Posted on 05/31/2016 4:09:38 PM PDT by dontreadthis
Great myths in America include the notions that we own our property and that government exists to protect us rather than do us harm. The story of a 90-year-old widow in Sarasota, Florida shows both notions to be among the all-time great lies.
Marie Louise Sikorskie lives on a fixed income. After her husband, a military veteran, died several years ago, her house fell into disrepair because she lacked the financial and physical wherewithal to keep it up.
This prompted complaints to the city from neighbors who didn’t like that the yard was overgrown and the fence was broken. Now she is facing thousands of dollars in fines and possible eviction from the home she owns outright even though a Good Samaritan has stepped up and made necessary repairs.
Seem Miles Gomis ran afoul of the crony Sarasota system. He performed some of the repairs even though he’s not a “licensed” contractor, and he solicited various other contractors to do others, including replacing shingles, repairing siding and doing some power washing. But he failed to purchase the $200 permit required for city sanction of the repairs and so the city isn’t “accepting” them.
So despite the fact that the house is now repaired to the neighbors’ satisfaction, the city continues its attempted shakedown by fining Sikorskie $500 a day. Her fines now total $150,000.
Gomis hit the nail on the head in this case when he told Channel 8 News:
“I just had the work done without a licensed contractor even though I knew that was wrong,” Miles said. “They said it was a safety issue, but which one is the priority? Is the priority to give the city their $200 for the permit or to get the safety issue fixed right away? I decided to get it fixed and just deal with the consequences later.
Property taxes and requirements for pre-approval of repairs and the use of pre-approved contractors are anathema to the notion of property rights. They just mean you own your property with conditions – conditions with which if you don’t comply your property can be taken from you. In other words, you don’t own it. You just possess it as long as you pay the king’s ransom or don’t run afoul of some arbitrarily-imposed “rules.”
We live in a nation in which aliens are encouraged by the government to cross illegally – or are outright shipped — into the country and are then provided thousands of dollars in housing and other benefits. Yet an elderly citizen unable to maintain her home is treated like a criminal by a government functionary, and a man who volunteered his time and money to help her is essentially told his efforts were worthless because he was not “licensed.”
We live in a nation in which Sikorsky’s neighbors, rather than step up and help a needy neighbor, complained to government to have it eradicate the problem.
Gomis placed a couple of large signs in the yard proclaiming “I’M A 90 YEAR OLD WIDOW. I’VE LIVED HERE 70 YEARS. NOW THE CITY OF SARASOTA IS TRYING TO STEAL MY HOUSE! HELP!” This prompted a lot of media coverage and some offers for additional help by local businesses. Gomis has also set up a GoFundMe page for Sikorsky.
In response to the media attention, the city of Sarasota tweeted: (Sarasota Tweet about Sikorsky)
But the cubicle-dwelling government zombie who instigated these proceedings could end them immediately if the city had a real interest in resolving any remaining issues “fairly and with compassion.”
Revolt is rapidly becoming the most viable option with respect to liberals.
And it will not be a respectful revolt.
Find the city officials responsible.
And make them afraid.
Very afraid.
Where is his state rep or congress-critter on this matter?
Everyone in that city govt needs to be kicked out of govt permanently.
The Ceausescu Protocol becomes more appropriate by the day.
This poor widow woman and her deceased husband were faithful to pay their property taxes all these years and this is how they are rewarded? Good thing I dont have a say who goes to hell— I would be throwing in a whole lot down there.
Unfortunately, the “old Florida” natives don’t have anywhere near the resources of the Sarasota glitterati the local government has cultivated.
Think of San Fransisco, east.
I will be e-mailing Vern Buchanan on this....just heard about it on the radio here this AM.....DREADFUL! However....EVERYONE needs to pay their bills....does she have any kids??
You got it. The country is broken. Government broke it. And it does not seem fixable to me.
Bunch of jack boots who are just upset they were born too late to live in Nazi Germany.
Bravo!
Also consider State Senator Deitert
and State Reps Steube or Pilon
The neighbors should be ashamed of themselves for calling code enforcement instead of stepping up to help her .
The city should be ashamed of itself because there are charities that help with things like this and they should have called one right away since they know who they are .
It boils down to the city knows she is unable to help herself and they want her property.
Yeah that is what is wrong
The transplants are total busy body jerks
Yuma Zoning attempted to do this to me.
I have a property with a wall around it. The wall was built before zoning was instituted.
No one had ever complained. A zoning inspector noticed the wall, and the zoning commission said it did not meet codes. A wall was not allowed for. The zoning notice said that they would start fining me $250 a day until I tore down the wall.
I met with them and explained that the wall had been there for decades, and was there when I purchased the property. They said I had to prove that the wall was there before zoning went into effect before they would back down.
Understand - for construction that was there for decades - which had never generated a complaint - I had to prove it was legal or they would fine me $250 a day until I destroy property that I valued.
Fortunately I was able to obtain affadavits from long term residents that the construction had existed prior to zoning being put in place in the 1970s.
Then the zoning commission backed off. It probably did not hurt that I had local political connections, and had resources and time to fight the system.
So, I can empathise with this woman and her good samaritan.
I would like to see zoning reform, such as a statute of limitations on zoning enforcement, and requirement for some kind of neighbor complaint for enforcement.
When the County hired zoning enforcers, I predicted that they would go out looking for items to cite in order to justify their jobs. How right I was.
Utterly despicable.
Show up on their front yard with lots of TV press
I mow my widowed 89 year old neighbor lady’s yard every time I mow mine. She puts notes in my mailbox when i’m gone about how grateful she is for it and sometimes includes Bible verses which I greatly appreciate. She’s a retired public librarian and a great neighbor. I’ve done this since my own wife passed away two summers ago. It makes me smile which I haven’t done a lot of in the last two years.
There is a recently widowed older lady a couple of houses down. Her driveway and sidewalks were snow free all winter.
I almost got away with it too but she caught me at it one early a.m. when she let her dog out...
Unfortunately, they are cultured, well heeled, busy body, jerks.
Granny couldn’t afford to buy 1/8 acre of her own cow pasture in today’s real estate market. I think Sarasota landfill goes for more than beachfront most everywhere else.
Find out who made this decision (yes there was one person responsible for this decision) and put him (I’m sure it was a him) on every social media available. We need to hold these slime accountable. Don’t let them hide behind the “government” or “regulations”. If they’re dumb-o-crats let them tell me about their feelings now.
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