"Code Compliance Officer" Enters Woman's Home, Wakes Her In Bed, Says Her Grass Is Too Long

I know I have been away from America for 28 years but this is what the US Army does for families and officers that live in on base housing. As a Sarge I was lucky to secretly date a 1st Lieu who was a nurse, I met her after being medivac to her hospital. After a long stay in hospital with the relearning how to walk etc. I remember the noise of the screen door opening at her house and then banging shut. Looking out the window and waiting for the Capt to leave who served the similar order for Jackie's lawn to be cut but tacked the order on the door inside the screen door. The order blew me away as it spelled out the regulations and showed 4 different measurements in lawn length, but as a career soldiers at that time I understood uniformity and left that as that noting to always live off base never on.

When has American freedom at their home front been compromised like this. Used to be a persons home was his castle! If I want weeds growing rather than a veggie garden or a lawn why not. My property in the land of the free my choice! I don't understand but perhaps the home was an historic area i.e. Port Gamble in Washington State is the last example of a company town, which receives tourist or a gated community with agreements before purchase but a private house??? I read somewhere here in ATS that a person sued their local council as they sent a crew to destroyed a vegetable patch. WTF when did all of this change and why is everyone just concerned over the illegal entry.... Yep my house we would have had a dead ex thief and I would have had no choice but to place an unregistered handgun in his hands to hedge my bet for freedom after the fact. I live in the UK and right now since it has rained every day but 2 days in June and so far 2 days in July. 3 days ago it rained all over the UK an equal amount in 24 hours to 30 days of winter rain. My lawn is currently 8 - 12 inches long and in that time not dried out once. It must dry out before cutting it otherwise a muddy mess would be created. No guns here and no rights either IMHO but guess what in 28 years never heard of a lawn police.... Has the Constitution been changed stating thou shalt not have longer grass than x inches x= local councils desired length? Is this why nobody seem to be upset over the justification of entering the property. My point is that he should never have been at that house in the first place. Next question, in the times of high unemployment how is it a convicted thief of a high valued item (that computer could have been the cost of a used car at least to a reasonable car to have a city job like this, grand theft auto comes to mind! When I was a kid it was considered a good job working for the city, county, or state. How is it with all those white collar unemployed due to world economic collapse and no fault of their own did not have a leg up over this convicted thief for this prized job. Sorry Bros n Sis I been gone so long I cannot understand any of this or the fact he walked out that house and not on a stretcher in some corners van!

I left the party 28 years ago, what has the natives done to allow this c**p to happen?

reply to post by SeenMyShare


I know my hubby too. The lady who lived next door to us passed away a few weeks back. She was a single lady with no children. My husband has been mowing her lawn for the last two weeks. No one had to ask.

Originally posted by SeenMyShare
reply to post by Nspekta

 

Wow, the minute he opened my door he'd have been met by 500 lbs of dogs plus two little ankle biters! Actually, as soon as he knocked he'd have been met with a chorus of "We are the defenders of our people and our home! Do not enter!"
Even if he couldn't speak dog I think he'd get the gist.

Ditto... dogs and a little woman with a big gun ( mossberg 500 in hand and Baby Eagle in pocket of robe). My larger dog would probably say " my mom has me on a diet... and Im real hungry.. you look tasty".

In all seriousness.. this cant be tolerated or it will get out of hand as it has in my town. I am not from Illinois and came here when my husband was transferred. It was supposed to be temporary and turned into almost 7 yrs now. In the town we live in we have whats called an "occupancy permit". Its a permit that allows you to occupy a residenece.. rent or own.. and it also allows the police to enter your residence with no notice to check if the people who are on your permit are the only people in the residence. oYou have to have your permit on you if an officer is nice enough to knock first. They have a million excuses for having this here.. crime, taxes, etc... but Id rather be free than safe.. KWIM?
Talk about conditioning....

reply to post by Advantage


Seriously? So, you own your own home, or you rent from a landlord, but you have to then have an "occupy permit" from the authorities listing the occupants of your home, and they are allowed to randomly check its accuracy?

That is some Orwellish stuff right there! I can't believe that is happening in the USA!

Now, many places have an occupancy permit for building codes, and the code inspector or Fire Marshall might have to do a final inspection before the home or business is occupied or opened. But, that is a one time thing prior to the first occupancy, or prior to opening the business for the first time, it is NOT an ongoing thing.

Someone should sue to remove that law!

