Toronto Orders Man To Take Down His $30K Boat-Treehouse
37 replies, posted
[url]http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/toronto/treehouse-toronto-1.3543497[/url]
[quote=CBC]John Alpeza built a boat to get away from all the distractions that come with living in Toronto.
But the city has ordered him to dismantle the boat, saying it violates zoning bylaws.[/quote]
Bullocks.
Sounds like the city of toronto is a bunch of jealous fucks.
I'd slaughter an entire small Bolivian village for a boat-treehouse.
How the fuck does a tree house cost as much as a decent luxury car?
[QUOTE=phygon;50169707]How the fuck does a tree house cost as much as a decent luxury car?[/QUOTE]
When it's awesome as fuck, that's how.
That thing is beautiful, but I can understand where his neighbors/the city is coming from. If this were on a private plot of land out in the country, no problem, but it's a huge structure in a dead tree built without permits and overhanging a neighbor's yard in a relatively dense suburban area. There are serious safety considerations to his property and his neighbor's, and this could have an adverse effect on the property values of his immediate neighbors. As cool as I personally think this is, the dude messed up by not going through proper legal channels first.
He went through 3 different city departments and got rejected. He still decided to continue construction anyways. He should have known this was coming
[QUOTE=ridinmybike;50169768]He went through 3 different city departments and got rejected. He still decided to continue construction anyways. He should have known this was coming[/QUOTE]
The rejections came after he had already finished construction if I'm understanding the article correctly, but either way for a project of this magnitude he should have done all his due dilligence BEFORE "breaking ground."
He obviously had the best intentions, and this is a pretty incredible feat of carpentry, but it is actually NOT better to ask for forgiveness than permission when it comes to the law.
[QUOTE=ZakkShock;50169668]Sounds like the city of toronto is a bunch of jealous fucks.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah
[QUOTE]I'd slaughter an entire small Bolivian village for a boat-treehouse.[/QUOTE]
wait no
His neighbor sounds like a right cunt.
I fucking hate busybodies like that. Sounds like she's getting off on the idea of him being made to take it down based on her quote in the article.
[QUOTE=Big Dumb American;50169759]That thing is beautiful, but I can understand where his neighbors/the city is coming from. If this were on a private plot of land out in the country, no problem, but it's a huge structure in a dead tree built without permits and overhanging a neighbor's yard in a relatively dense suburban area. There are serious safety considerations to his property and his neighbor's, and this could have an adverse effect on the property values of his immediate neighbors. As cool as I personally think this is, the dude messed up by not going through proper legal channels first.[/QUOTE]
I'm going to have to agree with this. It's fucking awesome, But with property values at an all time high in toronto, and certainly considering the population density, the saftey hazards of this build would definitely drive the prices in the neighborhood way down.
Not to mention not everybody thinks your 30,000 dollar tree house looks cool as shit. Some might think it's an eyesore.
Should have done it legally.
I fail to understand how you guys think a $30,000 well built addition to the home is going to "hurt property value" and "pose a danger to bystanders" the thing is very well built.
[QUOTE=DiBBs27;50170096]I'm going to have to agree with this. It's fucking awesome, But with property values at an all time high in toronto, and certainly considering the population density, the saftey hazards of this build would definitely drive the prices in the neighborhood way down.
Not to mention not everybody thinks your 30,000 dollar tree house looks cool as shit. Some might think it's an eyesore.
[/QUOTE]
The eyesore doesn't matter as I can say I don't like that get rid of it, to pretty much anything.
The only thing that matters is safety and if it's done legally or not.
why not just ask his fucking neighbors what they think?
[QUOTE=Snoberry Tea;50169894]His neighbor sounds like a right cunt.
I fucking hate busybodies like that. Sounds like she's getting off on the idea of him being made to take it down based on her quote in the article.[/QUOTE]
Reminds me of when I was working on getting my Eagle Scout, I needed to make a public works project thing. My idea was some notice boards in this public park.
After going through all the legal hoops and such, these total fucking assholes who never participated in our town's community at all and were known to be absolute dicks, started to boycott my project.
Why?
Because they could see one of the notice boards from their house and they though that it would [i]somehow[/i] create "gang activity" on their lawn. In reality they just didn't want me putting something near their house.
I won in the end and actually built that one as close to their property as legally allowed because fuck them
It's against code, can't really fight that. As a contractor he should have expected that.
[QUOTE=phygon;50169707]How the fuck does a tree house cost as much as a decent luxury car?[/QUOTE]
Wood, lots of wood
[QUOTE=ridinmybike;50169768]He went through 3 different city departments and got rejected. He still decided to continue construction anyways. He should have known this was coming[/QUOTE]
it's small enough that he didn't need a permit, he just tried to get a permit after the complaints.
his neighbor is just stirring up shit, she knew of it for 4 years before complaining.
