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originally posted by: Logarock
a reply to: Annee
Yes Annee he did end up getting exemption by a state bill no less. Unanimously passed by state house and senate.
In November, 2012, Turtle Island was forced to shut down public access because its traditional buildings violated building codes.[10] In mid-December, 2012 Conway appeared to make progress toward reaching a resolution with the North Carolina Building Code Council.[11] However, immediately following this apparent progress with the code council, Conway was arrested for trespassing on a neighbor's property in a dispute over the property border, continuing the legal challenges to Turtle Island.[12] Conway's problems with the North Carolina Building Code Council quickly gained notice of state officials. The North Carolina General Assembly[13] stepped in, proposing an exemption to building code requirements for primitive structures.[14] Both the state's House and Senate voted unanimously to pass H774.[15] The bill was signed into law by Governor Pat McCrory on June 12, 2013. This ordeal was described in a Fox News special War on the Little Guy, hosted by John Stossel. en.m.wikipedia.org...
Can't get a mortgage from a bank for vacant land. Maybe a private lender and it seems like that's what this guy would choose.
originally posted by: deadeyedick
I think you may be wrong about the mortgage. He took out a loan to buy some land around him. Perhaps it is paid off by now but i suspect that some fine print in the papers he signed allowed them to have concern over his property. They need to leave him alone but let's be honest they have no need for someone who is not dependant on there system and they see the timber on his land as money to them if they get him to go under. Now they will start to fine him and allow the amount to get out of hand. Everyone should stand together for him.
I don't disagree with what you said, but do people choosing to stay in his camp, accept any responsibility for their welfare as well? Like climbing Mt. Everest with a guide. If you die, whose fault was it? Or any other risky endeavor where another is assisting - jumping out of planes, tethered from bridges, etc. I know that if I were to stay in his compound, there would be a certain risk associated with doing so.
originally posted by: PinealJockey
a reply to: Logarock
I can live with "balance" but I'm not just playing devils advocate. What I would like to do is provide insight as a professional.
Let me take on the only point you responded to: " I would like to point out, in regards to you calling his situation a "deathtrap" that hundreds die each year in modern and all coded up domestic structures. Smoke detectors are never a bad idea anywhere." So if hundreds die in "safe" structures, imagine how unsafe his buildings are. If anything this proves my point. Also to make a more hypothetical point (because something tells me that fire trucks don't go to his neck of the woods), not only are the residents who live there in danger, but the firefighters are endangered by a confusing layout or substandard construction. Nothing in life is 100% safe but we do our best to DECREASE THE POSSIBILITY. As I stated earlier If he was a hermit, I would support his decision to live in a volcano, while sleeping on broken glass. Whatever he wants, but the second he accepts cash, or food, coon skins, beaver pelts, hemp etc. in exchange for boarding, he be becomes a landlord with responsibilities.
originally posted by: Bilk22
Can't get a mortgage from a bank for vacant land. Maybe a private lender and it seems like that's what this guy would choose.
originally posted by: deadeyedick
I think you may be wrong about the mortgage. He took out a loan to buy some land around him. Perhaps it is paid off by now but i suspect that some fine print in the papers he signed allowed them to have concern over his property. They need to leave him alone but let's be honest they have no need for someone who is not dependant on there system and they see the timber on his land as money to them if they get him to go under. Now they will start to fine him and allow the amount to get out of hand. Everyone should stand together for him.
originally posted by: PinealJockey
a reply to: Bilk22
And I don't necessarily disagree with you either except I wonder, are there children there? They can't make that decision and the parents may not know any better. Again the responsibility falls on the landlord. It s interesting to know that you (sort of) see my point considering you are in the biz. My opinion, after all, is not based on ideology, it's informed by experience. When I first started out, I used to get off on getting zoning variances and building code variances, like I was fighting the man. But only rarely was I helping someone who was not for profit. I have my critique of the building code. Mainly its about the overuse of sprinklers to allow the reduction of construction quality. But it is valid and should be enforced
Of course its a moot point, considering Eustice played ball after all and got his variances. I don't know what the trespassing charge was all about. I guess thats for another thread.
originally posted by: deadeyedick
originally posted by: PinealJockey
a reply to: Bilk22
And I don't necessarily disagree with you either except I wonder, are there children there? They can't make that decision and the parents may not know any better. Again the responsibility falls on the landlord. It s interesting to know that you (sort of) see my point considering you are in the biz. My opinion, after all, is not based on ideology, it's informed by experience. When I first started out, I used to get off on getting zoning variances and building code variances, like I was fighting the man. But only rarely was I helping someone who was not for profit. I have my critique of the building code. Mainly its about the overuse of sprinklers to allow the reduction of construction quality. But it is valid and should be enforced
Of course its a moot point, considering Eustice played ball after all and got his variances. I don't know what the trespassing charge was all about. I guess thats for another thread.
Children have parents that are responsible for there well being. It is not some hillbillies job to raise our kids unless we take them to stills nursery. Them parants have to decide for themselves if staying there one night is worth the risk of possible danger.
Judging by your post it sounds pretty clear that you and your job have failed society. I blame jobs like yours for all the excess dumb people out there. You should quit.
originally posted by: mike dangerously
Eustace has been feuding the these guys for years now.I suspect that the developers of that subdivision at the foot of Turtle Island are behind most of this.
originally posted by: PinealJockey
Zoning and building code is something I know a lot about. In fact you might say knowing the code is a critical requirement to me doing my job. I absolutely empathize with Mr. Conway and if he was a hermit, living alone, I wouldn't care if he lived in a volcano. I would say he has a right to food, clothing, and shelter and that these are fundamental human rights and there is no law, by man, that can trump this. However; it appears that he has roommates. With that in mind, as the land owner, he has a legal responsibility to keep his tenants safe. This is a concept that is attributed to King Hammurabi (eye for an eye tooth for a tooth guy). So its a pretty old concept. Definitely predates settler days.
I watched about 70% of the videos the op posted (thank you for that). I have yet to hear about violations. I suspect that at least half of them have to do with the place being a fire trap and the other half are environmental. For instance the problem is NOT that the foundation is made of stone. It's the fact that in that climate you need a foundation that is at least 4'-5' deep to avoid building thrust when the ground freezes. His outdoor toilets are bad too. That has to do with polluting the ground water. You might say "it's just one guy". It's not. It's a hippie commune so its more than one, and besides if it's OK for them then its OK for everyone. And if it's OK for everyone, then we are back to industry dumping raw sewage in our drinking water.
Mr Conway said " Common sense isn't common anymore." Thats always been a load of B.S. Common sense used to say that the earth is flat and that maggots come from rotting meat. Science and education changed that perception. I heard Mr. Conway speak. He doesn't know ANYTHING about construction. Yes, I said it. But its seems that if you put a wholesome eco-spin on his ignorance then he becomes some kind of crusader.
Now there is legal recourse for him. He can hire an Architect or engineer to survey, document, and present the plans to the Board of Building Standards. All you have do is convince the board that your design addresses the SPIRIT of the code. Now he says he is poor and can't afford to hire a professional. Well there are a number of pro-bono organizations that can champion his crusade. But I suspect he is not going to find a lot of help out there for the same reason I wouldn't help him even if he paid me. I do what I do because I want to change the world for the better and to help people. I would love to hang out with Eustace and smoke some weed with him, but I am not going to help some ignorant fool to legalize his communal deathtrap.