From: GotaM35 (gotam35@joetrapp.com)
Date: Wed Jan 18 2006 - 19:22:00 PST
If I may add a bit to this topic.
As a matter of opinion, I suggest great patience be exercised here. I have
been dealing with local government a lot over the last few years because I
have to have up to 20 sewers a week inspected. Here are a couple of lessons
I have learned.
First off, kiss all the butt you can. This will fail from time to time, but
if it will work it will save you a lot of trouble.
When that fails, as it has in Kansas, keep your cool and arm your self will
information. I believe time is on your side. Here's a little example to
illustrate my point:
I had a city inspector refuse to inspect one of my houses. We did all we
could to appease him, but he had a grudge against us. In one week we run a
sewer line for the plumber he hated and one for a plumber he did not know we
where working for. He inspected and passed the one he didn't know we did
and failed the other. Both were identical but he held us to two different
standards. We took a lawyer to meet with his boss and the city attorney.
We
were able to catch him in his lie. His boss took an early retirement the
next month. I think they knew we could have sued and won. We now have no
trouble getting inspections.
The fact of the matter is you need proof of stupidity. Pictures and written
proof are best. Find examples of inconsistent rules and policies. Make
notes of times and names of people. Find out about similar vehicles and
situations. If you are being duked, you will have to get a lawyer. Nobody
listens to people like us. If you can't afford to spend some money on legal
advice, sell the ferret and get a truck. I don't mean that be smart, that's
just the cold hard facts. It's the way America works now.
Call someone with an armored car company. There is no deference in a ferret
with a gun turret and an armored bank truck with pistol ports on every side.
At least I assume those are pistol ports. You can see about as good in a
ferret as you can in some cranes. Of course the crane may require a permit
to be moved. If the deal breaker is armor then
your should be able to remove part and install something other than armor.
There has to be specific ordinances prohibiting anything that the government
prohibits.
I learned from my little city inspector friends (and my lawyer) that a
government entity can not make up policy. There must be a ordinance or code
that defines everything. These "rules" are decided upon by a governing
party. If it's the state then the state legislature must make those
decision.
That's my two cents worth. Just don't let your little battle turn into a
big one that is going to hump the rest of us. "United we stand, divided we
fall". I never liked that statement.
Joe Trapp
Blue collar work horse, not legal expert.
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