Homesteaders?

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444 Magnum

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I purchased several building tracts in the Georgia mtns a few years ago. County road access to some and private road access to others. The private road is a deeded easement to all the owners on that side.
The lot next to me (on the private road) sold at auction a few years ago and then sold to a speculator. The speculator just sold it to a veteran and his family (wife and 5 children) who want to "homestead" there.
Their lot (7.54 acres) is significantly sloping but has an area suitable for building farther up the side of the mountain. The "flat" area is accessible via another easement across another tract.

In order to build up there, the driveway must be completed, septic evaluated, a well drilled, foundation, etc. You get the picture. Of course, permits must be pulled and approved and a lot of money spent.

I live 4 hours away at this time. The land is part of a long term plan. Got a call from the neighbor telling me about the homesteaders. Last week they were tent living and cutting stairs into the side of the slope.
The neighbor went back today. This is the pic he sent me. The road that you see is the common easement.

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They have placed a pre-fab building at the bottom of their lot literally 2 feet off the common road blocking the drainage ditch in the process.

No foundation, no power, no water, no septic, doesn't meet energy code (I presume), and probably a dozen more violations (or more).

I called the county. No permits applied for. Then I called code enforcement to get the process started.

These people have been watching too much television and internet about "homesteading" and haven't a clue. This isn't the Alaska wilderness. Even if the building isn't moved, it will certainly wash away along with the road over time. If they haven't moved by winter, I hate to think how they will heat the house.

I think someone even called family/childrens services because this is not a tenable situation for the children.

Its been a great week: this, the wife got covid, too wet to work, and I ran over a sign with my truck.

Thanks for listening.
 

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Dang. What can you say but...Welcome to the neighborhood!!:(

Let's just hope the county gets involved...QUICK!

DkcelTz.jpg


You mentioned that they have no water or septic. Uh-oh. You know what that means. Don't you? And with seven people using it, it fills up quick...because your description of them gives me the impression that they probably didn't dig a very deep hole. :eek:

eJguwdv.jpg
 
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Here if you outside the city limits you can built what you want anyway you want. You only need approval fro 2 things. Septic system and electrical inspection must pass.

My place already has an approved septic system. I had the built over added onto trailer tore out, then put in my own footings, foundation and build the whole place with no inspections what so eve. Except a 15 minute preliminary by the electrical inspector, he told me he could see I knew what I was doing to go ahead and finish the house. When the house was complete he came in looked in my panel went around and checked a few outlets and signed me off. My insurance company wouldn't sign off till I had hand rails on the temp back steps. I did built to normal building codes though.

Most of the lower population counties in the state are the same way. Your land built what you want on it. If you want an out house you do not need anything. Most require a permit for septic
 
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Do not laugh. I saw a similar situation
County trued to force people to conform
to code. Did not work , they put a goat
And some chickens in it called it a barn.
Said they were just taking care of there
Live stock.
They finally lost the property to the bank.
Some one burnt the barn down pretty
quick.
 
The building inspection departments in Georgia that I have had dealings with have all had at least one thing in common...they don't like to be ignored. I have spoken to planning/zoning and building inspections, they both referred me to code enforcement to get the ball rolling.
The code enforcement officer said he will go inspect the property (with an armed constable in tow) and will issue ticket(s) based on what he finds (unpermitted building, etc.) that will include a court summons. Court date will be one or two months out depending on court schedule.
We'll go from there.
 
I had a couple of Great Uncles on dad's side, do some Homesteading in Colorado in the late 1870's/early 1880's. Nothing was ever heard about them again!

On mom's side, in 1818 James Mock came to central Ohio with 2 horses, 3 cows, 2 kids and a very pregnant wife. When he found the property, he had paid for, all of it but about 800 square feet was under 4 to 6 inches of water! He did what was necessary. He died having had 12 kids, on a very successful farm of about 800 acres.

Could someone do something similar today? Most likely, Yes!

Do people want to work that hard, and live without luxuries today? Most likely, No!

Ivan
 
35 years ago I bought a tract of wilderness to use as a hunting spot. The wife liked it so much we decided to make it our summer home as well.

