View for sale: $30,000 New owner of a lake fences it off when homeowners wouldn't pay.

St. Petersburg Times ^ | May 14, 2002 | ROBERT FARLEY

[ThinkingMan]

As I said- there are risks involved for him, but the potential payoff is worth assuming that risk.

Thanks for the update on the domain name issue- I was not aware of that development.

[Lazamataz]

It's a pond.

That makes this guy pond-scum.

[Poohbah]

Laz, if I bought this land with the intent of making money, and it were taken from me by eminent domain in order to allow the people I was planning to make money from to merely take it without payment...

Let's just say that the local illegal hazardous waste dumpers would get an anonymous phone call telling them where they could dump their nasty stuff without interference.

[Black Agnes]

Ding Ding, you win the prize. Didn't I read that he planned to 'Dredge' the lake? Horrors, what kind of environmental *tragedy* would that be??? Where is the Sierra Club when you need them? These homeowners need to form a 'Friends Of The Lake' and sue him for environmental danger. Hoist on their own petard. Wonder how many of these people voted for algore?

[JBCiejka]

is that a Mr. Potato head from RI? Too funny

[strela]

Good neighbors don't threaten to burn their neighbors property, for any reason.

If you could point out anyone in this thread who has done so, I might agree that your post had a point. However, since I haven't seen such a post here, I struggle to understand why you would make such a general statement in support of law and order (especially considering some of the stuff I've seen you post in drug war threads).

Similar to Orwell's barnyard creatures, you apparently believe that "All laws are equal, but some laws are more equal than others."

[NativeNewYorker]

You cannot purposefully build an ugly fence in order to hurt your neighbor's resale value.

This strikes me as parallel to hate crime laws that try to divine the mental state of someone.

I think this whole thing is nuts, but private property IS private property, and the homeowners are guilty of not being vigilant.

[bvw]

Aye, that's yet an improvement on the concept. The lake-front owners could place "decorative" straw-men next to the fence, and perhaps too close to the barbeque.

[Lazamataz]

Laz, if I bought this land with the intent of making money, and it were taken from me by eminent domain in order to allow the people I was planning to make money from to merely take it without payment...

Court precedent and the Bill of Rights does not allow this pond-scum's property to be taken without equitable and just compensation. You may argue what that compensation should be, but make no mistake, the government cannot take it without compensation.

Personally, I think cost + 10% + fees is more than equitable.

[Protagoras]

If the landscaping causes a gully that erodes the ground around a fence post -- so be it.

That is incorrect in as far as my county in Illinois is concerned. I'm willing to bet it is widespread elsewhere in the zoning laws. You cannot make adjustments to your property which have a new impact on the ajoining property with regard to water flow. That makes your water issue a good example. You cannot make an alteration which makes water flow onto the ajoining property in a different way or in increased volume.

[bvw]

And does the fence act as a dam then? It might. Pictures don't show it.

[Protagoras]

The lake-front owners could place "decorative" straw-men next to the fence, and perhaps too close to the barbeque.

You are too cute by half. If you advocate arson as a solution to property rights disputes just say so and then you will not be dancing around evil. You will be embracing it.

[NativeNewYorker]

If you act with malice, you can expect malice in return.

I totally agree here, and would not be terribly surprised, or really sympathetic, if someone dealt harshly with the fence builder.

His property rights are beyond question, but a common law "eye for an eye" reply, legal or not, is a reasonable expectation.

[Poohbah]

Personally, I think cost + 10% + fees is more than equitable.

No problem. That would be about right for unloading a newly created EPA Superfund site onto the county.

[IncPen]

No man is an island, after all

No man is an island, but when you pee, urination...

Thanks, I'll be here all week