28 ms·

Soylent CEO charged over illegal, 'unsightly' container home

39 points by pgroves 10y ago

jrs235 10y ago
Yes, paywall. Go to google and search for this: "Soylent CEO charged over illegal, 'unsightly' container home in Montecito Heights" or try going to https://www.google.com/#q=%22Soylent+CEO+charged+over+illegal%2C+%27unsightly%27+container+home+in+Montecito+Heights%22 https://www.google.com/#q=%22Soylent+CEO+charged+over+illega... then view first result. EDIT: I just learned about the 'web' link under the title. Clicking that will take you to google with the same link I mentioned above.
- nickff 10y ago
  Please don't comment on the paywall.[1] The "web" link under the title on the discussion page does exactly the same thing your search link does; there is no need to 'Google' things for the rest of us. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
  - lucb1e 10y ago
    re:[1], I can't find anything regarding "pay", "wall" or "paid" on that page. What exactly are you referring to?
    - nickff 10y ago
      The paywall issue has been discussed a number of times, and dang has ruled that paywalls should not be discussed in comments. I believe that the relevant rule is: "Please don't submit comments complaining that a submission is inappropriate for the site. If you think a story is spam or off-topic, flag it by clicking on its 'flag' link. If you think a comment is egregious, click on its timestamp to go to its page, then click 'flag' at the top. (Not all users see flag links; there's a small karma threshold.)"
      - deleted 10y ago
        [deleted]
      - jrs235 10y ago
        For the record, I was not complaining about there being a paywall, just informing others that there was one. And for the record here are dang's comments pertaining to paywalls: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989 "It's ok to ask how to read an article or to help other users by sharing a workaround. But please do this without going on about paywalls." Sorry I wasn't aware of the new 'web' link feature.
        PeCaN 10y ago
        It's really not a particularly new feature, and I swear its existence pops up every time a paywalled article is posted. Lurk more?
  - jrs235 10y ago
    I was unaware of the new 'web' link feature. "The "web" link under the title on the discussion page does exactly the same thing your search link does" would have been sufficient. The second half of your comment comes off as snarky.
SurrealSoul 10y ago
So why is an “experimental living facility” illegal? I would assume fire hazards, but I know nothing of real estate
- toomuchtodo 10y ago
  Local municipality code of ordinances. Land ownership does not convey unlimited rights.
- dragontamer 10y ago
  Apparently, they're worried that the unsecured container would roll down the hill in the case of an earthquake.
- thatcat 10y ago
  “Unpermitted structures pose a safety risk,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement. “They also can be unsightly and erode the quality of life in a neighborhood.” Basically, there are building and lot codes that are in place to protect neighboring real estate values against urban blight or non conformance to community standards.
- LA_Banker 10y ago
  If you pay $750k for a home and someone buys the highest parcel in the neighborhood (which used to be open park land), and puts up a shipping container that gets graffiti'd, your real estate value is going to take a hit. The neighborhood is now uglier, has less aesthetic quality, and is potentially endangered in case of earthquake. Many cities have ordinances such that someone can't buy a lot in a neighborhood and turn it into a landfill such that everyone's property values suffer.
- WorldMaker 10y ago
  Cities have a complex web of zoning laws and construction permits for many, many reasons. Some of them are indeed health and safety related (fire codes, sewage transport to avoid disease outbreaks, making sure an industrial plant isn't manufacturing dangerous substances close to people's homes); some of them are aesthetic (making sure the neighborhood keeps a certain appeal); others are record keeping for future archival needs and dispute resolution (filed plans can be used years later to check the history of a property or verify the layout of it). A city is a community that wants to protect community interests like not spreading disease and not irritating every single neighbor you have and keeping the continuity information of ownership and property history.
arcanus 10y ago
He lives in a box container and (presumably) only consumes a substance that provides all the essential calories and macro-nutrients he needs... He is consistent, I will give him that. Hard to say that is the path I would want my life to follow. Sounds like a remarkably boring existence.