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by Advantage

 

Seriously? So, you own your own home, or you rent from a landlord, but you have to then have an "occupy permit" from the authorities listing the occupants of your home, and they are allowed to randomly check its accuracy?

That is some Orwellish stuff right there! I can't believe that is happening in the USA!

Now, many places have an occupancy permit for building codes, and the code inspector or Fire Marshall might have to do a final inspection before the home or business is occupied or opened. But, that is a one time thing prior to the first occupancy, or prior to opening the business for the first time, it is NOT an ongoing thing.

Someone should sue to remove that law!

We own. Its for single family owned residences, rentals, everything. They can check owned single person residences at ANY time.. interesting huh? Of course they say its for our own safety which is complete BS. We have occasionally in the news that someone was busted for having too many people in the hosue that werent on the permit.. like allowing relatives to live there for the summer or etc. This irks the hell out of me. We have tried to combat this with a larger group of other folks here in town.. but most people are so complacent they really dont care.. so it went nowhere.

I wrote a thing here on ATS about it.. and people called me a liar until I gave links and gave my town and etc. I also discovered that ours is not the only town or county that has this big brotherish thing going on.

reply to post by Advantage


I live outside of any city limits. I could not stand for that. I know you might not have any choice in the matter, but at some point, things will make it worthwhile for us to give up our comforts and risk our very freedom on an idealistic premise. It might not be that specific situation you live in, but then again it might be!

If I were in that situation, and my parents came to stay with me for the summer, and someone wanted to inspect my house, I would have to put my foot down at all costs, accepting all consequences. I just don't think I could stand for any authorities trying to enter my home or make me get a permit to have a temporary guest. You would likely see me on the news. That situation is a travesty to liberty.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by Advantage

 

I live outside of any city limits. I could not stand for that. I know you might not have any choice in the matter, but at some point, things will make it worthwhile for us to give up our comforts and risk our very freedom on an idealistic premise. It might not be that specific situation you live in, but then again it might be!

If I were in that situation, and my parents came to stay with me for the summer, and someone wanted to inspect my house, I would have to put my foot down at all costs, accepting all consequences. I just don't think I could stand for any authorities trying to enter my home or make me get a permit to have a temporary guest. You would likely see me on the news. That situation is a travesty to liberty.

We had no choice. Its also in the county as well. We had to live here close to the base.

Also, your parents can stay but they have to be put on temporarily on the permit. You have to pay a fee. If they decide to walk in and see more people then you can be arrested or pay a hefty fine. They say this is to cut down on welfare fraud in section 8 and to make it easier to see the drug houses and etc.. but they do it for EVERY resident. Not just section 8 or drug folks. Cute eh?

Most of us do not comply with it.. it IS a travesty to liberty. We're still fighting it and getting the word out. Most in the US do not kjnow this happens.. and not just here. Its best for us because you cant fight something unless you are actually being forced to participate in it. Those who cluck their tongues from states away arent in any position to change things as we are.. KWIM? Illinois is NOT a bastion of freedom. What they do here in this state with MANY things is a travesty to liberty. No one seems to know, care, or do much abotu it though. Complacency will be the death of this country IMO.

I live in the South and they mailed us a warning. We had just bought a house at the end of winter and did not know anyone in this town yet. In the Spring,I was trying to find someone to care for our 2 acres of lawn. The grass had gotten a little long in some spots, but not enough to get served a warning. In this town there are lots every where with grass and weeds so tall you can't see the houses. Not sure why we were singled out, maybe to let us "new people" know "the grass patrol" is watching?! LMAO
I have a lawn person now, but I did go around and make note of all the properties (some gov and bank owned) with extremely high grass and weeds. If I ever get that # from the state again, I'm going up there to show them a nice picture show ; )

They have to investigate? I'd say that video is your investigation!

You know.. This guy is lucky he isn't dead...

Were I to wake up... seeing a guy like that in my house... I would have went for a firearm just from pure instinct..

Every person here knows how much their ability to comprehend their surroundings and is limited upon first waking...

I most likely would not have heard what he said... reacted to a large man (that I did not know) in my bedroom and would have proceeded to defend myself.... And yes at that point it would have been shoot first ask questions later...

Now... A single woman... alone... in her house... in bed.... I'd imagine this feeling would be amplified... He's lucky she didn't go after him with a weapon of some sort.

This is a good way for the "officer" to get himself shot. Truthfully.

