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Wendi
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 10:21am
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We have an off grid 10x20 cabin we had been renting out for two years. When we first started up, I contacted our township and was told there were no bylaws regarding what we wanted to do. Forward two years and because of an anonymous inquiry, the CAO made it a formal complaint, they shut us down saying we were in contravention of a ByLaw. The ByLaw they cited doesn’t fit what we are doing, nor, are we going to comply with their demands to do so. Has anyone successfully taken this up with their township? We are going to ask that our contravention be repealed, that we be allowed to continue to rent our cabin and in the meantime work with the township to develop bylaws that make sense for what we are doing. We have an outhouse and a beautiful outdoor kitchen. They want us to have indoor toilet and wash station! They clearly don’t understand what camping or glamping is. Any help or advice will be appreciated. Thanks
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beachman
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 12:23pm
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Good luck. The establishment does not understand off grid life and therefore you either have to comply or try to change the mindset of the bureaucrats making the rules. They think that an outhouse can be a nuisance because it cannot be effectively contained and doesn't even qualify as mention in any compliance manual. They probably think the natives had signs on all the trees suggesting that pinecones could be a choking hazard. It will be your job to educate the rule makers and try to make them understand what you are doing is safe and certain regulations need to be adjusted for your situation for the good of others in similar circumstances. This will not be an easy task.
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Wendi
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 12:42pm
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Thank you for replying and I agree. We are going to try our best to educate the powers that be. We sat down with the Health Unit and they don’t have any issues with what we are doing. A simple leaching pit, they are happy with. The outhouse follows the “rules.†It’s the Township and their bs. If you can think of anything that would help us in our plight, cause we aren’t “going awayâ€, please let me know. Thanks again for replying. Much appreciated!
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meloj
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:00pm
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You're in North Frontenac? We are in that township as well. There are a lot of smaller builds in the township that technically won't comply with bylaws. However my understanding from locals is that they generally don't bother with anyone.
It could be possible that with renting out your cabin it drew attention and they are applying this in response to a complaint. So while they probably don't care they feel the need to reply to a complaint perhaps.
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Wendi
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 02:16pm
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Yes, there was an inquiry, which the CAO decided to make a formal complaint. Of course, we will never know who made the inquiry. We don’t know very many people, so God only knows. Yes, there are many lovely little places. They’ll be fine as long as no one complains or asks questions. The whole thing is disappointing and frustrating. We weren’t hurting anyone and bringing guests from France, the UK, all over the States and many provinces. Now, until we resolve this somehow, we can’t do anything. For 180$ we were able to have it deemed a sleeping cabin. That even took some effort. So, we can have family and friends, just can’t charge our big 50$ a night
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redneckpaul
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:45pm
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Sad that all it takes is one complaint and you have to go through this BS.
All I can say is when you buy land/cabin get as far away from people as you can. No neighbors, no complaints!
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Wendi
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 06:52pm
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Our neighbours aren’t close by except one. Can’t see his place, but, we know it’s there. Whoever it was actually gave the Township our listing on Airbnb. It was more of questioning if the township was ready for people doing what we were doing. The CAO decided it was a complaint and ran with it. So disappointing
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SE Ohio
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 09:28pm
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One way to think about this-
Is it cheaper to comply (or cease tenting it out) or to fight the ruling with a lawyer? With legal route you might still have to comply as legal outcomes aren’t guaranteed. Or sell and try elsewhere?
Nothing to really look forward to...
SE Ohio
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deercula
Member
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# Posted: 13 Jan 2020 09:47pm
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"selective enforcement"..........See you in court with my lawyer, who you will end up paying!
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:40am
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Quoting: Wendi just can’t charge our big 50$ a night
Dont charge, make it a donation.
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toyota_mdt_tech
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jan 2020 07:43am
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Quoting: redneckpaul All I can say is when you buy land/cabin get as far away from people as you can. No neighbors, no complaints!
That doesnt help, they buy land and move in close by and then complain. We had some from HOA nanny communities where they reside come over and try to impose the same garbage. They were told, people come over here to get away from nanny HOA's.
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Wendi
Member
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# Posted: 14 Jan 2020 09:02am
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Deercula and Toyota_mdt_tech......thank you!
I need to hear all the different strategies. I think I will call a lawyer who is informed about local bylaws and see what he/she thinks. The donation idea makes good sense to me! Would it fly? Who knows......
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lostdog
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2020 05:31pm
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lots of bylaw loopholes,depending on location
examples I know of
a large enough property may not need a septic permit of any kind
getting a certified engineer to sign off on your "plan" bypasses
bylaws in many juristictions
and engineers are just folk,like to get paid well, but if you can
make good drawings and show that the work done matches
the plan, it can be not bad financialy, and snubbing fussy buerocrats is something everybody enjoys
in some areas building on an existing foundation is classed
as a renovation, and therefore has an ocupency permit and therefore a septic permit
also it never hurts to go and talk to the planning department
directly, as in go over the head of the inspector,convince them
you know what you are doing, are clean ,considerate,and determained to stay.
never know, you could get fined $100, but never get a bill
happened to me.
another time a building inspector after a long talk, came back one day and said" i opened a permit for you.......and I closed it"
I had taken up resedency in an 1880's barn,in town limits
always ask the next question when engaged with a beuaucracy
or any other situation that seems lopsided
watch out vs/vs there "discretionary powers", as they realy
do have them,but they are human, and are often easy to
deal with after they know you are goung to be clean and
considerate.......and pay taxes.......eventualy
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Wendi
Member
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# Posted: 21 Jan 2020 06:16pm
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Thank you, Lost Dog. We do know a number of tradespeople, so, we’re going to look for a decent engineer through them and see what he/she thinks.
The “discretionary powers†are truly quite scary.....very subjective. It still is “who you know†not, “what you know†isn’t it!
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