City of Huntsville says couple can't live "off the grid" (area, history)

[zenjenn]

Oh, gosh, I wonder why they didn't go ahead and buy a lot in an HOA neighborhood and try to do this. It seems like they are interested in a challenge after all!

Seriously, props to those who want to live self-sufficiently, but why on earth would you try to do so in the middle of a place with ordinances that are going to get in your way and will probably make your home difficult or impossible to sell? What a way to tank your biggest investment.

[FayettevilletoHuntsville]

Originally Posted by zenjenn

Oh, gosh, I wonder why they didn't go ahead and buy a lot in an HOA neighborhood and try to do this. It seems like they are interested in a challenge after all!

Seriously, props to those who want to live self-sufficiently, but why on earth would you try to do so in the middle of a place with ordinances that are going to get in your way and will probably make your home difficult or impossible to sell? What a way to tank your biggest investment.

Well the house is a trailer that can be moved but since he owns the land he will probably have to end up selling it and buying land in the county if he wants to continue living like that. I don't see him being successful in taking on the City of Huntsville.

[Keeper]

I kind of agree with others who seem to think he inherited the land. Moving the trailer may not be an option either depending on it's condition. I know after my mother passed away my sister was trying to move the trailer she had lived in but due to it's age it could only be sold for scrap..

[Frapp]

I wish they would just ban trailers all together. They are such an eyesore! I live in a nice area of Madison, but you can't drive a mile without seeing some broken-down trailer by the side of the road. I've thought about trying to go to the commission about getting rid of them, but I don't know how much effort they would put into it.

[LCTMadison]

They can't just "get rid" of the trailers, they are grandfathered in to the zoning. But, people cannot move them to another location (in Madison) nor can they put another trailer on the property.

Its not that the commission WON'T do anything, there is not much they can do. You can't just kick people out of their homes because you don't like it.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by Frapp

I wish they would just ban trailers all together. They are such an eyesore! I live in a nice area of Madison, but you can't drive a mile without seeing some broken-down trailer by the side of the road. I've thought about trying to go to the commission about getting rid of them, but I don't know how much effort they would put into it.

meh. And I wish they would ban trolls, McMansions, gas stations or fast food on EVERY corner, and people who refuse to recognize that bushes don't have to look like the spiraling pillars in the Vatican. Having lived in Florida, where Coral Gables even zones what colors people can paint the INSIDE of their homes, and seen the money wasted on cookie cutter landscaping where grass has to be no more than 3" and hedges no more than 24" high facing the street (for the convenience of passing cops, zoning inspectors, and passing burglars casing the homes - at the expense of homeowner privacy) I've grown to respect and enjoy the in-your-face disparity of incomes and housing that our society creates sitting side by side. You wanna play rich snob? Hide in a HOA and don't come out. Better yet, try to get a place on Fisher Island in Florida, where you will be looked at as part of the unwashed masses unless you are a multimillionaire with connections.

The reality is that a diverse population has more tolerance than one where enclaves and ghettos reinforce stereotypes and hate.

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by Frapp

I wish they would just ban trailers all together. They are such an eyesore! I live in a nice area of Madison, but you can't drive a mile without seeing some broken-down trailer by the side of the road. I've thought about trying to go to the commission about getting rid of them, but I don't know how much effort they would put into it.

Are you going to buy those people a nice home that is up to your standards? I agree some trailers look trashy, but it's mostly because of the people living in them, not the trailer itself. Even nice brick homes can look trashy if the owner takes no pride in where they live. I've seen $200k houses with junk in the yard and bedsheets over the windows.

[Linda_d]

My guess is that the article didn't include a picture of the mobile home because it's likely to fit the trailer trash stereotype.

FTR, propane is NOT necessarily more energy efficient than using electricity, and it's NOT "off grid" since somebody has to deliver it to your residence. Moreover, if you use propane to power your hot water tank and heat pump, why are you cooking food on a propane grill rather than on a stove????

What would be much more energy efficient AND truly off grid is to generate enough electricity to provide your heat, hot water, a/c, and all cooking facilities. Of course, that would require much more serious solar power generation than what the guy has ... and much more knowledge and sophistication, too, I'd guess.

I wouldn't be surprised if the "composting toilet" isn't just an outhouse that the guy sprinkles lime over every once in awhile. IMO, this is like the story of the family in Kentucky a few months ago who tried to claim that they lost custody of their kids because the big, bad government didn't like their "off-grid homesteading lifestyle" when, in fact, their children were living in squalor comparable to third world conditions, including not being educated. This guy in Alabama, like the people in Kentucky, is simply using the media and the internet to get sympathy from people who don't know the entire situation because they don't live anywhere in the area.

PS. While these two particular examples are from the South, they happen all over the country. Some asshat does whatever he/she wants, gets in trouble with the local authorities, and then runs crying over being abused by the government to some ignorant, gullible, and/or sympathetic reporter. The fact of the matter is that the Huntsville authorities tried working with this guy for several months before taking any action. I'll save my sympathy for somebody who really deserves it.

[Becky2517]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

meh. And I wish they would ban trolls, McMansions, gas stations or fast food on EVERY corner, and people who refuse to recognize that bushes don't have to look like the spiraling pillars in the Vatican. Having lived in Florida, where Coral Gables even zones what colors people can paint the INSIDE of their homes, and seen the money wasted on cookie cutter landscaping where grass has to be no more than 3" and hedges no more than 24" high facing the street (for the convenience of passing cops, zoning inspectors, and passing burglars casing the homes - at the expense of homeowner privacy) I've grown to respect and enjoy the in-your-face disparity of incomes and housing that our society creates sitting side by side. You wanna play rich snob? Hide in a HOA and don't come out. Better yet, try to get a place on Fisher Island in Florida, where you will be looked at as part of the unwashed masses unless you are a multimillionaire with connections.

The reality is that a diverse population has more tolerance than one where enclaves and ghettos reinforce stereotypes and hate.

Amen! Am I a 'fan" of the run down trailers on Martin road; not much...they could make an effort and clean up a bit - but, it is what it is & it doesn't affect my life one bit

[FayettevilletoHuntsville]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Having lived in Florida, where Coral Gables even zones what colors people can paint the INSIDE of their homes

Seriously?