The first thing we did was built an outhouse for the wife. The property is old defunct oil lands. We have at least 6 old wells on the property. But it was also early fracking. We have dozens of water fracking wells, a few around each oil well.

Each well is reportedly 2000 feet deep, located below the oil reserve. Haven't been pumped since the 1940's. Right at our campsite is one of them. What a better place to locate the outhouse. No smell, you can;t even hear the "stuff" hit bottom and the convenience factor is awesome.

We got inspected. The county Judge sited us for an illegal waste disposal facility.

The deer and bear poop right on the ground. The judge didn't want to hear that.

A hundred bucks later and showing a receipt for a porta potty and the charges were dropped.

Of course if I do it in the bushes I suspect nobody will ever know....
 
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GypsmJim said:
35 years ago I bought a tract of wilderness to use as a hunting spot. The wife liked it so much we decided to make it our summer home as well.

The first thing we did was built an outhouse for the wife. The property is old defunct oil lands. We have at least 6 old wells on the property. But it was also early fracking. We have dozens of water fracking wells, a few around each oil well.

Each well is reportedly 2000 feet deep, located below the oil reserve. Haven't been pumped since the 1940's. Right at our campsite is one of them. What a better place to locate the outhouse. No smell, you can;t even hear the "stuff" hit bottom and the convenience factor is awesome.

We got inspected. The county Judge sited us for an illegal waste disposal facility.

The deer and bear poop right on the ground. The judge didn't want to hear that.

A hundred bucks later and showing a receipt for a porta potty and the charges were dropped.

Of course if I do it in the bushes I suspect nobody will ever know....
Click to expand...

I would put a hasp on the door of the out house and call it a storage shed myself. If an inspector showed up I would meet him at the property line and ask to see the warrant. Inspection, search all the same. To many people are way to willing to surrender their rights to agencies like this. Your place must have some acreage if it has 6 frack sites I would like to know how a out house in the middle of it is more of a problem for any neighboring owners than a septic system. I can see that kind of stupid on a city lot or where there is a lot of small parcels, or near a water way, but not in the boon dock.

A good outhouse hole will compost down a lot of waste for years. Some quick lime now and again will help. There are still a lot of them in this state.
 
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I agree all this wacky (and fake) television about homestead rescue and mountain men and tiny house and blah blah blah makes people think this behavior is ok. My closet neighbor to my cabin is a straight up scumbag!!!
Fence made of pallets. Walk out front door into pig pen literally. Garbage at the road . The bears would grab it and scatter across road and up the side of mountain. I couldn’t see the place from my property but it’s the last thing you see driving up a town road to my place. I called the County Sanitarian and he handled it swiftly. The place is still an eyesore but not like it was.
 
In the case of a mess being visible from the road an inspector would not need a warrant of course.

Montana has a very strong culture of its you ground and you can pretty much do as you please on it

Nobody complained when my great grandma, as a widow with a bunch of kids homesteaded on the Powder river and built a home out of prairie sod. I am sure that my great great grandpa's first "ranch house" on the Big Dry was no prize and I know for a fact they all used outhouses. I was using them myself when we visited country relatives and even a few of the people I knew on the edges of town in the 1960s still used them. I now of a bunch of functioning out houses in semi remote locations right now.
A proper out house that isn't over used isn't any worse for the surrounding area than a septic system . Waste goes in, slowly decomposes and leeches into the ground just like a septic system.
A good seat, screened vent to keep the fly's out on a good sized hole in the the majority of soil conditions and you are good to go. I guess you could buy an "approved" composting toilet to do exactly the same thing.
 
My neighbor has spoken to them. His description of the man is "wild eyed and carrying".

Their long term plans are to live there permanently as "homesteaders". They couldn't get the house up on the flat (or didn't try--money, time, too challenging?) so they put it literally on the edge of a private but shared road. We have subdivision requirements that stipulate a 40' minimum setback. I'm sure county ordinances have set back requirements also but this is a private road so that may not apply.