- Jtsummers 10y ago
  Assuming that's all he eats, I agree that aspect is boring. Regarding the container home: I'm not sure it's totally boring. These things are often about the size of a typical mobile or modular home. It's more like they've repurposed the space. It could be well-done on the inside (no pictures, can't say in his case). And you could (with proper permits) place them in a lot of interesting locales.
  - rexaliquid 10y ago
    Well, it's not all he eats. Just for routine meals. He treats regular food as a treat or experience to spend your entertainment budget (of both time and money) on.
- saturdaysaint 10y ago
  Well, he owns some property with a box container on it. From his Instagram, it looks like it was more of a novelty hangout than an actual house.
- pauljaworski 10y ago
  As far as I can tell, he has never actually "lived" there.
- antisthenes 10y ago
  > Sounds like a remarkably boring existence. Eating is a boring activity. I would even take it a step further than soylent and like to be injected with all the required nutrients once, daily. If you take into account how much time goes into buying, preparing, eating and cleaning up food, the picture becomes much rosier for something like soylent. If you cut out all those activities, you would save literally years of your life for activities that are actually fun.
Jtsummers 10y ago
Talk of it being unsightly is useless without pictures. Which this article lacked. http://la.curbed.com/2016/7/21/12245620/soylent-illegal-shipping-container-home-lincoln-heights http://la.curbed.com/2016/7/21/12245620/soylent-illegal-ship... Has some pictures of what they're talking about with respect to graffiti and trash.
- zzalpha 10y ago
  Wow, they're not wrong to complain... the least he could do is dress it up a little. Maybe a rusted out car on blocks and tires strewn about. An old washing machine would definitely add character. Or, say, a couple coils of chicken wire and a stray dog...
- nickff 10y ago
  So the neighbors trespass, and find that someone is keeping garbage inside their private structure? Good thing they don't look in my home, I have garbage too! It's also a bit funny that they say they did everything they could to keep the land clear, when he bought it for $21300; they could very easily have bought the land from or instead of him, as they did for the $1.4MM parcel.
  - Jtsummers 10y ago
    > He has encouraged neighbors to continue using the land for walks and runs, writing, "I would love to meet you and discuss the project." He invited them onto the property. The property has been damaged (presumably not be those complaining, but the conspiracy minded will come up with something I'm sure): > Rhinehart bought the parcel of land beneath the shipping container at auction in December for $21,300, property records show. Since then, neighbors say the container's glass windows have since been smashed and the entire unit has been extensively tagged with graffiti. He isn't maintaining it. He isn't securing it. I do agree that the community ought to have considered buying it. But he bought it and he's poorly administered his property, to the point now of apparent negligence and potential criminal wrongdoing ("criminal", not sure I agree with that, seems like it should be a civil thing to be me, but they are criminal charges that have been brought up).
Thetawaves 10y ago
Dude would be right at home up here in Alaska.
Hilyin 10y ago
Mayyybe he shouldn't have chosen bright red.
- 31reasons 10y ago
  He could have made it much nicer to look at and live. Like these houses. https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/surprisingly-gorgeous-homes-made-from-shipping-containers?utm_term=.bbOyqGp6z#.dimdNVvPL https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/surprisingly-gorgeou...
detaro 10y ago
dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12151004 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12151004
- jonnybgood 10y ago
  Not dupe. That thread is about the possibility of being charged. This thread is about him now being charged.
  - detaro 10y ago
    IMHO that's a trivial detail that doesn't really change the discussion or topic (but I don't really get why this attracts so much discussion at all, so maybe I was to quick about that)
zekevermillion 10y ago
Complaint says he didn't have a permit. Where I live, we aren't even supposed to install a toilet without a permit. Want to cut down a tree in your own back yard? Permit from the "tree committee". Put up a sign in front of your home or business? Multiple permits from zoning and building committees. Thus it does not surprise me that some process is required prior to dropping a live-in shipping container in a major urban area.
mmagin 10y ago
"Disruptive innovation"

