|
|
A Community Surrounds Us:In 1968 and into the 70's, there were no nearby neighbors in sight of our home. The closest was Ole Johnson over the rise west of us, and I never met him. When we returned in 2001, that had changed. That was okay; we got along with our new neighbors. For the most part, they kept to themselves. Where some of their renters did impose, we dealt with it and let it go.Then that neighborly arrangement changed. Eileen had returned east. The new partner of a neighbor got nasty, in cahoots with another even newer self-righteous minion and renter. Suddenly these self-proclaimed victims were running around the neighborhood bad-mouthing me. Then I began hearing about it from friends that thought it strange. I will stop there. I like to keep my writings, and myself, on an upbeat note, so I will say no more about them. Also perhaps I am totally off base as to their malicious un-neighborly behavior. However, it is something of a sad reality that there are people that will move into an established neighborhood and then try to change the place to their own liking. I generally learn to avoid such people, though sometimes too late. I feel sorry for their partners whom of course would have met the same fate. She called the building department and complained about our place. The department then had to respond. There are a lot of us in the area, people who have been doing their own thing on their own property, and minding their own business, often since before there was a real building department. I suspect that unofficially the department just prefers to look the other way. Over the years, plenty of building inspectors had to have seen our place as they inspected other works in progress. Over the decades of creating a home and improving it little by little, it was always somewhere in the back of my mind, that I need to check into how I can make the place legal. But I had no clue. Because of the very limited space in that corner, I suspected that everything was too close to a property lines. 
The reason for that setback requirement is to make room for emergency and utility, etc. vehicles to get by. So technically that is not a problem; the wide wash on one side and our wide driveway on the other leave plenty of room for that.All of our structures are elevated on solid concrete footings that go down to bedrock, so that is technically legit also. I have noticed that we are on an ancient tortoise path so I try to make sure that they can always get through. In April, Eileen called to say that we had received a notice from Code Enforcement. Our official address is back east which is why it went to her. It said that since there were no permits on record, all structures must be torn down and removed from the property. If we didn't do it, then they would and we would have to foot the bill. I lost a good night's sleep. 
Coincidentally, I think, at about the same time, on April 20, our neighbor up the north-side hill, Jeff Greene, came by on his tractor looking for work. I couldn't give him any, but I told him about the situation with our neighbor. He is another creative loner who would just as soon people leave us alone. However, he has no problem going into battle. This was just before Eileen called me about the letter.As It Was Happening:From: Van to Jeff Monday, April 20, 2015 4:37 PM Hi Jeff, Just got a call from my wife in MA saying that I got a letter from Code Enforcement. From: Van to Eileen Tuesday, April 21, 2015 It is after 9:00 AM so I am about to call 909 884-4056 about case #CZ01400506. As my head clears and I begin to remember things, I never really thought I needed a permit because both sheds are smaller than 8x12. Maybe I should have checked on the stairs. Maybe the deck. We will see. ____________ On Tuesday, the 21st at 9:45 AM, I called the number and spoke with the code enforcement officer. She was very nice; not at all like the tone of the letter. I asked her what I need to do to make our place legal. She explained and also agreed to send me instructions by email. The following are the pertinent portions of her email: As discussed, a primary use, such as a residence, must be established prior to accessory buildings and/or storage. San Bernardino County does not allow for occupancy of a travel trailer, unless there is an active permit for construction of a residence AND a Temporary Use Permit is obtained. … contact San Bernardino County Building and Safety Division ... Wednesdays only from 8-12 and 1-5. Obtain a One Time Inspection Permit and complete the inspection ... prior to 07/21/2015. … Theresa Krallis Land Use Services – Code Enforcement Division Code Enforcement Officer II Phone: 760-995-8140 | Fax: 760-995-8167 www.SBCounty.gov ____________ From: Eileen to Van 1:56 I will say some prayers that the buildings can be adjusted to code or added to the trailer to make a bigger house. Sleep easy and let me know tomorrow. xo From: Van to Eileen 6:56 PM The latter, which you described in your phone message, is a very good idea. After crossing the deck, that hallway could replace the existing attached box trailer where you then turn to enter the utility house/office. I could move the box trailer to the rear of the wash. 