The county code enforcement officer had spoken to them previously when they were living in a tent. The owner said they had already pulled permits for the coming build. It was a lie, no permits have been applied for.

In Georgia, a waste disposal plan has to be approved by the health department before building permits will be issued and building can begin. They got around all that (for now) by bringing in a factory built "shed" that does not meet the state and national building codes for a residence.

To put the house where it is shows a lack of common sense, a lack of consideration for the other property owners, and a lack of respect for the law. What it does not lack is planning (albeit nonsensical) and deception.

Because they are literally on the property line on the side of the mountain, the road is being used as their "yard" by the kids with trash and toys already littering it.

I am not a "new, rural landholder". I have land in three different counties. I am a professional builder who follows codes and respects his neighbors. I am nothing like these people. Their actions tell me all I need to know.

They obviously are not destitute as they paid $30,000 for the lot and probably at least $10,000 for the building and delivery.

No bleeding heart here..."just saying".
 
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There was a time when your property meant YOUR PROPERTY.

Health and Safety is one thing; but too many inspectors become hall monitors. I have on many occasions left something undone where the inspector could find at least one thing wrong. If I didn't they would make up something.


There must be a balance; but I think we have lost that battle. I think it would be almost impossible for a homeless person to "fend for themselves" today. Living off the land requires cash today for permits, fees, and fines to even get started.
 
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I do agree that the location of the building shows a lack of brains, consideration and effort. I also believe their are way to many regulations on what a person can do on his own property. Most of the codes were written for and by urban dwellers and often with the real intent of forcing people to spend money. I find it hilarious that people who do not believe in petty gun regulations are fine with them on some ones property.
 
steelslaver said:
I would put a hasp on the door of the out house and call it a storage shed myself. If an inspector showed up I would meet him at the property line and ask to see the warrant. Inspection, search all the same. To many people are way to willing to surrender their rights to agencies like this. Your place must have some acreage if it has 6 frack sites I would like to know how a out house in the middle of it is more of a problem for any neighboring owners than a septic system. I can see that kind of stupid on a city lot or where there is a lot of small parcels, or near a water way, but not in the boon dock.

A good outhouse hole will compost down a lot of waste for years. Some quick lime now and again will help. There are still a lot of them in this state.
Click to expand...
Shortly after acquiring the property I got a tax map and sent letters to the neighboring properties asking permission to hunt. I didn't know it at that time, but the lady up the road was the County Health department Field Inspector. She inspected without my knowledge.

The claim was that because of using the well, and because the water table rises and falls with seasons, I might be contaminating some of my neighbors wells. If it had simply been a compost hole that i dug myself, there would not have been an issue.
 
sjbrdn said:
My neighbor has spoken to them. His description of the man is "wild eyed and carrying".

Their long term plans are to live there permanently as "homesteaders". They couldn't get the house up on the flat (or didn't try--money, time, too challenging?) so they put it literally on the edge of a private but shared road. We have subdivision requirements that stipulate a 40' minimum setback. I'm sure county ordinances have set back requirements also but this is a private road so that may not apply.

The county code enforcement officer had spoken to them previously when they were living in a tent. The owner said they had already pulled permits for the coming build. It was a lie, no permits have been applied for.

In Georgia, a waste disposal plan has to be approved by the health department before building permits will be issued and building can begin. They got around all that (for now) by bringing in a factory built "shed" that does not meet the state and national building codes for a residence.

To put the house where it is shows a lack of common sense, a lack of consideration for the other property owners, and a lack of respect for the law. What it does not lack is planning (albeit nonsensical) and deception.

Because they are literally on the property line on the side of the mountain, the road is being used as their "yard" by the kids with trash and toys already littering it.

I am not a "new, rural landholder". I have land in three different counties. I am a professional builder who follows codes and respects his neighbors. I am nothing like these people. Their actions tell me all I need to know.

They obviously are not destitute as they paid $30,000 for the lot and probably at least $10,000 for the building and delivery.

No bleeding heart here..."just saying".
Click to expand...

This is the reason I never invested in rural property even though having a hunting retreat was always a dream of mine.

