Quick! When I say “outdoor playhouse” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?

For many it might be something like this: fun, neat, cool, independence, getaway, or any number of other positive terms.

Unfortunately, what I think of these days is code enforcement.

When I named my book (and the blog, etc.), “Technically, That’s Illegal,” I knew the phrase would come up in conversation quite often. You see, many things people do are, technically, illegal.

Last fall, I told you about an illegal treehouse. Today, I’m going to tell you about an illegal playhouse. It belongs to a 5-year-old boy.

One neighbor said the playhouse takes up too much space and “makes it look like junk.”

But neither youth, charm, nor ignorance are any excuse for not following the law in Ocala, Florida.

…the family has been told the playhouse requires the special variance from code enforcement and approval from the historic preservation board.

If it doesn’t get approval, the playhouse must be moved or torn down within 120 days, or the family will start accumulating fines of $25 a day.

Of course, even if they apply for the variance, it doesn’t mean they will get approved. It seems like some folks in that neighborhood have some serious issues!

This episode of the podcast features a list of six laws that you’ve probably broken without realizing it. This is followed by a discussin of why it seems necessary to overreact to everything these days, when the fact remains that it is impossible to completely follow the law.

Links:

Laws You Have Broken

Fresh Prince Causes Lockdown

Hurting Others Hurts You Just as Much

Counseling for Kids Who Saw a Pop Tart

Man Arrested and Charged with a Felony for Pointing His Finger

Welcome to another episode of Technically, That’s Illegal.

First up is a discussion of some “libertarian magic” called Shared Space, which I was introduced to by Dick Puddlecote‘s blog (including recommended video).

After that, I talk about a politican who completely overreacted to some immature behavior by acting immaturely himself and attempting to make photoshopping illegal.

Then, I discuss the delicate balance of code enforcement issues and another politician who is attempting to ban texting while crossing the road.

• A politician tries to ban lewd photoshopping even though the supreme court has already listened to a similar case and struck it down.
• Either the municipal code is meaningless and tit-for-tat, or it should be enforced equally…but I don’t like that either.
• They either really care about our safety, or these politicians are nuts. I’m going for the second option.
• Ademo Freeman misses court and is jailed

It is impossible for most municipalities to enforce their codes.

The enforcement of said codes usually boils down to a few things, none of which are pleasant — grumpy neighbors, tit for tat, and pet peeves of those doing the enforcing.

I cover the idea of grumpy neighbors extensively in my podcast, which features a segment every week about neighbors turning each other in for things, and people generally not having the decency to deal politely with one another, nor the fortitude to “endure” their neighbors’ hobbies or habits.

Today’s focus article proves that one aspect of code enforcement is simply the pet peeve of the code enforcement officer.

This article is about an officer who was let go, but that’s not the part of the article that we are focusing on today.

Please notice the huge picture of her with dozens of illegal signs that she has confiscated and the following words:

During last fall’s election season, Johnson made news when she began to enforce a new city ordinance regarding campaign signs.

Recently, she had increased enforcement efforts on rules against unlicensed business signage.

The lesson of the day is that most of us will go about our day today breaking a variety of laws without knowing it. We just have to hope that the laws we’re breaking aren’t one of the pet issues of the “authorities” in our towns.

In this episode, I rant about how we think we know everything and then scientists go ahead and discover wild new species.

Overreaction of the week: Huge fines for neatly stacked palates at a store.

Grumpy neighbor award: People complaining about seeing deer carcasses during deer season.

Safety: We now need permits to be homeless. Who knew?

Referenced articles:

10 Astonishing New Species Discovered in 2012

More than $20G in Fines for This…

Of Course They Did…Neighbors Complained About Deer Carcasses

You Need a Permit to Be Homeless

The Government Drove This Guy Out of Business

My New Desktop Wallpaper

In this episode of the podcast, the following segments are included:

1. Rant about Nothing — Storage Wars has been accused of being fake

2. Overreaction of the Week — A mother who was arrested for leaving her children home alone

3. Grumpy Neighbor Award — Mother arrested for letting her kids play outside combined with a discussion about the golden rule.

4. Safety — How we are actually safer than we think we are. Statistics and anecdotes included.

5. Something positive — A discussion about how we can be better neighbors and a few moments that restore faith in humanity.

Click the yellow play button to listen.

Internet articles that might be of interest/reference:

Tips on Being a Good Neighbor

Moments that Restored Our Faith in Humanity

NYC’s First Day With No Violent Crime

Violent Crime in US Down 4% Across the Board

Why Sandy Hook Feels So Close

Are Robberies Really “Soaring?”