That's what nice about, 1) owning firearms and 2) living in a "make my day law" state. I would have placed two .40 caliber slugs between his eyes and that problem would have been solved not to mention the HOA and bitchey neighbors would have probably SERIOUSLY backed the phuck off!

Let me get this right. This is a guy who serves complaince notices, it is his job, when he comes into work in the mornings he gets a stack of these letters and is told to get them served. Hypothetically this officer could have called at her address 100 times and got no response, using some common sense he tries the door it opens and he ultimately serves the notice.

Half of you guys would have "blown him away"?

Originally posted by BlueDawn
Let me get this right. This is a guy who serves complaince notices, it is his job, when he comes into work in the mornings he gets a stack of these letters and is told to get them served. Hypothetically this officer could have called at her address 100 times and got no response, using some common sense he tries the door it opens and he ultimately serves the notice.

Half of you guys would have "blown him away"?

Really? Do you not see this is a violation of privacy, violation of property rights?!?
Are you saying if this was you, you wouldnt care if he entered your house!?
Un-effin-believable dude...

This moron needs to be arrested for trespassing at the very least. Then a civil suit needs to be filed against him and the city he works for. Enjoy your criminal record, douche. If he doesn't already have one, of course.

I see a place where we can cut our taxes just a little bit. ELIMINATE THESE KINDS OF STUPID JOBS!!!!! I've said for years that we have too many people on the payroll that do nothing but make our lives miserable unnecessarily. Government has got TOO BIG!!!

Originally posted by BlueDawn
Let me get this right. This is a guy who serves complaince notices, it is his job, when he comes into work in the mornings he gets a stack of these letters and is told to get them served. Hypothetically this officer could have called at her address 100 times and got no response, using some common sense he tries the door it opens and he ultimately serves the notice.

Half of you guys would have "blown him away"?

I hope you're being facetious.

If he's just an honest joe with a crappy job - he deserves a swift thump on the noggin' for not having any "common sense" whatsoever.

Any one try that at my house, they would end up fertilizing the very lawn they had issue's with.

Originally posted by Nspekta
WJBF.com
Via, BlackListedNews.com

MARTINEZ, GA -- Columbia County Code Enforcement Officer on administrative leave after he walked into a woman's home to serve her a violation..

There is a video on both of the links above, Sorry, I haven't been able to find it on youtube yet, if i can, I will post it. *If anyone else finds it, please post it! thx!

*

Anwyays, the Video (part of a home security system, with a couple different angles) shows the 'compliance officer' knocking, not hearing anything and noone answered the door, so he just goes right in, searching for the occupant, Erica Masters, who happened to be sleeping in her OWN HOME!
WTF! He tells her to wake up, get up and receive her violation for her grass being too long!!

UM,... talk about a REAL VIOLATION! omg..

Found a transcript of the video on Information Liberation.com

A Columbia County "Code Compliance Officer" intent on serving a woman with a violation for her grass being too long chose to enter the woman's home, walk into her bedroom, then wake the woman from her sleep to inform her of her infraction.

WJBF-TV reports:

...Erica Masters woke to Jimmy Vowell serving her a violation at her bedroom doorway. Vowell knocked at her door to give her a violation for her grass being too long. After knocking several times, he entered her home, walked into her bedroom, and told her to get up. He's now on administrative leave until the investigation is complete.
The Code Compliance Officer, Jimmy Vowell, was fired from his previous government job working for the County Sheriff after admittedly stealing a computer from their property room. His new employer, another government agency based around state-sanctioned theft, must have thought that made him perfect for the job.

It kinda goes along with this other thread that was big last month,
Woman Sues City of Tulsa For Cutting Down Her Edible Garden
The video does mention that this guy used to work in the sheriffs office, but left after admitting to theiving a computer.. and now works for the compliance department.. ugh Compliance department.. just sounds evil doesn't it?!

The lady does admit that her grass is long and such, and that her neighbors have complained, but seriously, it does NOT justify him entering her home, trespassing, scaring the # out of her!
Can you imagine waking up to that dude in your house?!

What happened to private property rights? HOW can they not know to do this?

Thoughts?!

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edit on 7/10/2012 by Nspekta because: added link and transcript

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edit on Wed Jul 11 2012 by DontTreadOnMe because: added video, per OP

Sorry this just remindmes me a little to much.Of the BTK killer.This guy at the very least should be fired.Maybe he spotted the cameras.

Looks like Tubba knew he would have to go away and come back at a later time and he did not get big by doing stuff like that.