Too many stories like the one described in this thread have kept me away. It is a shame, but the reality of rural property ownership.

At this point, selling isn't really an option because the first thing a rural purchaser ought to do is investigate the neighbors.

Maybe the pressure from the establishment will deter them, but I have a feeling their roots are already established.

I wish you the best.
 
Twenty years ago when my wife and I were looking at rural properties we found many more we didn't want relative to those we desired. I remember several, otherwise nice, properties in the Hill Country plastered with hand-lettered signs proclaiming "No Trespassing" or a version of that sentiment. Invariably one or two letters were backwards or transposed. Whether inadvertent or intentional we had no interest in being their neighbors.

We lived in Austin at the time and the great compromise was going sufficiently far from "town" so the divorce lawyers and orthodontists balked at the weekend drive. The farther we went the more affordable land seemed to be but we had limits on drive times too. Turned out 90 miles was the magic mileage number.

Fifteen years later we moved to the town closest to our ranch and it's now 15 minutes away. We are very blessed to have both excellent town neighbors and superlative ranch neighbors. The timing was good as there is no possible way we could buy our same ranch today at "market" which is about four times what we paid 20 years ago.

Our county has seen an incredible influx of new property owners since the "pandemic" most of them buying up 10 acre tracts from "developers" who bought and broke up much larger properties. No idea what they are going to do with them as it's not possible to have 100 water wells on a 1000 acres in this part of the world. Lot of ranches were purchased sight unseen and the "for sale" signs were never removed.
 
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llowry61 said:
This is the reason I never invested in rural property even though having a hunting retreat was always a dream of mine.

Too many stories like the one described in this thread have kept me away. It is a shame, but the reality of rural property ownership.

At this point, selling isn't really an option because the first thing a rural purchaser ought to do is investigate the neighbors.

Maybe the pressure from the establishment will deter them, but I have a feeling their roots are already established.

I wish you the best.
Click to expand...

As a kid, my Dad and I went hunting and every year was the same thing. The old property owner that Dad knew from years and years just got 2 new son-in-laws and he didn't want anybody else hunting any more.

Hunting on State land was out of the question. All the nuts were there.

Dad couldn't afford to buy a camp, but I could (after college and a good job that is). It took me 10 years to find the right one.

We are on a paved road with only a few houses. Those were built in the early 1900's. No new land to acquire so no new houses going up. Most plots are 50 or more acres, and other than the few houses most are hunting / camping properties.

Our land has 3 campsites - one for us and one for each son.

I agree that some places can be problematic. One must do their homework and due diligence. Our place is the best investment I ever made. It cost the least 35 years ago, and now is worth more than all the others.

Some years ago I gave up a big promotion with a significant raise, just because I refused to move away from my camp.
 
Many years ago, I bought a half section south and west of San Antonio. Nothing on it cept cactus rattlesnakes etc. Everything bites scratches or sticks you... two or 3 tanks etc. Only paid almost 10 grand...taxes are almost nothing. Fellow rents it for cows and hunting...and keeps trying to buy it. I keep refusing. Paid for itself many times over. Big rattlesnakes and cactus though

No neighbors though!!
 
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I would much rather have a half illiterate person on the next place over that was "neighborly" than a person who was away sticking their nose in my business and was all worried about what I am doing with my own property.

One of the reasons Montanas can't stand most people from out of state is because they can't stay in their own lane. They come from somewhere that had to many rules and regulations, then get here and want rules and regulations. Of course like all people who want rules and regulations they just want the ones THEY feel WE need.

We were all getting along just fine before they got here with their rules.