From: Eileen to Van7:50 PM You could have the front door going from the deck into the hallway and a back door to go to the outdoor shower. Oh, I see you would go out the office door as the back door. ____________ At 8 AM the next morning, I was at the County building in Joshua Tree arranging a "One Time Inspection - Legalize Structure Permit". I paid them $92.75. Their system included our address and the following description of the property: Lot dimensions: 663 x 663 Existing Use: Non-permitted trailer Latitude: 34.106003059 Longitude: -116.295203358 10 acres = 435,600 square feet. The square root of 435,600 = 660 (660 x 660). So the county is giving us another 63 square feet. Cool. ____________ From: Eileen to Van Wednesday, April 22, 2015 1:47 PM Are you saying he did not come today and will come Friday? And if so why? From: Van to Eileen 6:09 PM Correct. I am grateful that he is coming that soon. From: Jeff Greene to Van Thursday, April 23, 2015 5:49 PM I have spoken with the county and I will be at the meeting tomorrow with Sergio. We will be having lunch together afterwards and you are welcome to join us. From: Van to Jeff 10:48 PM Thanks for the offer Jeff, but if you are talking about Sergio coming to inspect our place, then I definitely do not want anybody else around. I have met Sergio and I can see that he is a good man and that he will do all he can to help me work this out. Neither one of us need a referee or guidance. I have to focus very carefully on what he has to say and I am incapable of doing so if anybody else is also speaking. Do not take this as rejection; it is just how my mind works - or does not, if anybody else is around - been that way all my life. For various reasons, I cannot join you for lunch, but Eileen and I will be happy to join you for dinner after we return probably early November. From: Eileen to Van Friday, April 24, 2015 2:41 AM Maybe Sergio likes to go in twos just in case he has trouble with the landowners. These inspectors are not well liked coming on to your property and telling you what you can and cannot do. Sergio does not know you and this could be just a protective act. He does not know that you are a sweet gentle loving peaceful man. Jeff seems also to want to get involved. Keeping a low profile and being aware can not do you any harm but only sharpen your insight. Will be waiting to hear from you and pray and hope he will go easy. Love you. From: Van to Eileen 2:52 PM Typing a reply to your previous right now. Will take awhile because I have to think about what was said. They are not going to tear down the place. Will call this evening. From: Van to Eileen 3:27 PM Sergio just left, on his way to his next appointment. He said I would have to get a $400 TUP (Temporary Use Permit) just to live in the trailer. I think I can do that when we return. When we got to talking about set-backs and I told him that everything is too close to the property line, he stopped. He cannot proceed until we apply for a variance to build where all lines are too close. There is even a hillside set-back; you cannot be too close to a hillside. What I have to do immediately is hire a surveyor to draw up a Plot Plan that shows where everything is relative to the property line, and to the hillside, which he said surveyors don't like to do, so I will have to insist. He had parked on the neighbor's 3rd driveway, and asked if that was okay. I mentioned that the driveway is what started this whole thing, because I asked them to remove it. He said "Third driveway??". I said "Yes, they have 3 apartments". He seemed to find that disturbing. Don't know why. I noticed that he stopped in front of their place on the way out and appeared to be taking notes. That is all I can think of for now. Going for my nap, and then back to work on the deck up top. He commented that he really liked the staircase. On Wednesday, I had provided photos of the place, which included the staircase. He saw it in the distance and used it to find his way here. From: Van to Sergio 6:53 PM Hi Sergio, re: B201502839 Permit Inspection. Good meeting you today. Hope we can get this all worked out. Van Blakeman 8:39 PM Voicemail from: (760) 365-6200 at 5:37 PM Google Voice "Yes Van, My name is Joe with Southwest Surveying. Yes, I can do a plot map for you; no problem with that, but I need to know what kind of plot map you are going to need and what you are trying to achieve with the County of San Bernardino. Please give me a call. Thank you." From: Van to Joe Willard Monday, April 27, 2015 4:54 PM Hi Joe, Ignore today's phone message - email is better for me. Did you come by today? 
