08-28-2018, 12:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Punatic007
I found this story shocking on many levels. Appears they purchased a lot in quite the flood zone, wondering why that sale was legal. The house is not code, again not legal.
There's no law stopping someone from buying land in a flood zone. Building there? That's another story.
I have a friend in this area whose property is near the flood zone but not in it, and his land experienced flooding it had never seen in at least 20 years. It could have been a once in a lifetime event. There's a nearby "house" smack dab in the middle of the flood zone and I assumed it was a goner. Turns out the place changed hands about a year ago and the new owners put the house up on 6 ft. stilts, so it survived. These are both non permitted structures.
I have only two concerns about such a place, number 1 that they have a sewer system and number 2 that they don't grade the property in a way that can change the natural drainage of the area.
Word has it that two property owners in that area have indeed been fined recently for dozing without a permit, with one of them in the flood area. This guy was apparently also told to return the land back to its original state. He hasn't, and the flood washed debris from his foolish driveway project into the road there and it's now blocked with a 4 ft tall wall of rocks.
So, I think the "authorities" are taking the right approach by nailing people for grading without a permit but turning a blind eye to these types of shacks, which are said to constitute a large percentage of the subdivision, unless someone calls in a complaint.