Tree Hugger Trying to Shut Me Down

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Why would you let these people into your home? Code enforcement or the Fire marshall. Is there some law that states that they can search/inspect your home without a court order? Even more violating is because it is on the word of a third party. That is scary buisness if they can come in when ever they so choose. They would have been turned away at the door at my house.

Anyone ever heard of just not responding to public officials? I had a building inspector with a complaint about one of my outbuildings leave notices at my front gate for six months once, I just ignored him and he moved on to greener pastures. As far as letting any of those tax payer funded lackies in my home...never happen unless they have two SWAT units backing them up, even then I could take em if need be.
 
Sounds to me like he did himself a big favor by letting them in and establishing a good relationship with them. You never know who you'll end up dealing with, but I've found it a big advantage to be on good terms with my local government in the place I live. There are rules and official practices, and then there are human beings with emotions in official positions, and often they are good folks. They can do a lot for you if they want to.

EDIT: That doesn't extend much past my local government, say township level - people I can meet and get to know personally.

I found it's best to work with them. Like you said " I've found it a big advantage to be on good terms." They put their pants on just like the rest of us..
 
Reading this thread just makes me happy to live where I do. Mostly open farm ground with no close neighbors. (anybody within a mile drive is considered a neighbor here. I have an OWB and am the envy of my "neighbors". I only know of 2 others with an OWB in a 50 mile radius, but almost everybody in the country here burns wood in some way. I feel sorry for people who live in such close proximity to each other. It definitely takes some extra work to just get along. If it is illegal to burn wood in some of the places you guys live, I would find a new place to live. To the OP, burn responsibly and you will be fine. If you end up not being fine, and your right to live free is important to you, find a new place to live.....Go west, but not too far west unless it's Alaska.
 
Why would you let these people into your home? Code enforcement or the Fire marshall. Is there some law that states that they can search/inspect your home without a court order?

You would be amazed at the power the board of health has in Massachusetts. And if the OP has children, the neighbor could make life a real nightmare by calling the Department of Social Services. DSS might take children from home or from school without even notifying parents.
 
Our rules state that there be "no visible smoke after a 20 minute start up period". I assume it means on reload too. I have a tight quarters situation here too. My next door neighbor use to burn so he knows what it is. I have worked exceedingly hard to get ahead on my wood, to achieve truly seasoned wood. I burn hot to avoid smoke and smell. Don't be a jerk but also don't ask permission. At all cost have no interaction with him, I mean nothing.
 
I was gonna put a wood burner in my house but now can't they where banned in my town last year. outdoor wood furnaces are no more. the people that had them had to stop use. one guy had over 10k in his furnace did water and everything. a few people got together and complained and shut them down permanently.

It is hard to believe that some type of grandfather rule would not come into effect for the people that already have them in use. So in your town if you just laid out $10,000 on an ODW system last year you would be SOL this year? Not doubting just hard to comprehend. I am on the council of the small little berg I live in in NC Iowa and would have a very hard time trying to come up with wording for an ordinance that would put an end to EXISTING units that would hold up in court. Any owner running an ODW responsibly should be able to put up a pretty good case for exemption to a new ordinance. This type of showdown my becoming to my neck of the woods soon if energy prices keep going up with no end in sight and more people would turn to this option. As it stands for the moment I personally do not know of another existing ODW with in 10 miles of me. If and when it does I sure as heck won't go down without a fight! JMHO.
 
Unless he got something in writing from each inspector stating that his install was legal and to code he has done nothing to help himself by letting them in. The political winds change quickly when their jobs are on the line. If it would benefit them to throw him under the proverbial bus they would.

I said nothing about being rude to the individuals. I understand that they are humans and put on their pants one leg at a time. However the local code enforcement "officer" in my town is the biggest blowhard I have ever met. He would inspect the wood burning appliance and then fine me for putting in the outlet to run the blower on said furnace without getting a permit. Simply inspecting the furnace would not be his primary goal, inflating his authority over his subjects is his goal.

Anyway, the point being is that the guy next door was allowed to violate your home because he had a hair across his behind. That is plain wrong in my book.


Sounds to me like he did himself a big favor by letting them in and establishing a good relationship with them. You never know who you'll end up dealing with, but I've found it a big advantage to be on good terms with my local government in the place I live. There are rules and official practices, and then there are human beings with emotions in official positions, and often they are good folks. They can do a lot for you if they want to.

EDIT: That doesn't extend much past my local government, say township level - people I can meet and get to know personally.
 
The Pee Rule

I do feel for the OP on this. Too many people are in the "get a life" mode.

Other than the keep your head and ignore advice, you could move. Seriously.

Retiring gave us the opportunity to choose how and where we wanted to live. I wanted a woodlot for firewood. We followed the Rule of Pees when looking for land in a rural region here in Downeast Maine : live where you can pee in all directions without disturbing or offending neighbors. It's effective. Our nearest neighbors also own woodlots, work the wood, and understand the 'noise' of saws or brushcutters running. And I defer to them by not cutting on Sundays, when they have guests staying over, early mornings before 0700, or when they ask me.

Suburban or semi-urban environments always seem to attract the OP's kind of neighbor no matter how conscientious one is with wood burning. It's a lose-lose game unfortunately. It's here also: people bringing their suburban gestault with them. " That lobster bait smells." " Your shooting disturbs me and is offensive." " Your pig farm lowers my property value." " We need hydrants near my driveway." " Why isn't there trash pickup." " Wood smoke is carcinogenic." " Hunting is immoral." And so on...

Think Pee.

JMNSHEO
 
SHUT-UP logbutcher!

If'n ya' convince 'em all to move out'a suburbia... there won't be any non-suburbia left for us.
It's already closing in on me out here again... I've moved twice already to get away from the influx of suburbanites into my space.

I know what you mean about people they cant mind their own damn business!And they call cops on you for doing things on your own property!I had to move because trucks were illegal in town!I got a ticket for a rooster crowing!
 
To the OP, I would be getting a letter from each individual that inspected my place stating what they found and why it was inspected to show you you are doing things right. This would help a lot if you end up in court. Ohhh yaa.. If he has a nice lawn.. make icecubes with killex in it and toss the cubes on his lawn in the middle of the night.. :msp_biggrin: of course you might want to wait till summer for the cubes :laugh:
 
I have a fairly close neighbor that is like this that always want to "send them a real stern letter", he's done this to me, once!! HAHA!!

Find some dirt on him, if you can't find any well...

Blackmail always works.:msp_scared:
 
What's funny is that I live in a rural place. You can't go far enough to get away from jerks, you can only reduce the density. And the number of witnesses.
 
What's funny is that I live in a rural place. You can't go far enough to get away from jerks, you can only reduce the density. And the number of witnesses.

I agree.

Another axiom about jerks- they will never be happy. If you know you're in the right, never capitulate, because once you do, they'll find something else they're unhappy about to take up arms over. Some people will never be happy unless they're not happy. And have something to gripe about.
 
I know what you mean about people they cant mind their own damn business!And they call cops on you for doing things on your own property!I had to move because trucks were illegal in town!I got a ticket for a rooster crowing!

I am in the Pines too, what town are you where roosters can't crow?
 
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