From: Joe to Van9:44 PM Van, I had to go to Barstow so I was unable to go by your property today. I will be there tomorrow in the afternoon. Southwest Surveying, Inc. Joseph R. Willard PLS PLS 7037 From: Van to Jeff, cc Joe April 28, 2015 9:56 PM Hi Jeff, I've got a good man who is going to survey the place. His name is Joseph Willard and he is with Southwest Surveying. His email is joe[At]southwestsurveying .com. I noticed the new surveyor stake at our common corner a few years ago and guessed that it had been contracted by you. If that is correct, then Joseph would very much like to have a copy of the document and I would be happy to pay for your trouble. I realize that it could have been done by Rick & Carol Hiestand, south of you, (formerly owned by a Mayo) or it could have been done by someone North and East of you who in 2001 was Duffield/Blakeslee. A copy of this is going to Joseph, so I will add that Walter Barker owns the land east of me, whom I meant a few years ago, also a good man. He also owns the land south of the Quail Springs and Rincon corner which is leased out as a horse farm. Shaw/Shaw/Walden owned the land south of me in 2001. Tom Atherton owns the 2.5 acre parcel west of me, south of Hiestand, who is also west of me. I compiled this info in 2001 from the San Bernardino county web site onto this web page which is a USGS topographical relief map with property borders and names sketched in. After that all of this data became unavailable on the county site. Also you will see my page referring to a Minosa Rd, which is now known as Wagon Wheel. My parcel description is SE 1/4 NE 1/4 NW 1/4 SEC 7 TP 1S R 7E 10 AC Thanks, Van Blakeman From: Van to Joe, cc: Eileen 10:29 PM Hi Joseph, Just sent you a copy of my email to Jeff Green. Click on any gallery pic in these pages to get its full screen version:
From: Jeff to Van May 01, 2015 3:21 PM Hello Van, I don't remember who ordered the survey. It may have been the successor to Blakeslee. It may have been Jack Kennedy. I got a bunch of my corners determined by that. Wally sold the 80 acres East of you and they have been building an ambitious home. Regards, Jeff Greene From: Van to Joe May 02, 2015 6:26 PM Joseph, Nolte did a survey a couple lots south on or before 2009. Van From: Van to Joe May 04, 2015 12:57 PM Joseph, Did you talk to Sergio? Did he seem okay with our plans? 
Since the setback problem only concerns the very small SW lot of my property, do you really have to physically survey and plot the North and East boundaries?I have attached two pictures that should help you access the NW marker from the town of JT park west of my land. Somebody dumped a pile of dirt in the road to the park. ATVs have been going around it, so I think your truck should have no problem. If so, then you can drive all the way to the leveled area just under the 15 minute gradual climb to my corner. Van From: Van to Eileen May 08, 2015 9:23 AM I was going to be working at the top of the stairs this morning. Woke up to rain. Oh shit! Climbed the steps two at a time, put my tools into buckets and brought them down. 45 degrees. Snow in the hills. Going for breakfast. 
From: Eileen to Van 3:41 PM Time to pack up anyway. Warmer here. See you tomorrow. x ____________ And So It Continues:September 5, 2015:I never heard from Joe, nor Sergio or anybody else regarding my application for a permit. So I pretty much just let it go, deciding to wait until we get there in the fall to deal with it. Then on July 23, 2015 the County sent me a: Property Owner's Statement Of New Construction. Permit No. B201502839 Permit Issued For Inspection - Legalize Structure Our records indicate that a building permit was issued on the above parcel for the above noted reason. We are requesting the information herein contained to assist in the proper valuation of your property. ... Special Instructions: Please Check appropriate items relating to your new construction. … Description Of Work: Total Cost of Project: $________ … … … Diagram Of New Construction: _______________________________________ | | |_______________________ ______ _____________ _________________ Signature of Owner/Agent Date Cost of Project Date of Completion … If I am reading this correctly, I do believe that this is saying that we got our permit. Without the survey and plot map. Without applying for a set-back variance. These may come later. I had spent over 40 years thinking that might never happen. And now maybe it has. Basically, I think the purpose of this document is for them to see how much they can raise our taxes. That is fine with me. I filled in the blanks and sketched our vague thoughts into a diagram and returned it to them on August 5. So I am calmly waiting anxiously to see what else develops. (Looks like my nasty neighbor did me a favor.) This appears to be coming together nicely. ____________ FYI:
