Codes Monkeys Take Flight This Thursday

[smcrorey]

http://lubbockonline.com/stories/030810 ... 0986.shtml

Codes inspectors plan sweep of central Lubbock neighborhood

Monday, March 08, 2010
Story last updated at 3/8/2010 - 10:02 am
The city codes department will inspect a central Lubbock neighborhood and issue warnings and citations on Thursday.
Inspectors will look for tall weeds, junked vehicles and other ordinance and code violations in the neighborhood bordered by University Avenue, 19th Street, Indiana Avenue and 34th Street.

The city will set up a field office during the inspection at 2901 Elgin Avenue. Code inspectors will begin at 8 a.m. and finish at 5 p.m.

Geez I hate these people.

Bring in the dog, lock the doors, board the windows, Stewie's sending out his flying monkey brigade!

I can't begin to describe what a shambles our Codes Enfarcement department has been in the past. I won't say that they are as dumb as they used to be because I haven't dealt with them recently, but they are still headed (as far as I know) by Stewie Walker, who is the living, breathing embodiment of incompetence.

Those of you who were on the LOL forum caught my rant, my fight, and my win concerning citings for violations that didn't exist on my property a couple of years ago.

I posted a long gripe about Codes Enfarcement and where residents can educate themselves on current ordinances on the LOL story cited above.. I'm just going to copy/paste that here for any who may be interested. I recommend that everyone, especially anyone who's cited by these idiots, take a look at the franklinlegal.net link in the post and, if necessary, contact the City Secretary in order to get copies.

Why the City Secretary, and not the Code Enfarcement Department, you ask? Great question, stupid answer - When confronted with questions specific to local ordinances, Stewie informed me that he didn't "have that information readily available [in his office]." He told me this face-to-face IN his office... I know.. I know.. The lady who assisted me in the City Secretary's office raised an eyebrow when I informed her of this, too.

Here's my post to the LOL article:

Posted by: smcrorey at Mar. 8, 2010 at 1:53:29 pm
Stewie's rubbing his crystal ball and letting loose the flying monkey brigade! Maybe this year they have full working knowledge of the ordinances they are enforcing. Chances are, not so much.

Before you bust out the checkbook, be sure to look up the ordinances yourself, as no one in the codes department (including Stewie Walker, who's supposed to be heading the mess) could answer any specific question concerning said ordinances the last time they fined me outside of the intended scope of the ordinances.

My hat's off to the City Secretary who was able to not only answer my questions on specific ordinances, but provided me with copies of the ordinances to submit as proof to the city that the flying monkey brigade cited me unjustly.

You can find the ordinances online here:
http://codes.franklinlegal.net/lubbock-flp/

Weeds, in particular, are listed under Chapter 12: Health.

If Codes Enfarcement disputes your claims of having the correct information, you may need to contact the City Secretary as the information at FranklinLegal.net has a big fat disclaimer indicating that portions of the code may have been updated or changed, but not on the site.

Also, keep in mind that if the department has concluded it's "business" on your property that these individuals no longer have the right to remain on your property. I had one two years ago that wanted to show me what a big man he was (even called for backup) when I told him to get off my property when he decided he would talk down to me after putting a sticker on my car (parked, not disassembled, in my driveway). I don't recommend repeating yourself over and over, as I did, to "get off my property. You're now trespassing." Instead, say it once, then call the cops if they won't leave.

[IronfootMcGurk]

Thanks for the heads-up. Been looking for camo netting, 'bout 100 X 200, so I can just cover up the whole property when code officers come by, instead of having to worry about chopping weeds, putting together the engine that is pulled apart in the front yard and reassembling the vehicle it came out of, painting rotting boards, etc.

You don't suppose the code occiferrs would look under the camo net, do you?

[jross]

Like living in the country. Less anal retentiveness, or at least less ability to force one's anal retentiveness on other less retentive citizens. Though I will say that the folks who consider bar ditches to be dumps for old appliances, furniture, and unwanted pets, pretty much suck. Trashing one's own property is one thing, trashing public roadsides and other people's property are very different things.

[smcrorey]

You don't suppose the code occiferrs would look under the camo net, do you?

As brazen as the enforcement inspectors, or whatever title they like to grace themselves with these days, are - it's a million wonders they don't just walk into peoples' homes.

