Fast Eddie & Kool Karen's (excellent?) Pole Barn Adventure

Another aggravation.

The building inspector also mentioned our travel trailer not being used as a residence. We thought our contractor pointing out that we only stay in it 5 or 6 nights a month would make it OK.

But...no. He's telling us we are not to overnight in the trailer for any reason.

This seems outrageous - it's our property, our travel trailer, being serviced by electric and water we're paying for.

One thing I liked moving up from FL was getting away from oppressive zoning limitations we faced in S FL. But apparently Loudon County, TN is known for being sticklers on every little thing as well.

Anyway, we assume they can't stop us from parking elsewhere on our property and camping as long as we don't hook up to utilities. Boondocking, as it were. We do have a solar panel and a generator to keep at least the 12v up and the fridge and furnace can run on propane. And maybe towing the trailer home after each trip - about 100 miles each way.

Annoying. But it was fun while it lasted.

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FastEddieB said:
The building inspector also mentioned our travel trailer not being used as a residence. We thought our contractor pointing out that we only stay in it 5 or 6 nights a month would make it OK.

But...no. He's telling us we are not to overnight in the trailer for any reason.
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Eddie, I think you should follow Karen's suggestion of getting a goat.

And then I think you should obtain compromising photos of the building inspector fornicating with said goat.

You should then have much better cooperation. Heck, I bet if you asked around someone might already have appropriate photos or videos you could use. Maybe check YouTube....
 
I don't think there is anyone who can keep you from boondocking on your own land. Starting to get into 4th amendment territory with that.
 
FastEddieB said:
Another aggravation.

The building inspector also mentioned our travel trailer not being used as a residence. We thought our contractor pointing out that we only stay in it 5 or 6 nights a month would make it OK.

But...no. He's telling us we are not to overnight in the trailer for any reason.

This seems outrageous - it's our property, our travel trailer, being serviced by electric and water we're paying for.

One thing I liked moving up from FL was getting away from oppressive zoning limitations we faced in S FL. But apparently Loudon County, TN is known for being sticklers on every little thing as well.

Anyway, we assume they can't stop us from parking elsewhere on our property and camping as long as we don't hook up to utilities. Boondocking, as it were. We do have a solar cell and a generator to keep at least the 12v up and the fridge and furnace can run on propane. And maybe towing the trailer home after each trip - about 100 miles each way.

Annoying. But it was fun while it lasted.

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We got the same bs. just put a sign up on the door stating "office".
 
No travel trailer on your own property? Seriously? Who the heck do they think they are? This is 'Murca, dang it! I would have a hard time refraining from showing that fellow my erect middle phalanges.
 
It's overreaching such as this that causes good lawful folks to resent representatives
(like police officers and inspectors) of a government which is full of graft.
 
FORANE said:
It's overreaching such as this that causes good lawful folks to resent representatives
(like police officers and inspectors) of a government which is full of graft.
Click to expand...


Or pay the graft. Eddie could probably keep using the trailer for $100 or so.
 
Time for Eddie to open a small campground with maybe two campsites. Of course the county would try to squash it at a zoning hearing...
 
"The last arsehole who pulled ****e like that is still inspecting the footers of the foundation ... from the bottom, looking up!"
 
It’s unicorporated where I live. I love it. The only permit I had to get was one for punching a hole into the Oglala for my well. I’m in the process of planning a move back east and I’ll miss the lack of government intrusion into my life.
 
I read a story in one of Sam Florman's books about a contractor and an inspector having a dispute at a New York City building site. The inspector was holding up construction over some piddly non-issue, and after arguing with the contractor for a while he finally said, "Look, if you want to get back to work it's gonna cost you two hundred bucks."

The contractor paused a moment, looked around, then leaned in close to the inspector and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Two hundred, huh? Hell, I could have you killed for fifty."

The inspector silently walked away and construction resumed.
 
Half Fast said:
If he does that I'm sure the inspector will find all sorts of little problems with the ongoing construction. Probably require Eddie to replace the foundation.
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Yeah... I vote put up with it until your house is built and the final inspection is done. Then do whatever you want.
 
Eddie I thnk you need to give that inspector an airplane ride and deposit him in the middle of a big swamp! Okeefanokee comes to mind, a ways but you have a captive passenger.

Make sure you take along some concrete shoes...Jimmy Hoffa could use some company.
 
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FastEddieB said:
Another aggravation.

The building inspector also mentioned our travel trailer not being used as a residence. We thought our contractor pointing out that we only stay in it 5 or 6 nights a month would make it OK.

But...no. He's telling us we are not to overnight in the trailer for any reason.

This seems outrageous - it's our property, our travel trailer, being serviced by electric and water we're paying for.

One thing I liked moving up from FL was getting away from oppressive zoning limitations we faced in S FL. But apparently Loudon County, TN is known for being sticklers on every little thing as well.

Anyway, we assume they can't stop us from parking elsewhere on our property and camping as long as we don't hook up to utilities. Boondocking, as it were. We do have a solar panel and a generator to keep at least the 12v up and the fridge and furnace can run on propane. And maybe towing the trailer home after each trip - about 100 miles each way.

Annoying. But it was fun while it lasted.
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That is really asinine. I can somewhat understand the agricultural but not being used as such argument but not being able to spend the night in your camper?! Nuts!
 
Lotsa areas have those laws. They want people to build permanent homes, not live on a 1/2 acre with a travel trailer. How the inspector interprets that seems to be a little excessive, considering you're building a home there.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. Been perusing GoatsRUs.com all day.

