Jstic said:
What they do care about is making sure that the electrical system that is in your house, was installed/updated correctly and more importantly, safely. In your world the town would just mind their own business and people and contractors would basically do what they want, without any oversight or regulation.

I think you missed the point, I was making an exaggeration on purpose to convey my sense that some towns decisions on what to require permits for and what not to are arbitrary and subject to the opinion of whoever is making those regulations, towns across america with less restrictive permit processes are not suddenly burning down to the ground as your post implies they would. Would you seriously disagree that some towns use permits simply as cash cows because they can? Anyway I don't want to derail OP's thread so I'll just make this last reply

I still don't agree with towns requiring permits for fences...I understand there is a risk that it could blow over and little Timmy could get trapped under it and require Lassie's assistance to escape. I still don't think it warrants government intervention, and I still think OP's actions are likely to start a neighbor feud.

Here's an example where a neighborhood feud that started over a fence resulted in death:
Death Over Fence

While even I enjoyed bashing the OP, fences can cause issues. It is important to go the extra mile to build good relationships with people who live next door.

Where I live, yes, your fence has to be approved and it cannot be chain link. Further, i have seen a very nice cedar fence torn down on a listed home b/c it was not built by professionals and some prospective buyers made so many negative comments about it. After the fence - which the owner spent over $3K in material in building - was torn down, the house sold.

I also have two neighbors - not adjacent to me - who can't stand each other and had a bad fallout over a fence. They now have two six foot stockade fences that run parallel down one property line with six to eight inches between them. It is impossible to get in between to "weedeat" so there is just a mess growing in between them. It looks so ridiculous.

The OP is right that these kind of things regarding money spent on fences and trees happens all the time.

Also, few neighbors want to say, "I just don't have $4,000 in my budget to cut that tree hanging over your property." So they instead say, "It is not that big of a problem, you pay for it or let it be."

wraithtech said:SUCKISSTAPLES said:BTW since we are talking about neighbor disputes and this is now Dear Abby, check out my new fw neighbor/ stalker "hatescops" going around and redding all my posts...I think this is the alt ID of tempname09

I wish I had a stalker.

Well, perhaps you can come to DC, and catch Marion Barry's eye.

D.C. Councilman Marion Barry charged with stalking

I'd go with #4. It's my f'ing fence, stay the f* off it. Build your own fence you mooching b*tards.

Jstic said:
So in order not to be considered an "@sshole" the OP should let his neighbors drill and attach things to his fence, probably build part of their fence on his property and generally just smile and walk away. Obviously you have never had an @sshole neighbor before, I hope your luck continues.

Obviously you make presumptions that are off the wall.

In fact, I was forced to sue a neighbor over fence damage...just got a Judgment against him today. Supposedly he is a priest. Guess that makes me the @sshole, right?

He let his unmaintained trees fall and others were in danger of falling, tried to claim "ACT OF GOD", after a year of polite letters I discover he is in foreclosure and not going to spend money to fix...well now I get to go after his other assets.

SUCKISSTAPLES said:just got a Judgment against him today. Supposedly he is a priestHope he is not in your confession booth

xoneinax said:SUCKISSTAPLES said:just got a Judgment against him today. Supposedly he is a priestHope he is not in your confession boothnay, probably too busy with little boys.

Enyin2 said:Jstic said:
Understand now?

Oh I understand perfectly well what they're trying to do, but i guess you and I have differing opinions on the state's role in private affairs. You can make this arguement for everything....perhaps the town should make sure that every time you use the stove that you turn it off afterwards, or that if your girlfriend uses a curling iron that someone should visit the house during the usage to make sure that she doesn't start a fire? There's a line to be drawn here and only personal opinion / political views determine where that line should be. Normal usage of curling irons, space heaters, candles, hotplates, etc, are far more likely to be dangerous or start a fire than your scenario.

My problem with the OP's behavior is that he called the town and is bringing town permits into the situation, when he could have just talked to the neigbor and discussed like a normal pain in the ass neighbor...but he had to take it beyond that and become a nightmare neighbor instead.

Sorry to quote something so long after it was posted, but....

Your examples are out of line. You talking about getting permits for "one-time events". Permits are for PERMANENT changes. Fences, electrical appliance installations, etc. (IF DONE WRONG) have the possibility of causing damage EVERYTIME they are used.... and sometimes by not being used (but just because they were installed wrong).

On the other hand, I have asshole neighbors.... and I talk to them about the stupid stuff they are doing. ONE of them bult a triple wide garage, without a permit. He caused massive flooding on our street for several MONTHS (not enough ground left in his yard to SUCK up rainwater)... and finally added drainage (after MULTIPLE neighbors TALKED to him about the mess he caused).

ANOTHER neighbor built a deck on his house. By himself, no plans, no professionals, no permit or inspection... and I told him he did it all wrong, and that it was going to kill someone. He "poo-poo'ed" me, walked up on the deck, then started jumping UP and DOWN, saying "It is the toughest thing I ever bui...... THEN it collapsed! He broke an ankle, crushed his boat, and got a major case of embarrassment.

PS. I am NOT into construction, but many members of my family are.... so genetics (no, really, observation, discussion, and helping decode building code for them) has taught me WHY ametuers get killed, or kill others with their "weekend projects"...