39 points by pgroves 10y ago

Yes, paywall. Go to google and search for this: "Soylent CEO charged over illegal, 'unsightly' container home in Montecito Heights" or try going to https://www.google.com/#q=%22Soylent+CEO+charged+over+illegal%2C+%27unsightly%27+container+home+in+Montecito+Heights%22 https://www.google.com/#q=%22Soylent+CEO+charged+over+illega... then view first result. EDIT: I just learned about the 'web' link under the title. Clicking that will take you to google with the same link I mentioned above.

nickff 10y ago
Please don't comment on the paywall.[1] The "web" link under the title on the discussion page does exactly the same thing your search link does; there is no need to 'Google' things for the rest of us. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- lucb1e 10y ago
  re:[1], I can't find anything regarding "pay", "wall" or "paid" on that page. What exactly are you referring to?
  - nickff 10y ago
    The paywall issue has been discussed a number of times, and dang has ruled that paywalls should not be discussed in comments. I believe that the relevant rule is: "Please don't submit comments complaining that a submission is inappropriate for the site. If you think a story is spam or off-topic, flag it by clicking on its 'flag' link. If you think a comment is egregious, click on its timestamp to go to its page, then click 'flag' at the top. (Not all users see flag links; there's a small karma threshold.)"
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    - jrs235 10y ago
      For the record, I was not complaining about there being a paywall, just informing others that there was one. And for the record here are dang's comments pertaining to paywalls: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10178989 "It's ok to ask how to read an article or to help other users by sharing a workaround. But please do this without going on about paywalls." Sorry I wasn't aware of the new 'web' link feature.
      - PeCaN 10y ago
        It's really not a particularly new feature, and I swear its existence pops up every time a paywalled article is posted. Lurk more?
- jrs235 10y ago
  I was unaware of the new 'web' link feature. "The "web" link under the title on the discussion page does exactly the same thing your search link does" would have been sufficient. The second half of your comment comes off as snarky.

SurrealSoul 10y ago

So why is an “experimental living facility” illegal? I would assume fire hazards, but I know nothing of real estate

toomuchtodo 10y ago
Local municipality code of ordinances. Land ownership does not convey unlimited rights.
dragontamer 10y ago
Apparently, they're worried that the unsecured container would roll down the hill in the case of an earthquake.
thatcat 10y ago
“Unpermitted structures pose a safety risk,” City Attorney Mike Feuer said in a statement. “They also can be unsightly and erode the quality of life in a neighborhood.” Basically, there are building and lot codes that are in place to protect neighboring real estate values against urban blight or non conformance to community standards.
LA_Banker 10y ago
If you pay $750k for a home and someone buys the highest parcel in the neighborhood (which used to be open park land), and puts up a shipping container that gets graffiti'd, your real estate value is going to take a hit. The neighborhood is now uglier, has less aesthetic quality, and is potentially endangered in case of earthquake. Many cities have ordinances such that someone can't buy a lot in a neighborhood and turn it into a landfill such that everyone's property values suffer.
WorldMaker 10y ago
Cities have a complex web of zoning laws and construction permits for many, many reasons. Some of them are indeed health and safety related (fire codes, sewage transport to avoid disease outbreaks, making sure an industrial plant isn't manufacturing dangerous substances close to people's homes); some of them are aesthetic (making sure the neighborhood keeps a certain appeal); others are record keeping for future archival needs and dispute resolution (filed plans can be used years later to check the history of a property or verify the layout of it). A city is a community that wants to protect community interests like not spreading disease and not irritating every single neighbor you have and keeping the continuity information of ownership and property history.

arcanus 10y ago

He lives in a box container and (presumably) only consumes a substance that provides all the essential calories and macro-nutrients he needs... He is consistent, I will give him that. Hard to say that is the path I would want my life to follow. Sounds like a remarkably boring existence.

