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Title: Court Rules Living ‘Off The Grid’ Is Illegal
Source:
Counter Current News
URL Source: http://countercurrentnews.com/2015/ ... iving-off-the-grid-is-illegal/
Published: Jun 1, 2015
Author: Reagan Ali
Post Date: 2015-06-02 09:35:21 by Deckard
Keywords: None
Views: 1406
Comments: 16
For many it’s a live long dream to get “off the grid” and live self-sufficiently. But unplugging from municipal services has been ruled illegal by a court in Cape Coral, Florida. Special Magistrate Harold S. Eskin ruled that Robin Speronis is not allowed to live on her own private property without being hooked up to the city’s water system. He admitted that she had the right to live without utility power, but said that her alternative power sources must always first be approved by the city. Speronis has been taking a stand for years not against the city of Cape Coral. Back in November of 2013 a code enforcement officer attempted to evict her for “living without utilities.” The city’s argument is that the International Property Maintenance Code was “violated” by her reliance on rain water rather than paying the city for water. The IPMC also would make it a crime for her to use solar panels instead of being tied into the electric grid. “It was a mental fistfight,” Todd Allen, Speronis’ attorney said regarding Eskin’s review of the case. “There’s an inherent conflict in the code.” Allen says that at this point the argument is just that Speronis must “hook up” to the grid, even if she doesn’t use utilities from it. Speronis explains that she has won on two of three counts already, but there is still a big fight ahead of her. “But what happens in the courtroom is much less important than touching people’s hearts and minds,” she explained. “I think that we are continuing to be successful in doing just that and I am so pleased — there is hope! The next morning, as I took my two hour walk, there was a young man unknown to me, who drove by me, tooted his horn and said, ‘Robin, congratulations on your victory yesterday, keep up the fight and God bless you.’ That is beautiful.” The local Press-News newspaper said that Eskin “admitted that the code might be obsolete.” “Reasonableness and code requirements don’t always go hand-in-hand… given societal and technical changes that requires review of code ordinances,” Eskin told the paper. He argues, however, that he has an obligation to enforce the code. Still, he acknowledges that some of the charges against her are unfounded. “I am in compliance,” Speronis said in an interview with the local News-Press. “I’m in compliance of living… you may have to hook-up, but you don’t have to use it. Well, what’s the point?” Speronis has long been living “off the grid.” The city didn’t seem to even notice until she publicly discussed her home with Liza Fernandez, a local news reporter. After that appearance, a code enforcement officer designated her home as “uninhabitable” and gave her an eviction notice. In March, at a code compliance hearing before Eskin, Speronis was a no-show. Local WTSP 10 news reports that “her company, Off-the-Grid Living Inc. is a litany of violations. Out of 48 violations, Speronis had been previously found guilty of 45. There’s been no appeal or movement to comply.” “We will continue to use due process and legal measures available to enforce the codes of the city,” Connie Barron, spokeswoman for the city of Cape Coral said. “The building official has pulled the certificate of occupancy… this was the next step we decided to take to bring the property into compliance. Legally, she cannot be in the house.” Barron acknowledges that it is “unusual for the city to escalate a case to this level.” “Even if they board the house up, I’m not leaving,” Speronis explained. “They did the best they could when they took my dogs and arrested me. It fell apart because I’m unshakable.” The International Property Maintenance Code is still being used by cities throughout the United States and Canada. While it stands, it holds that even if you have power and running water, you can be evicted from your home if you remain “off the grid.” (Article by Reagan Ali; h/t WTSP 10; Press-News and Off The Grid News)
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#1. To: Deckard (#0)
Certain municipalities have a long standing law on collecting rain water that dates from cowbow times in the west, at least. http://www.enlight-inc.com/blog/?p=1036#floridas Rainwater harvesting regulations state by state
Your sewage fees are based on the amount of water used. You can see the problem.
Your sewage fees are based on the amount of water used. You can see the problem. These kind of articles is where I part ways with these kind of conservatives - makes it seem the evil over reaching govt is out to get you on their evil grid, etc.
Welcome to America, land of life, liberty and the persuit of happiness. .... But only if you're a government worker!
This is not about politics. This is about a municipality bringing services to remote residents. It's not economical to run water and sewer lines tens of miles to service just a few residents. When the population reaches a certain level, lines are run and everyone along the route shares the cost. Economics, not politics.
Also, some western states actually limit and regulate rain water harvesting - again this is not some FEMA govt law - it dates back to pioneer days and the ranch wars and such in the west where water can be scarce. There was some freak out articles by limited govt conservatives over some rancher building a pond he made from rain water and him going to jail over it. It was presented as the evil govt out to get you kind of articles.
