4 ms·
Tangentially related, but a colleague just got their replacement of kitchen cabinets shut down by the local government for not having a permit. It’s baffling to
by ashtonkem 6y ago
Tangentially related, but a colleague just got their replacement of kitchen cabinets shut down by the local government for not having a permit. It’s baffling to me that the government requires that you get permission to do significant modification to the inside of your own home, especially for non structural work.
- PakG1 6y agoWhat the heck? How would they even know? Neighbours reported seeing them carrying new cabinets in? The store reported it to the government? That's just weird.
- nitrogen 6y agoNeighbours reported seeing them carrying new cabinets in? Something like this actually happened to a former colleague of mine. They installed a safety rail on their front porch. Someone complained.
- jacobush 6y agoThat’s at least outdoors
- nitrogen 6y agoTrue, but children can run much faster than a permitting process. Maybe in the cabinetry case there was a giant van with a company logo parked out front. Either way, permits shouldn't be required for non-disruptive (and a van being in someone's driveway is not disruptive), non-structural changes to a house.
- ashtonkem 6y agoHe gave the old cabinets away on Craigslist. Must’ve seen the posting and cross checked it against permits. I’m aware that zoning and permitting laws have been an issue for a while (like a lot of Millenials I haven’t been able to afford to buy a home), but it does feel a bit authoritarian for the local permitting office to look for signs of “black market” modifications to one’s own property.
- eecc 6y agoWhere did that happen?
- ashtonkem 6y agoWest LA, but after relaying this story to my family in the midwest I found out that my sister in law had to get permits to replace internal drywall. It seems like lots of local governments think they should have their nose in how one modifies one’s own property.
- Gibbon1 6y agoWelcome to home ownership. Location everywhere. Most places like not places like Oakland, Berkeley and Santa Cruz County, this sort of thing depends on the neighbors. It's inane what neighbors will go running to the city for. Or not. Friend of mine in the east bay completely gutted and remodeled his house no problem. In San Jose neighbors complained to the city about a disused dishwasher in my garage.