[QUOTE=Sableye;50171270]Wood, lots of wood[/QUOTE]
Lumber isn't expensive unless he made it out of solid fucking oak or something. It looks like there's less than $1k of wood in that photo. Maybe another $2k for the doors and windows and other random crap. No idea where $30k comes from unless you factor in theoretical labor costs.
I hate neighbors that "police" their neighborhoods. My family moved into this 109 year old house and some contractors were working on the electrical. They went on break one time and these ladies in the neighborhood nearly got us fined for having debris in our yard. The contractors trucks were still there and they were constantly going in and out of the house to get things. But no, we must have put that debris in our yard ourselves.
His property, should be able to put whatever he wants on it. Not like it's an eyesore like a giant floating cock that says "FUCK YOU" or anything.
[quote]But Alpeza's boat-treehouse has rankled at least one of his neighbours. Kate Lawson complained to the city.
"I feel that it's overly large, is what I think. That's why I brought it to the city's attention," Lawson said.
She said she's seen Alpeza's children playing in the boat-treehouse only a handful of times, and she's glad the city has ordered him to take it down.
"I think that's what should happen. Why does the city have bylaws if people can build whatever they want? They shouldn't be able to do that."[/quote]
lmao fuck off you jealous shit
[QUOTE=postal;50173102]lmao fuck off you jealous shit[/QUOTE]
talk about butthurt, I know it violates zoning laws but come on man could you be any more of an asshole just because you think it was 'overly large'
Am I the only one that thinks it's an eyesore?
[QUOTE=postal;50173102]lmao fuck off you jealous shit[/QUOTE]
This is nothing compared to living under the power of a HOA. An HOA could very likely have the power to put a lien against his house.
HOA's are referred to as Yard Facists for a reason.
[QUOTE=Zephyrs;50173227]This is nothing compared to living under the power of a HOA. An HOA could very likely have the power to put a lien against his house.
HOA's are referred to as Yard Facists for a reason.[/QUOTE]
Historical societies are worse. My family has to get permission from the city if we want to paint our house since we live in a historic neighborhood
[QUOTE=mralexs;50174183]Historical societies are worse. My family has to get permission from the city if we want to paint our house since we live in a historic neighborhood[/QUOTE]
That's because they don't want you mangling a historic building. Why would you buy a historic home if you don't want to preserve it?
They want to verify that you are going to paint it in the correct style for its period and not just slap a coat of dollar store teal on a Victorian. I'm glad historical societies exist for homes after what I've seen done to some of the Victorians in my town.
[QUOTE=mralexs;50174183]Historical societies are worse. My family has to get permission from the city if we want to paint our house since we live in a historic neighborhood[/QUOTE]
HOA's can take your house because you drive a 2016 pickup truck instead of an approved luxury brand SUV. I've heard of people loosing their houses over putting a flag pole in their front yards. It's insane what they have the power to enforce. I understand the need for an HOA in some situations. If I was in the market for a multi-million dollar home I'd be okay with a strict HOA, but the problem I think comes with HOA's in normal middle-class neighborhoods, where they think they are living in a luxury development. I was looking up the rules of a local neighborhood with a strict HOA and you literally had three color choices for your home, all variants of tan, anything else was prohibited.
[QUOTE=Grenadiac;50174192]That's because they don't want you mangling a historic building. Why would you buy a historic home if you don't want to preserve it?
They want to verify that you are going to paint it in the correct style for its period and not just slap a coat of dollar store teal on a Victorian. I'm glad historical societies exist for homes after what I've seen done to some of the Victorians in my town.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but even if we touch up the paint on our home we might get fined for using the wrong shade of gray
[QUOTE=Ajacks;50174234]HOA's can take your house because you drive a 2016 pickup truck instead of an approved luxury brand SUV. I've heard of people loosing their houses over putting a flag pole in their front yards. It's insane what they have the power to enforce. I understand the need for an HOA in some situations. If I was in the market for a multi-million dollar home I'd be okay with a strict HOA, but the problem I think comes with HOA's in normal middle-class neighborhoods, where they think they are living in a luxury development. I was looking up the rules of a local neighborhood with a strict HOA and you literally had three color choices for your home, all variants of tan, anything else was prohibited.[/QUOTE]
You didn't even mention the outrageous fees, either. HAS can charge hundreds of dollars per month in dues for even middle class neighborhoods, and you as a homeoqner have ltitle chpice but to pay up and shutup. They have entirely too much power.
[QUOTE=mralexs;50174338]Yeah, but even if we touch up the paint on our home we might get fined for using the wrong shade of gray[/QUOTE]
They might be overbearing but I'd rather them be overbearing than allow things like the 3-story 1881 in my town to be painted bright purple while the center of the home is sinking into the ground causing the outer edges to twist and buckle. The owners should be fined to bits for not maintaining it because now that 135 year old house is a few years from demolition once it fails its next inspection.
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