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I've worked very hard to permit and finalize my houses, sometimes 2 jobs.
Building codes exist for safety reason and yes the insurance companies and others have wrongly had their hand in it, but very little on this planet is totally free of corruption. From my travels I think we are blessed beyond measure to have these circumstances.
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quote:
Originally posted by rainyjim
quote:
Originally posted by leilaniguy
I know of two people who have done just that, both in Blacksands. One old guy had somebody warn him about "no permits" so he called the county, who came out and said so, what do you want us to do? They ended up calling his homestead "a shed, 16 x 16" and taxed him thus. The other guy had 2 lots, with an illegal shed with a tent on it, and when prices went nuts in 2005-06 his taxes went nuts. He applied for a permit as a shed, then got it designated as his homestead. Since the value was under the amount of a homestead, his taxes are now 0. BTW # 1 is dead, #2 doesn't even have a
car.
It's too bad you don't have more information on this (or do you?), if there was substantive documentation of these anecdotes, then this information could be of great value to those in Ocean View who may be currently 'under fire'.
Since it is a matter of public record, I can give you the county TMK's #120200200000 Hawaii St. listed as homeowner, taxes are $25 per year, and #120230960000 Iolani St. listed as homeowner, taxes are $0.
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Building codes exist for safety reason and yes the insurance companies and others have wrongly had their hand in it
In the absence of bank funding, insurance, or public endangerment, the existing standards are ridiculous overkill for our local environment.
It really should be up to those who are paying for it.
Separately/related, I wonder how many of these situations are "long-term temporary", with the occupants either leaving the island or working towards something more permanent. Why build a full-code house if you're just going to leave in a few years?
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Same reason we have traffic laws and why honest people pay penalties on just about everything if they miss a day. It's always the ones who lag behind on the evolutionary scale creating the necessity for laws and legal enforcement.
Take the "house of cards" that was burnt down by "tenants" in Seaview Estates, a 4 story shack that scared parents enough to tell their kids not to ride bikes down that street for fear it might fall down on them on a windy day.
As long as we continue to provide welfare benefits to able bodied adults we can expect more of the same.
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creating the necessity for laws and legal enforcement
If someone self-reports their unpermitted habitation to County (using paperwork and staff provided by County, no less) and County uses that information to grant a property tax exemption, exactly which laws are being violated and by whom?
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The arguement I hear is largerly one of safety.
Yes a very large structure that can fall, trap people, or burn down needs to be built by plans and inspected.
However, there is a place in this equation for those that desire to live life as people have done for eons.
The American house with a large lawn, trimmed bushes, two cars, a garage, and hot tub is not for everyone.
In Hawaii we have room for the simple home.
I intend to soon build a bamboo home here in the Philippines with a palm roof.
Former Puna Beach Resident
Now sailing in SE Asia
HOT BuOYS Sailing
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quote:
Originally posted by rainyjim
[quote]Like just about everywhere on BI there is a mixture of nice homes and tarp-like structures.
Aloha Jim,
I believe this particular situation is a reaction to the simple truth as you said it above - nice homes and shacks on the same block. No biggie for most of us living here but more and more people are coming and not everyone is okay with it. Maybe they are too busy building to look around but for some reason they finish the nice code compliant home and then realize their neighbors are living in tents or car camping or whatever. Then come the complaints.
I blame the County (as usual) for enabling this scenario by not actually getting out in the field and driving around and doing the leg work and getting a handle on what we got. Maybe some people need senior exemptions or disabled exemptions, maybe we figure out some sort of amnesty for structures that aren't hazardous.
That's just my nickel (inflation)! Whatever the best solution is we need to get cracking as this friction is only going to continue.
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nice homes and shacks on the same block
This "problem" is easily solved by granting the subdivisions greater autonomy to decide what minimum standards are relevant, specify it in a covenant, and make that information publically available.
People who want a nice house can go live in that subdivision (or part thereof, the subs are pretty large, those with nice cars want to be closer to pavement).
There's plenty of lots to go around, no reason to argue about this.
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If someone didn't notice that Ranchos has a wide variety of living arrangements before they bought or built there they ought to be able to continue not noticing it after they moved there, because they must be blind. Moving into a place and then expecting the prior residents to change up their lifestyle to suit your taste is absurd. Doing so in one of the most remote subdivisions in Hawaii, in the poorest district in Hawaii is even more absurd. Gentrification has come to Kau, who would have thought!
Hawaii is not the only place that has this kind of mix, Texas has no zoning except what you get through CC&Rs and planned unit development, people get exactly as much protection as they can afford.
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If someone didn't notice that Ranchos has a wide variety of living arrangements before they bought
Those same people don't notice the condition of "privately owned" roads in Puna subdivisions.
people get exactly as much protection as they can afford.
Apparently people who pay "their fair share" of property taxes feel they're entitled to more protection.
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