"That Land Is No Good For Anything!" (Hope: crime, home)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

If you let tin pot dictators disguised as "authorities" tell you where you can take a leak in the woods you own, they will do it. We have radical frothing at the mouth environmentalists in state government in Maine. They are not the majority, but they are well entrenched and they are recruiting more to serve in state government.

Enjoy your wood lot, Nor'Eastah. If you have any serious problems just send me a PM. I have been in this fight for 41 years.

[Tenebrae]

This has been a bit of an eye-opener for me as well. I was also reading over your thread about the "tiny houses" / living in a shed stuff in the Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness forum. I was under the impression that Maine was one of the more free states left in the continental US as far as regulations go on what you can do with your land. I say this because I see a LOT of "off-grid" discussion in these forums and various other self-sufficiency-related discussions. This contrasts to my original house hunt in the state of Massachusetts where I saw constant reference to the dreaded "Title V" in the property descriptions, and things like, "This 3 bedroom house is on record as a 2 bedroom. Buyer's responsibility to remove the illegal addition" or somesuch. This is also part of what's put me off of HOAs and why I want to avoid a house with them. I don't want somebody telling me what colour I should paint my house! I looked at one house here in Austin and they literally had 3 different specific paints (brand included) that you could paint your house - and they were all hideous.

I guess because I grew up on a 100 acre farm in Missouri in the middle of nowhere that I thought that you could build whatever you wanted on your land, as long as it was safe and not obviously polluting or otherwise interfering outside of your parcel.

This just blows my mind. I've been quite naive, haven't I?

As far as this not happening elsewhere? I don't think there's anywhere left like that in the US, except maybe Alaska.

-T.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Do not despair, Tenebrae. We have towns in Maine with NO zoning except for the state mandated shore-land zoning. If you want to build a dug-out house in the side of a hill and have a sod roof, you can do it. Straw bale house? You can do it. I don't recommend it, but you can do it. There are still isolated pockets of freedom in Maine. We should work to defend them. Note up there in the left corner by my handle; "Advocate for rural Maine". I have been in this fight for over 40 years and we are holding our ground.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by Tenebrae

I was also reading over your thread about the "tiny houses" / living in a shed stuff in the Self-Sufficiency and Preparedness forum. I was under the impression that Maine was one of the more free states left in the continental US as far as regulations go on what you can do with your land.

The 33-acre Maine parcel where we live has an approved septic system on it, and a site-built 1120 sq ft ranch that was built by myself and some relatives, back in summer 2013. We had a valid building permit, and the ranch follows all the "code" that was required. When it comes to the comfort and safety of myself and family, I always make sure that things are done legally and correctly, and was prepared to pay the cost.

This smaller, 2+ acre wet woodlot was not bought for building purposes. I was somewhat taken aback at the suggestion that we would need to install a septic system just to cut firewood (?!). The 5th wheel that I had there was legally registered to me, and was not there 120 days. It can get pretty derned cold up here during wood-cutting season, and the 5th wheel seemed a reasonable place to make lunch and warm up.

As for the "living in a shed" thread, that was to inform people about the trend in 'housing' (if you want to call it that), due to - in my opinion - the economy and lack of decent-paying jobs. It was not a statement about my own situation, as I neither live in a "shed" nor had I planned to put one on this small woodlot.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Do not despair, Tenebrae. We have towns in Maine with NO zoning except for the state mandated shore-land zoning. If you want to build a dug-out house in the side of a hill and have a sod roof, you can do it. Straw bale house? You can do it. I don't recommend it, but you can do it. There are still isolated pockets of freedom in Maine. We should work to defend them. Note up there in the left corner by my handle; "Advocate for rural Maine". I have been in this fight for over 40 years and we are holding our ground.

Care to share where some of those "isolated pockets of freedom" in Maine are to be found?

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I tried that when I first joined here. I got slapped down for advertising. I figure I provide a useful service here simply by exposing the superstitions. Send me a PM and I'll give you what you need.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

We purchased another couple acres of undeveloped land about a year ago. It is not too far from our first property, west of Millinocket into Piscataquis County, in a UT.

... the code enforcement guy ...

Your in a UT and there is a code enforcement guy?

I assume he is from LUPC.

The only reason for LUPC to send an officer worker up from Augusta would be if you filed for a permit.



I live in a UT. There are camps everywhere with no septic systems.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by Submariner

Your in a UT and there is a code enforcement guy?

I assume he is from LUPC.

The only reason for LUPC to send an officer worker up from Augusta would be if you filed for a permit.

I live in a UT. There are camps everywhere with no septic systems.

I was told that in order to harvest the wood, I might need a permit. I had never done that before, being relatively new to Maine. So yes, I did contact them. I try to do things legally. Turns out, I did not need a permit to cut my own wood...so my source might have been thinking I was going to sell it(?).

He did not come up from Augusta; we spoke by phone. When he asked about what was set up on the lot, I truthfully told him about the 5th wheel. Why hide it? I had no reason to think I was doing anything wrong. That's when he told me I couldn't leave the camper there, w/o a septic system installed.

Things are quite different here, than back in RI - and not in a good way. Seems we had a good deal more freedom back in that state. I could cut all the wood I wanted there on my own land, and on other people's, with their permission. I could keep any camper I wished on my own property...but then, my own property already had a septic system on it, as does my home property here in Maine.

Thanks for telling me about the septic info in UT's. Still not sure how that works, everywhere....

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

I was told that in order to harvest the wood, I might need a permit. I had never done that before, being relatively new to Maine. So yes, I did contact them. I try to do things legally. Turns out, I did not need a permit to cut my own wood...so my source might have been thinking I was going to sell it(?).

He did not come up from Augusta; we spoke by phone. When he asked about what was set up on the lot, I truthfully told him about the 5th wheel. Why hide it? I had no reason to think I was doing anything wrong. That's when he told me I couldn't leave the camper there, w/o a septic system installed.

Things are quite different here, than back in RI - and not in a good way. Seems we had a good deal more freedom back in that state. I could cut all the wood I wanted there on my own land, and on other people's, with their permission. I could keep any camper I wished on my own property...but then, my own property already had a septic system on it, as does my home property here in Maine.

Thanks for telling me about the septic info in UT's. Still not sure how that works, everywhere....

I understand.

You can learn a lot from visiting your neighbors, and seeing how they do things.

[arctichomesteader]

The number one rule when you decide to contact a government agency to determine if something is legal, is don't. If you still do, use email with a fake name and account you won't use again and give no specifics they could ID you or your property with. They are not your friends.