5 ms·

So putting a shipping container in my yard should require a permit?

ChuckMcM 10y ago
"should" is perhaps the right question, however in California the answer is "does it?". I don't know if you live in California, but "permits" are the go to weapon of neighborhood activist groups to try to get what they want. Whether it is to prevent building, property use, or nuisances. My guess is that someone argued the container is a "building" (it has windows and a door after all), and every city requires that you get a permit before you put a building on your property. Whether it is a lowly garden shed or a guest house. Should neighbors be able to attack each other with the municipal code? That is a pretty deep question. Do they? Sure all the time.
jonathankoren 10y ago
Honestly? Maybe. Depends on how long it's there and what it's used for. It can negatively effect both my quality of life and my financial situation. You don't have a right to do that.
- icebraining 10y ago
  Sure we do. Simply driving an ICE car probably affects more the quality of life of other people than having a container sitting on a plot of land. Some negative effects are wrongful, but far from all.
  - gravypod 10y ago
    This must be a stupid question but what is an ICE car?
    - icebraining 10y ago
      Gas-powered (as opposed to electric cars).
      - gravypod 10y ago
        Ah internal combustion engine. I googled and got stuff like this [0] [0] - http://image.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width620/img/weather_impact/photo/19533188-mmmain.jpg http://image.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width620/img/weathe...
      - Hupriene 10y ago
        heh... I thought we were talking about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement car.
  - Gargoyle 10y ago
    Try driving your ICE car without a permit and the government will come down on you.
    - gravypod 10y ago
      To my knowledge there is absolutely no law on the books preventing someone from driving any automotive vehicle on private property in the united states. This was told to me by a US police officer who came in to talk to us about getting ready to drive. He said going to the mall or a football stadium on a Sunday is the perfect way to get practice. It just needed to be private property. Edit: To clarify this happened a few years ago when I was still in high school.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
  - jonathankoren 10y ago
    And that's why it's a maybe. If it's sitting there because you're moving or turning it into a tiny house, that's one thing. If it's abandoned and has become a den of heroin addicts and meth cooks, or full of trash then that's another.
verytrivial 10y ago
Just to be clear, you are arguing that all land, regardless of topology, existing use and zoning, and adjacent interest is equivalent, right?
- seizethecheese 10y ago
  Not at all, clearly building into the ground or adding stilts should require permit. In the pictures it looks like the container is on flat ground.
protomyth 10y ago
Should is up for debate, but many places require a permit for an RV or shed, so a shipping container probably does.
HarryHirsch 10y ago
This particular container is attracting vandalism where it sits, arguably a quality-of-life issue extending beyond the property line. Dunno about the general case. This particular case here gives no reason to argue that permits in general are a case of government overreach.

"should" is perhaps the right question, however in California the answer is "does it?". I don't know if you live in California, but "permits" are the go to weapon of neighborhood activist groups to try to get what they want. Whether it is to prevent building, property use, or nuisances. My guess is that someone argued the container is a "building" (it has windows and a door after all), and every city requires that you get a permit before you put a building on your property. Whether it is a lowly garden shed or a guest house. Should neighbors be able to attack each other with the municipal code? That is a pretty deep question. Do they? Sure all the time.

jonathankoren 10y ago

Honestly? Maybe. Depends on how long it's there and what it's used for. It can negatively effect both my quality of life and my financial situation. You don't have a right to do that.

icebraining 10y ago
Sure we do. Simply driving an ICE car probably affects more the quality of life of other people than having a container sitting on a plot of land. Some negative effects are wrongful, but far from all.
- gravypod 10y ago
  This must be a stupid question but what is an ICE car?
  - icebraining 10y ago
    Gas-powered (as opposed to electric cars).
    - gravypod 10y ago
      Ah internal combustion engine. I googled and got stuff like this [0] [0] - http://image.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width620/img/weather_impact/photo/19533188-mmmain.jpg http://image.syracuse.com/home/syr-media/width620/img/weathe...
    - Hupriene 10y ago
      heh... I thought we were talking about an Immigration and Customs Enforcement car.
- Gargoyle 10y ago
  Try driving your ICE car without a permit and the government will come down on you.
  - gravypod 10y ago
    To my knowledge there is absolutely no law on the books preventing someone from driving any automotive vehicle on private property in the united states. This was told to me by a US police officer who came in to talk to us about getting ready to drive. He said going to the mall or a football stadium on a Sunday is the perfect way to get practice. It just needed to be private property. Edit: To clarify this happened a few years ago when I was still in high school.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- jonathankoren 10y ago
  And that's why it's a maybe. If it's sitting there because you're moving or turning it into a tiny house, that's one thing. If it's abandoned and has become a den of heroin addicts and meth cooks, or full of trash then that's another.

verytrivial 10y ago

Just to be clear, you are arguing that all land, regardless of topology, existing use and zoning, and adjacent interest is equivalent, right?

seizethecheese 10y ago
Not at all, clearly building into the ground or adding stilts should require permit. In the pictures it looks like the container is on flat ground.

protomyth 10y ago

Should is up for debate, but many places require a permit for an RV or shed, so a shipping container probably does.

HarryHirsch 10y ago

This particular container is attracting vandalism where it sits, arguably a quality-of-life issue extending beyond the property line. Dunno about the general case. This particular case here gives no reason to argue that permits in general are a case of government overreach.