My one neighbor is a retired judge. He mows his lawn just so every week, has an underground sprinkler system and flowers. I never water most of my grass, I mow it when I feel like it and drive my mower in circles and zigg zags to hit everything, a couple times a summer I will bust out the weed eater and nail the edges etc. I also have 2 boats, 2 pick ups and 5 cars a nice camper trailer and 3 utility type trailers. I do keep them neat and lined up. I have a 9' diameter plastic livestock tank along the shrubbery that separates us that we use for a cool pool. In the fall he brings me apples, in the winter I plow his circular drive, he comes over with gift cards to the gas station a couple times a winter. He never once asked me to plow, I simply saw a neighbor with no plow and started doing it when I got one I wave at him and he at me. My other neighbor has a loud car and about 5 others rigs, I saw a pot plant in his yard. Time to time it sounds like they have some fair to middlin parties. In the winter I make a pass down his straight drive and back once in the while, his wife brings over cake from time to time. When I refill up my ducks pool I sometimes stick the hose though the fence and put water in one he has for his chickens. He works at the dump. The people back behind us we do not see much of because they have a huge shop along the lilacs (mine) between us.. I hear him in his shop time to time. Back in that corner we have an old claw foot tub hooked up with a tankless propane heater. Tutn the valve on where a garden hose is connected tpo it and it fills fill piping hot water you can recirculate with a RV pump and keep it at 105 for as long as you want to soak stip naked. I have 7 chickens and a duck. The duck runs free. So do the deer who use my pool to water and lay in the shade under the girls trampoline. I am sure many would get the undies in a wad about my place. We love it and so do those who visit. Not a Home Owners Association. We are all something called neighbors. I got a problem with bob, I will simply go talk to Bob and see what it will take for us to both be happy, So far I have never any problems worth talking to Bob about.
 
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I used to live in the country on a deep narrow lot and our house just happened to be next to the neighbors garage/barn/shop. When we moved there, the old neighbors had a dog tied up next to the barn that barked ALL THE TIME 24/7, a real nuisance. The dog finally disappeared and peace and quiet was restored, I swear I had nothing to do with the dog's disappearance. The neighbor's young adult sons also LOVED to rev their engines and spin tires in their own driveway (Why?). That was a real nuisance but we didn't have to put up with it for very long.
Shortly thereafter the property next door sold and the retired guy who moved in accumulated old farm equipment and just a bunch of stuff. Yes it was unsightly, but you could not see it from the road, but we saw it every time we walked out the back yard. But the kicker was, the guy and his wife were just the nicest folks, he and his wife were very quiet and he would do anything for you. He even cut my 6+ acres for me every week while I recovered from spinal surgery and never asked for anything in return except fuel. We became good friends and when scrap metal prices soared, I offered to help him load up a bunch of the old equipment to sell and he was not interested, so I just dropped it. The messy lot wasn't that big of an issue for my wife or I and it wasn't worth losing a good relationship with a neighbor over.
 
I've read all the replies and agree with most in some way.

As a builder, I think modern building codes, electrical for example, as getting out of hand. Some of this, I believe, is the manufacturers pushing new product and some is the environmental movement (new energy codes).

As a home and land owner, I do not belong nor do I want to belong to an HOA. I believe in common sense subdivision requirements such as type of structure, minimum square footage, building setbacks, etc. Don't tell me what kind of flowers/trees I can plant or what type of window I have to use.

I get all that and agree with you all on those points. This is not about junk cars or purple houses. The subdivision in question is on the side of a mountain. One road in is county owned and maintained. The road in question was developer built and is privately maintained by the various land owners who have lots along it. Most lots are 3-8 acres. Nice mountain style houses and cabins all along there. Each lot was set out with a buildable sight on it. Some have natural flats while other have ridges that have been flattened.

This man's lot has a flat building sight farther up slope and he has a deeded easement for access to that sight from a point farther up the road. Instead, he has placed a pre-built shed/office building (brought in on a rollback) literally next to the road (see the pic in OP). The road in the picture is not his driveway, it is the common road shared by all the land owners.

He is violating the subdivision covenants (he would have received a copy at closing), county ordinances, and state and national building codes. He is creating a nuisance that will affect not only property values but will cause washing out of the common road. Not to mention his 5 children living without power, running water, waste disposal, HVAC (it gets HOT in GA), etc. He will not be able to get any of these utilities legally in the future unless he moves this structure and builds a home that meets basic residential requirements.

I don't consider myself "butting" into his private affairs and freedom as a land owner. I do, however, object to his intrusion on the property rights of the rest of the homeowners who share the road and wish to protect their financial investments.
 
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