[eXpat]

So much for sustainability
Avondale condemns home: Solar, batteries insufficient
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')n Avondale woman who spent 11 days sleeping in her car said the city treated her unfairly when her home was condemned in December for lack of electricity.

But city officials said Christine Stevens violated building codes, a health and safety concern because Avondale homes are required to have heating systems and a running refrigerator.
Stevens, 47, was trying to make ends meet by powering her home with solar panels and batteries for several months before Avondale code enforcement officials visited her on Dec. 10.

"We explained to her that the panels weren't enough to sustain a quality of life there," said Pam Altounian, code enforcement manager for Avondale.

Stevens said she was not given adequate notice before officials gave her 24 hours to contact Arizona Public Service Co. to reconnect electricity or her home would be condemned.
...
Avondale officials said Stevens was in violation of the city's building codes. The city requires homes to have enough electricity to power a refrigerator, cool a residence to no higher than 88 degrees and heat a residence to at least 68 degrees.

Stevens told The Republic that six solar panels and eight batteries in her home provided light and powered either a computer or a television for three bedrooms.

Stevens used an ice box for food and in September began to power a refrigerator with assistance from neighbors, who allowed her to run an extension-cord between the two homes.

She did not power heating or cooling systems, but said that she managed without them by using her pool in the summer and sweaters in the cooler months.

[rangerone314]

The world needs less micro-managing "officials".

[Novus]

She should become a squater in her home rather than live in her car.

[Jotapay]

Link? Where is Avondale? This is completely outrageous.

[MD]

Another misleading title. She wasn't evicted for using solar power. She was evicted for not having enough power to meet code requirements. Read the article and you'll see that she made numerous mistakes. This isn't anywhere close to an attack on those trying to live off grid.

[anador]

Still the code requirement itself is a little ludicrous.

America, where you are free to do as we tell you

Not to mention, who tattled on code enforcement?

If you do it right, they would never find out.

[eXpat]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', 'L')ink? Where is Avondale? This is completely outrageous.

[MD]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eXpat', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', 'L')ink? Where is Avondale? This is completely outrageous.

[rangerone314]

IMHO, she should be able to build a frickin log cabin and live in it if she chooses.

If she wants to be cold, that is her choice.

Maybe the officials should also dictate how many squares of toilet paper an adult is allowed to wipe their butt with.

[Jotapay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MD', 'B')ullcrap. She didn't have enough power to satisfy the building codes.

[Jotapay]

Remember, we PAY these "public servants" with our tax dollars to enforce this tyranny on us. There are actually thousands of people who have nothing better to do in their jobs than look for people like this poor woman and to drive them from their homes. All with our tax dollars.

[eXpat]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', 'I')Maybe the officials should also dictate how many squares of toilet paper an adult is allowed to wipe their butt with.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jotapay', 'R')emember, we PAY these "public servants" with our tax dollars to enforce this tyranny on us. There are actually thousands of people who have nothing better to do in their jobs than look for people like this poor woman and to drive them from their homes. All with our tax dollars.

[eastbay]

Many laws and regulations are simply not enforced in the greater interest of common sense. This is one more that should be ignored.

[MD]

Ignore what?

This post was presented as this was an attack on sustainability. "so much for sustainability"

This woman was doing nothing sustainable. She was obviously in trouble, stealing power, busted for it, runnign extension cords across the lawn, the place was obviously falling apart, because the neighbors were calling.

This whole event has NOTHING to do with attacking sustainability or preventing people from going off grid, and to characterize it as such or presenting is as such is just...stupid.

Good grief people.

And no, I'm no more in favor o fnanny state activities than any of you, but seriously;y...post something real and stop twisting tales to fit your desires!

[eastbay]

Ignore the city code. Many of them are routinely ignored as well as countless state and federal laws and statutes too. Everyone knows this.

This woman most likely came to the inspectors attention (maybe she talked about it to the wrong person?) and for some reason the inspector felt forced to act.

But I agree, we can't have electric wires strung all over town like we see in India. Some order is needed. However, if she had quietly gone about her business telling no one about it, she could have slipped under the radar for a very long time, as many others no doubt wisely do.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('eastbay', 'I')gnore the city code. Many of them are routinely ignored as well as countless state and federal laws and statutes too. Everyone knows this.

This woman most likely came to the inspectors attention (maybe she talked about it to the wrong person?) and for some reason the inspector felt forced to act.

[MarkJ]

In some local cities, the fire departments and law enforcement cruise the streets looking for blight, parking, safety and code violations, unlicensed contractors and people performing work without plans, permits, inspections etc.

Licensed contractors are also on the lookout for for unlicensed contractors and work being performed without plans, permits or inspections, so they'll often report homeowners, handymen and trunk-slammers performing home improvements.

When they investigate reports of blight code violations (as in this case), or issue warnings or tickets for blight related violations, other safety and code violations are often discovered. Upon investigation they may discover the residents have no electric, heat or water, so they'll be forced to leave.

In high population density urban areas, neighbors often report other neighbors for code, safety, blight and occupancy violations and/or suspected interior home improvement work.


Many of the homeowners in HOA controlled developments tend to attract extremely fussy residents that will report neighbors for the most minor of violations, so it would be hard to live without sufficient power, or expect them to ignore blight and safety issues.



If someone wants to do something illegal, they need to be smart enough not to draw attention to themselves. That means keeping the lights on, keeping the water on, keeping the heat on, mowing the lawn, clearing sidewalks and driveways of snow, picking up garbage, getting rid of unregistered vehicles, keeping noise levels down etc.


When residents have their power turned off, the lack of light and occupants using candles, lanterns and flashlights causes neighbors to call police.

[rangerone314]

Yet another great reason for my developing a nearly 360-degree hedge-encirclement of roses (6 feet thick to physically keep people from trespassing) and green giant thuja evergreens (9 feet thick that block viewing my property)

It will be even better when I put up a camoflaged metal gate at the driveway and conceal the front portion of the driveway.

I look at it like the REVERSE of a zoo, to keep the fur-challenged primates out.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MarkJ', '
')If someone wants to do something illegal, they need to be smart enough not to draw attention to themselves. That means keeping the lights on, keeping the water on, keeping the heat on, mowing the lawn, clearing sidewalks and driveways of snow, picking up garbage, getting rid of unregistered vehicles, keeping noise levels down etc.