Locked up because of trees

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Darin

No Longer Here
Joined
Mar 29, 2001
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Littleton, Colorado, United States
I got this out of Maintenece mag this month.

Its our tax dollar at work.

JOHN THOBURN FREED FROM JAIL
As we reported earlier, John Thoburn, a driving range owner in Fairfax, Va., was jailed ostensibly for failing to comply with county zoning regulations regarding trees planted on the driving range as a screen from adjacent neighbors. Thoburn finally is free after spending nearly 3 months in jail.

A judge ordered Thoburn jailed and fined $1,000 for each day he refused to comply. Thoburn chose jail rather than comply with what he considered heavy-handed treatment by Fairfax County officials.

Thoburn originally spent well over $100,000 on landscaping to comply with county ordinances. However, the county, after initially approving Thoburn`s operations, returned and ordered Thoburn to make additional changes at considerable additional expense. Thoburn refused, and so eventually landed in jail.

Though Thoburn is now free, the judge has authorized the county to perform the landscape work itself, and then bill Thoburn, who also is responsible fro paying a $48,500 fine. Nevertheless, Thoburn has declared victory, noting that the county did not force him to close his business, which he contends was the ultimate goal of Fairfax officials.

More information about this story is available at www.freejohnthoburn.com.
:angry:
 
I have heard people around the country have been getting this story, pretty wild.
The story that you posted pretty much sums up what we hear in the news here too, but I seriously doubt that it's even a little piece of the complete story.
This guy has a long history of trying to buck the county for any and every reason he can. I don't believe he spent 100k for trees , the number he installed was only about 300+/-, I'd like to get a job that sweet!
He also owns property across the street from the course that he was fighting to rezone and causing trouble about.
Supposedly his relatives own one of the homes they are trying to screen the property from too.
I personally think he is just a rich crybaby trying to get things his way, but that's just my opinion :D He has run for some kind of public office here and lost at one time too, so that's probably another reason he's raising hell.
The county around here does have alot of power and money but I think they were probably right in this case only they didn't expect this to go national!
 
Sorry about that didn't think it went through.:confused:
 
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