I've gone somewhat beyond aggravated.

The letter from "Codes Enforcement" says, in part...

"Also, as notification that a camper is not an approved dwelling and cannot be used as such outside of an approved campground...(and) that the camper be disconnected from any utilities that it may be tied to and remain vacant."

I think if I could talk to a real person, it would be easy to make the case that we are using the camper for occasional camping - not "dwelling". Which is the actual truth of the matter. After all, we own the property and pay taxes on the property - its not reasonable we can't camp out on it. It's been great getting up in the mornings we do camp there and just letting the dogs out into the fenced yard. And as far as the "Office" sign goes, we have in all seriousness used the trailer for just that reason - to meet with suppliers and contractors and to pay bills and the like.

But I'm being advised not to make waves at this point - that the main objective is to get our house finished with minimum delay. So that's the plan.
 
FastEddieB said:
But I'm being advised not to make waves at this point - that the main objective is to get our house finished with minimum delay. So that's the plan.
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Probably good advice Eddie. Damn I was hoping you'd take him for a 'ride' too!
 
We did put an office sign on the camper at our site when this happened and our inspector said that was fine.
 
Lol, he'd have to prove you were over-nighting there . . . unless he's coming out there at midnight, I'd just hang an "office" sign in the window and go about your business. It's just an office as far as he's concerned.
 
Slow but steady progress...

1) Electrician was out last week:

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That's our utility room, which will house the HVAC units, water heater, etc.

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2) Engineer submitted the requisite letters to the county. Yesterday an architect came by and will do the same once some minor discrepancies are cleared up.

3) Additional bracing going up to support the bifold and garage doors. Hope to get at least the bifold doors up this coming week.

4) Lots of little decisions about locations and sizes of doorways, stairs, windows and the like. I guess normally this would have been decided early on, but as a work in progress we're having to play a lot of this by ear.

To be continued...
 
Looks great! I’m looking forward to getting up there and seeing it!

Inspector problems calm down?
 
FastEddieB said:
Another aggravation.

The building inspector also mentioned our travel trailer not being used as a residence. We thought our contractor pointing out that we only stay in it 5 or 6 nights a month would make it OK.

But...no. He's telling us we are not to overnight in the trailer for any reason.

This seems outrageous - it's our property, our travel trailer, being serviced by electric and water we're paying for.
Click to expand...

This is all about avoiding further unregulated trailer parks and rules about sewage disposal. If he allows you to keep using your trailer as a dwelling he has no case when he moves against the guy who puts two travel trailers next to each other and connects them with a plywood roof. We have an entire area of the county where that is the prevailing building type and it creates many problems.
Didn't the utility refuse to provide you with a RV plug on your temporary power tap ?
 
weilke said:
Didn't the utility refuse to provide you with a RV plug on your temporary power tap ?
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No. The issue was not allowing more than 20A breakers.

I think the key is the definition of “dwelling” vs. “camping”. I can see the issue if we were living full-time in our trailer. As it was, we were staying there maybe 5 or 6 nights a month. I’d call that “camping”, but it’s apparently not a clear line.
 
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FastEddieB said:
No. The issue was not allowing more than 20A breakers.

I think the key is the definitions of “dwelling” vs. “camping”. I can see the issue if we were living full-time in our trailer. As it was, we were staying there maybe 5 or 6 nights a month. I’d call that “camping”, but it’s apparently not a clear line.
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You dont want them to find that you are 'camping'. That requires a property zoned for a campground, a sewage disposal station, the works.

Cursory read of the Loudoun county zoning ordinance would allow you to place a single wide onto your property as a temporary dwelling if the main home cannot be occupied for some reason. It would still require approval of your sewage disposal plan by the sanitarian. Outside of the counties desire to avoid blight, this is all related to sewage disposal. They dont want to you dump your blackwater tank somewhere in the back of your property.

You still need to get inspections done by the same office. I would avoid going on a warpath over something where you are probably not going to prevail. Disconnect the trailer from utilities, remove all the landscaping features, walking paths etc. that make it look like you are planning to sleep there. If you have the truck around to pull it, move it to a storage lot before the next set of inspections is due. Once your 'barn' is done, put the trailer where you want it and nobody is going to hassle you for it.
 
Thanks.

We periodically tow to a nearby Petro gas station which has a $5 dump station.

We’re currently unhooked from anything. Our tow vehicle is actually at home in GA.

Yes, we’re trying not to poke the bear. But it’s still aggravating.

As an aside, when traveling we have often camped on friend’s property - never in a million years did we think there could be anything wrong with that.
 
As a further aside, there are online groups where you offer your property for camping, and in exchange you get access to others doing the same in exchange.

It just doesn’t seem to be a problem in most locales.
 
Roof's on!

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Stairwell getting some windows, mainly to look out into the hangar and for light.

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Crimson red siding will start going up next week, along with getting the bifold door working and the garage door and sliding glass doors installed.

Its amazing how many little decisions have to be made as we go along...placement of windows and doors, lights and switches and colors and the like. I guess some people plan all this out before construction begins, but our contractor says this kind of "play it by ear" is not that unusual.

Speaking of lights, we're going with LED shop lights in the garage area - 8 we think in the garage area. I'll start another thread on that so it doesn't get lost.
 
Blitzed up and back today.

Siding in progress!

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And bifold door controls:

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And lots and lots of wiring:

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To paraphrase our beloved president, "Nobody knew wiring could be so complicated."

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