witch Doctor 01

    Witch Doctor 01 Mojo Maker

    If you where in a Voluntary Agricultural district These problems would have gone away... any one purchasing land near an active agricultural site must be informed of these factors and then Caveat Emptor comes into play which limits any law suits....
     
    Ura-Ki likes this.
  11. Lilikoian

    Lilikoian Monkey

    I lived in a tent for a while on my property which is zoned agricultural, and researched the tent living thing then. I can't remember if it was state (Hawaii) or federal law which does not prohibit you from living in a tent on your property. The problem for me didn't begin until my sociopath neighbor decided to make an anonymous call to the county building department, then I got harassed by a guy who would come up to that cattle gate you see in my avatar, and shout my name for 15 minutes.

    My cabin is off grid, unpermitted. Screw the building dept/county system who feels like they can come on my property to ensure my solar panel system was inspected by a licensed electrician. That's what I told the guy who came, I told him I had no intention of letting him on my property, and I told him I didn't have "electricity". he went away. I mean, what could he do? I have no intention of ever selling my land, so even if they put a lien on it, I don't care. I pay county taxes. That's enough.
     
    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  12. Big Ron

    Big Ron Monkey+++

    It's gotten downright ridiculous. No keeping an RV on your own property.Cant live in them either. small solar setup needs an engineers approval or you risk daily fines. There are very few places where this kind of stupidity hasn't taken over.
     
  13. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    [​IMG]
    So, the neighbors are upset?

    Pity them if they decide to move to Alaska.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Waste not, want not..... And yes, I know the folks in the last pic...
     
  14. BTPost

    BTPost Stumpy Old Fart,Deadman Walking, Snow Monkey Moderator

    Yep, come live in Alaska... Buy Land outside an organized City or Borough... No State Income Tax, No Property Taxes, few if ANY Building Codes for Non-Commercial Buildings, and after one year the State Pays You to live here... Such a deal...
     
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  15. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    Now BT - be honest.
    The money the State hands out is going away and new income, gas, and a host of other taxes are on their way. Still, if you like lethally cold winters, high prices and long winter nights, Alaska may be just the thing to help you with your drinking problems...... I know it has for my many new neighbors living in the woods across the street.
     
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  16. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    I didn't want to freeze my assignment of 6 months out of the year, that's why I'm in new Mexico.
     
    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  17. Gator 45/70

    Gator 45/70 Monkey+++

    Honest? Tell us about the mosquito's as big as ducks!
     
  18. DKR

    DKR Raconteur of the first stripe

    [​IMG]
    If only they were as large as ducks.

    [​IMG]
    They do mount well.
     
    Gator 45/70 likes this.
  19. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    More and more I want to move to Alaska .
     
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