Jtsummers 10y ago
Assuming that's all he eats, I agree that aspect is boring. Regarding the container home: I'm not sure it's totally boring. These things are often about the size of a typical mobile or modular home. It's more like they've repurposed the space. It could be well-done on the inside (no pictures, can't say in his case). And you could (with proper permits) place them in a lot of interesting locales.
- rexaliquid 10y ago
  Well, it's not all he eats. Just for routine meals. He treats regular food as a treat or experience to spend your entertainment budget (of both time and money) on.
saturdaysaint 10y ago
Well, he owns some property with a box container on it. From his Instagram, it looks like it was more of a novelty hangout than an actual house.
pauljaworski 10y ago
As far as I can tell, he has never actually "lived" there.
antisthenes 10y ago
> Sounds like a remarkably boring existence. Eating is a boring activity. I would even take it a step further than soylent and like to be injected with all the required nutrients once, daily. If you take into account how much time goes into buying, preparing, eating and cleaning up food, the picture becomes much rosier for something like soylent. If you cut out all those activities, you would save literally years of your life for activities that are actually fun.

Jtsummers 10y ago

Talk of it being unsightly is useless without pictures. Which this article lacked. http://la.curbed.com/2016/7/21/12245620/soylent-illegal-shipping-container-home-lincoln-heights http://la.curbed.com/2016/7/21/12245620/soylent-illegal-ship... Has some pictures of what they're talking about with respect to graffiti and trash.

zzalpha 10y ago
Wow, they're not wrong to complain... the least he could do is dress it up a little. Maybe a rusted out car on blocks and tires strewn about. An old washing machine would definitely add character. Or, say, a couple coils of chicken wire and a stray dog...
nickff 10y ago
So the neighbors trespass, and find that someone is keeping garbage inside their private structure? Good thing they don't look in my home, I have garbage too! It's also a bit funny that they say they did everything they could to keep the land clear, when he bought it for $21300; they could very easily have bought the land from or instead of him, as they did for the $1.4MM parcel.
- Jtsummers 10y ago
  > He has encouraged neighbors to continue using the land for walks and runs, writing, "I would love to meet you and discuss the project." He invited them onto the property. The property has been damaged (presumably not be those complaining, but the conspiracy minded will come up with something I'm sure): > Rhinehart bought the parcel of land beneath the shipping container at auction in December for $21,300, property records show. Since then, neighbors say the container's glass windows have since been smashed and the entire unit has been extensively tagged with graffiti. He isn't maintaining it. He isn't securing it. I do agree that the community ought to have considered buying it. But he bought it and he's poorly administered his property, to the point now of apparent negligence and potential criminal wrongdoing ("criminal", not sure I agree with that, seems like it should be a civil thing to be me, but they are criminal charges that have been brought up).

Thetawaves 10y ago

Dude would be right at home up here in Alaska.

Hilyin 10y ago

Mayyybe he shouldn't have chosen bright red.

31reasons 10y ago
He could have made it much nicer to look at and live. Like these houses. https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/surprisingly-gorgeous-homes-made-from-shipping-containers?utm_term=.bbOyqGp6z#.dimdNVvPL https://www.buzzfeed.com/kristinchirico/surprisingly-gorgeou...

detaro 10y ago

dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12151004 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12151004

jonnybgood 10y ago
Not dupe. That thread is about the possibility of being charged. This thread is about him now being charged.
- detaro 10y ago
  IMHO that's a trivial detail that doesn't really change the discussion or topic (but I don't really get why this attracts so much discussion at all, so maybe I was to quick about that)

zekevermillion 10y ago

Complaint says he didn't have a permit. Where I live, we aren't even supposed to install a toilet without a permit. Want to cut down a tree in your own back yard? Permit from the "tree committee". Put up a sign in front of your home or business? Multiple permits from zoning and building committees. Thus it does not surprise me that some process is required prior to dropping a live-in shipping container in a major urban area.

mmagin 10y ago

"Disruptive innovation"