Then on September 14, I received two identical NOTICE OF VIOLATION letters, one by registered mail, from the County of San Bernardino Land Use Services Department CODE ENFORCEMENT. It was dated 09/10/2015 and had a Case No. It said that "A complaint/investigation of your premises was made on 09/3/2015 … There are no permits or approvals for any of the structures … Failure to address the violation(s) within 30 days … call (909) 884-4056." This would be the suspected inspector that my cameras had captured on the 3rd. It was signed by officer Sharon Wild, not the Theresa Krallis that I had worked with in April. I called and left a message with the woman that answers the phones. She has been very helpful, friendly and concerned, but she doesn't know anything. This is the only person that I have actually spoken with, which is good because I am almost totally unable to recall anything that anybody has said to me, on the phone or in person. That is why I love computers and love email. I can go back to them at any time and see what I said and what they said. Apparently the code officers feel the same way. From: Sharon Wild to Van September 17, 2015 5:45 PM Re: Code Enforcement C201400506 Good afternoon Mr. Blakeman, Thank you for contacting me regarding the permit requirements. In research of your property, I did observe that you obtained the One Time Inspection permit (B201502839), and you had an inspection from Building and Safety. However, you were directed by Building and Safety to obtain the actual permits for the structures on the property. As of this date, there are no records of the actual permits for the structures or for the land use. That is the reason for the notice of violation. You must contact Building and Safety and obtain all required permits for all of the structures and for the occupied recreational vehicle/travel trailer. You can contact Sergio Leyva (Building Inspector) if you have any questions on what you need to provide. Thank you again for contacting me, Respectfully, Sharon Wild Land Use Services, Code Enforcement Code Enforcement Officer Phone: 760.995.8140 | Fax: 760.995.8167 www.SBCounty.gov From: Van to Sharon Wild September 17, 2015 11:13 PM Re: Code Enforcement C201400506 Yes, we had thought that maybe the tax assessor's form that arrived in July might be indicating that our permit to proceed with construction had been approved. Then your notice arrived, which was a surprise. We were working with a local surveyor, Joseph Willard, before and after I left there in May, but he suddenly ceased contact. Don't know why. So our plan was to visit Sergio on our return in November and find out what we should do next. Did your recent notice result from our neighbor complaining again, or was it because something had timed out? Thank you, Van & Eileen Blakeman From: Sharon Wild to Van September 21, 2015 11:48 AM Re: Code Enforcement C201400506 Good morning! Thank you for the information regarding your previous work to obtain permits. Because you are currently out of the state, and you may need to communicate with Building and Safety in person to submit documentation, I can grant an extension for your permit requirements. However, you will need to communicate with Building and Safety as soon as you return to Joshua Tree. I mailed the notice based on a change of officer reassignment (the previous officer has been relocated to another code enforcement division) and I was assigned this case. I observed the property, followed up with Building and Safety, and then mailed the notice. Please keep me posted on your steps to obtain all required permits. Please remember that you must also have a temporary use permit to occupy the recreational vehicle, and that will only be issued with the other required permits. You can contact Sergio Leyva by phone to see if you can get started with any research prior to your return. You can leave a message for him at 760-995-8140, click the Building and Safety prompt. Please reference your one time inspection case B201502839. Thank you again. I look forward to hearing from you. Respectfully, Sharon Wild From: Van to Sharon Wild September 21, 2015 5:43 PM Re: Code Enforcement C201400506 Thank you Sharon for the extension. We will keep you informed. We had previously assumed that your computer system would do all that, but now we know better. We will obtain the TUP as Sergio had also suggested. However, we will also be seeking to get our home re-designated as something other than a travel trailer. It is an antique tin, iron, wood and canvas structure that has served us well for all those years, even though it needs some work ( mostly paint). The wheel wells are gone so it cannot be moved on its own. One has become a hand-crafted storage box; half of the other was removed entirely to provide more floor space. It has been off the road for 40+ years, and it has been attached to a permanent earthquake proof rack on concrete pilings for the last 12 or 13 years, with copper water lines to the sink, solar electric throughout and a compost toilet. The indoor sink, outdoor shower and clothes washer drain to a grey water pond, which automatically waters the trees twice a week. It is also the main character in its very own web site and the center-piece of an annual journal emailed to many and online. (I am a programmer and a retired carpenter.) Our plan, if approved, is to attach its doorway and the separate solar utility house-office-workshop and shower room to the proposed two story addition, large enough to meet the minimum code requirement. Thanks, Van & Eileen Blakeman ____________ |
|
|
|
Copyright © 2015, Van Blakeman |
Add Comment |
Comments (0)