Sunday, August 10, 2008

"We Don't Need No Stinking Building Permit" (Follow Up)


So, after getting the city inspectors involved in the activity at 3001 6th St. N., the next day I returned to the property, half expecting to see red placards with a "CEASE WORK" order...

There were no placards but all work had, in fact, ceased. The siding appeared finished, but not the eaves or trim, which were still pretty rough. The porch railings certainly needed paint. Note the contrast between new siding and old porch rail.

Other than the new siding and a few fragments of shingle, here and there, no sign could be found of the previous day's laborers renovating at a frenetic pace; as you might expect of a crew working on an exterior with no permits. Beyond the work performed on the house, only a can of Pepsi left behind was a trace of the crew itself.

I'm not too worried about them. There are plenty of jobs for workmen skilled in the art of roofing and siding, who will labor cheaply and not ask questions.

At the rate those workmen were moving, they could have finished the exterior in one more day. I'm sure more work would have been done on the interior, once again without any permits. And then it would be, like, "Oh, gee, Mr. Inspector...what can I say? Got a great deal on the property. Yeah, nice siding, huh? Good roof, too. Well, let's go inside and see what needs to be done by, um, licensed contractors."

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