Like living in the country.

So do some of the enforcement officers. In fact, one of the managing members of the team lived on a property just outside of town east of I-27. Sweet property. If you need a car, there were 3 under all the weeds, trash, and building debris that made up the entire lot that wasn't occupied by a cracked, and peeling house. Ah, how it must feel for one to fart so horribly loud and noxious to be the one to pass out the tickets for farting.

I mention this person and their property in the past tense, because it was upward of 3-4 years ago that I got to lay eye on this land of plenty. Who knows, mebbie they've tidied up.. Or maybe it's all the worse. Who knows.

[jross]

I was feeling bad about the tumbleweeds, but the little storms that came through took care of most of them. Like to see wild things migrating the way god intended them to.

I don't have any cars on the property. I had a couple of old rider lawnmowers that I rolled up to the bar ditch and put a pick up for free sign on, and they migrated too.

I do have a maroon toilet and sink sitting outside waiting for us to be able to afford redoing our bathroom and add the maroon tub to the set. It's going to be a combination fish pond and fountain. I'm going to put in a pump to shoot water out of the toilet like a bidet, it'll splash into the sink, and drain down into the tub to oxygenate the water.

The LP doesn't seem to thrilled about the plan, but I figure that I can get her turned around by the time we can afford to redo the bathroom.

[IronfootMcGurk]

I have two toilets sitting outside, and two more in a rotting shed, for replacement when I wear out the ones now in use. House & Garden and House Beautiful and maybe Architecture Digest ought to run articles on ideas for what to do with toilets sitting out in the yard.

Quite agree with JeffRoss. Like him, I take the leaves and trash out to the street where they can resume their travels at the mercy of gravity and wind. It's like releasing a bird that you nursed back to health.

[LADYTENDER40]

It looks as though the folks complaining about codes violations are the very people violating the codes. Why doesnt someone who is a law abiding citizen write on here. Thats the way it usually is. When the neighbors are parking in the yard, throwing trash in the alley, letting the paint deteriorate on the house, who do we call?( not ghost busters). Codes not only writes violation notices to violators, but they help the community also. People are educated on different aspects of city codes. I dont know about the rest of you , but I dont want my neighbor trashing his house because it brings down my property value. Why do they have to tell people its not okay to park on the sidewalk, or in the yard. Why do they have to tell folks that the couch lying in the yard is a violation? I thought these were all common sense issues that we learned in elementary school. It's like a Jeff Foxworthy joke. Come on folks wake up. I sure dont want to live in a house next to any of the other people on this page, how bout you?

[smcrorey]

What ordinances am I violating, Ms. Tender?

[edited to add: As manager, wouldn't Walker be required at most to be in full understanding of the ordinances his department is in charge of, and at least have those ordinances available in office for himself as well as the citizenry? ]

[LADYTENDER40]

smcrorey, I am not sure you never specified. Why would you be so hateful against a group of people you probably dont even know. The other people on here that you get all worked up have toilets and junk vehicles in their yard. What exactly did they write you up for? I cant bellieve they would just write you up, just to write you up. They had to have noticed something. in fact I doubt if they have the time to just go out and write up bogus notices with all the mess around. If I was an officer I could spend all day in some neighborhoods in town writing up stuff. I could think of even a few new neighborhoods I would love to write up. If you are a pig it doesnt matter what neighborhood you live in.

[jross]

smcrorey, I am not sure you never specified. Why would you be so hateful against a group of people you probably dont even know. The other people on here that you get all worked up have toilets and junk vehicles in their yard. What exactly did they write you up for? I cant bellieve they would just write you up, just to write you up. They had to have noticed something. in fact I doubt if they have the time to just go out and write up bogus notices with all the mess around. If I was an officer I could spend all day in some neighborhoods in town writing up stuff. I could think of even a few new neighborhoods I would love to write up. If you are a pig it doesnt matter what neighborhood you live in.

As far as I know, I am breaking no laws, though I do have a toilet and a sink in my yard. I live in the county and no a town, and one of the reasons is so I don't have to deal with prigs or their anal retentively derived laws.

We've got pigs across road from us, and horses and donkeys next door. I think that I much prefer them as neighbors than someone like you.

Better check your curb. I bet grass is starting to grow between it and the pavement. Better take care of that.