More like "some rancher dug three large reservoirs to collect rain runoff for personal use, diverting that water from reaching the City of Medford water basin." Yeah he was sent to jail for 15 days, but he's been violating state water law since 2002.
Yeah he was sent to jail for 15 days, but he's been violating state water law since 2002. Yes, that is the one. Boy, did people send death threats to me on Youtube for arguing the govts side. They kept telling me its rainwater and it just goes to waste otehrwise. Ignorant peices of shit.
It's not economical to run water and sewer lines tens of miles to service just a few residents. When the population reaches a certain level, lines are run and everyone along the route shares the cost. " I am on a well. A few years ago, they were running city water out here. I did not need it, but they needed some more taps to run it. My neighbors wanted it. I took a tap, and pay about $18.00 a month for it. I am still on the well ( better water ). I figure my tap is insurance in the event my well ever gives out, which I doubt it will. Si vis pacem, para bellum
COMMERCE BETWEEN MASTER AND SLAVE IS __________?
It's not economical to run water and sewer lines tens of miles to service just a few residents. When the population reaches a certain level, lines are run and everyone along the route shares the cost. --- Economics, not politics. --- misterwhite COMMERCE BETWEEN MASTER AND SLAVE IS __________? --- VxH Everyone but misterwhite and his fellow progressives at LF here realise that forced 'commerce' is slavery.. It's not economical to run water and sewer lines tens of miles to service just a few residents. When the population reaches a certain level, lines are run and everyone along the route IS FORCED TO SHARE IN THE COST. Communistic economics, not political freedom in a republic.
FALSE ANALOGIES ARE ________________? If you choose to live in a particular municipality, you choose to play by their rules. No one "enslaved" you and forced you to live there. Don't like it? Start a petition to change the law. Too hard? Move.
ESAD Comrade Shite, I'm not moving anywhere.
Yep. It's interesting that Corporate/collectivist "culture" permits the worship of socialist infrastructure on The Company intranet Jive-site, but bans asking simple questions like "who's going to pay for that?" because asking common sense questions like that is "political".
I remember the article being posted on LP. Actually, I don't think it was a rancher, just a citizen that 3 ponds stocked with fish and a boat dock. He was blocking water that drained into the river which supplied a city with water. It was another case where the anti-government crowd showed up in force on the forum to yell about freedom being violated since the rainwater fell on his land. Actually it did not, it ran through his land on the way to the river before he damned it up in three places. I think I have the story right.
That's the one I was thinking about.
The city’s argument is that the International Property Maintenance Code was “violated” by her reliance on rain water rather than paying the city for water. The IPMC also would make it a crime for her to use solar panels instead of being tied into the electric grid.
#2. To: Pericles (#1)
"Certain municipalities have a long standing law on collecting rain water"
#3. To: misterwhite (#2)
"Certain municipalities have a long standing law on collecting rain water"
#4. To: Deckard (#0)
#5. To: Pericles (#3)
"These kind of articles is where I part ways with these kind of conservatives - makes it seem the evil over reaching govt is out to get you on their evil grid, etc."
#6. To: misterwhite (#5)
#7. To: Pericles (#6)
"over some rancher building a pond he made from rain water"
#8. To: misterwhite (#7)
(Edited)
"over some rancher building a pond he made from rain water" More like "some rancher dug three large reservoirs to collect rain runoff for personal use, diverting that water from reaching the City of Medford water basin."
#9. To: misterwhite (#5)
" This is about a municipality bringing services to remote residents.
#10. To: misterwhite (#5)
Economics, not politics.
#11. To: VxH, Y'ALL, misterwhite, and his progressive buddies, gatlin, grandisland, etc. (#10)
#12. To: VxH (#10)
"COMMERCE BETWEEN MASTER AND SLAVE IS __________?"
#13. To: misterwhite (#12)
#14. To: tpaine (#11)
(Edited)
Communistic economics, not political freedom in a republic.
#15. To: Pericles. misterwhite (#6)
Also, some western states actually limit and regulate rain water harvesting - again this is not some FEMA govt law - it dates back to pioneer days and the ranch wars and such in the west where water can be scarce. There was some freak out articles by limited govt conservatives over some rancher building a pond he made from rain water and him going to jail over it. It was presented as the evil govt out to get you kind of articles.
#16. To: misterwhite (#7)
....diverting that water from reaching the City of Medford water basin."
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