An Excellent Podcast About The Golden Rule

Mother Arrested for Leaving Kids Home Alone

Storage Wars Fake?

Mother Arrested for Letting Kids Play Outside

When I look around my neighborhood and community…and even at the world at large, I find many more people doing good than harm. I choose not to be suspicious and paranoid of everyone.

I choose to see the good in people.

I choose to believe, therefore, that society would not fall apart without legislative intervention.

Here’s an example of why I believe that — if you have others I’d be happy to tweet them or write about them here.

In this episode, I talk about my recent trip to the dentist, a woman who called the police on The Salvation Army bell ringers, a dispute between some neighbors, and a warning from the CPSC about toxic laundry detergent.

Here are some relevant links:

A Woman Calls the Police On The Salvation Army

Corte Madera Neighbors at Odds

A Natural Consequence of the Nanny State is Calling the Police Too Much

CPSC Warns Not to Drink Laundry Soap

Why You’re Never Failing As a Parent

Isn’t it every kid’s dream to have a treehouse? — a little place of their own to hang out and conspire on how to get more cookies and less school time?

When I was young, we built “forts.” I don’t think we realized that a “fort” was basically a military term short for “fortress,” because our structures were not based on military or combat play. They were places to hang out. They gave us our own place to just be kids. In this way, they were very much like treehouses, only on the ground.

But, I lived in the country. We had no neighbors. We had lots of woods. Kids who live in cities are more inclined toward the treehouse route since there isn’t a lot of wooded space in town to make your own forts.

Anyway, two brothers got their wish for a treehouse last April.

Logan and his parents, Scott and Kacey Olson, his grandparents and his brother Dillon, 12, built the elaborate treehouse in the front yard of the Olsons’ house at 1907 Beverly Hill Blvd.

By late June, Logan and Dillon had a solidly built, 17-foot-high, 80-square-foot treehouse with a deck on three sides.

The brothers helped to build the treehouse, and they are currently trying to save it.

The civics lesson began in late September, when somebody lodged a complaint with the city’s Building Division because the Olsons hadn’t obtained a building permit.

As it turned out, they didn’t need one. Nicole Cromwell, the city’s zoning coordinator, said permits are unnecessary for buildings of less than 120 square feet.

So, what’s the problem? As the family tried to comply with the unnecessary request for a building permit, the city discovered that the treehouse violates municipal code in another way.

Although a “structure” technically is a building on the ground, the treehouse does have four wooden support beams, which qualifies it as an “accessory structure,” and zoning rules say accessory structures have to be set back at least 20 feet from the property line. The closest post is 5 feet, 6 inches from the front property line.

The boys are currently trying to obtain a variance.

Over three days — once in a rainstorm — they and several friends knocked on doors for many blocks around, eventually gathering 61 signatures of people supporting a variance for their treehouse.

As Dillon explained it, their pitch was straightforward. He told people, “If you think it’s a good idea that we should keep our treehouse, you should sign this.”

Good for them. The treehouse isn’t hurting anyone. It actually looks quite nice and safe. I can’t see any good reason for it to be torn down.

Not everyone agrees with me. Read the comments section for a little tidbit from a person who hasn’t yet realized that the law is out of control.

One very troubling aspect of today’s police-heavy, legislation-ridden society is the requirement that we act as informants for the police. These days, in many situations, it is no longer optional to get the authorities involved.

As a counselor, I was a mandated reporter for any suspicion of child abuse. That’s something I’m not planning address in detail today. However, I will say that it lays the ground work for many similar laws around the country. There are too many examples to list right now, but if you pay attention, you’ll see what I mean. People are being punished for not reporting crimes. This relates mostly to felonies, but you’d actually be surprised how many things are considered felonies these days. Just read the newspaper with your eyes and ears open and you will find stories like this one.

The story is about a man who was using illegal (unapproved) containers for gasoline. He was using five gallon buckets with lids. Of course, this is not smart. I’m not defending him. However, if you read closely in the story, you will find out that he received a misdemeanor ticket…but so did the gas station owner!

The gas station owner, Muniruzzaman Gomosta, 41, of West Haven, said he was busy and didn’t realize what the man was doing. He told police that Latif had come inside the store several times to pay for gas, but didn’t realize what he was doing.

Gomosta and Latif both were issued a misdemeanor summons for violation of regulation concerning flammable or combustible liquids.

“Officers felt Gomosta should have realized what Latif was doing as he entered the store several times to pay for buckets of gasoline,” Cuozzo said.

Orange Fire Marshal Timothy Smith and state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials responded to the scene and decided to return the gasoline to the station’s underground storage tanks.

Gomosta and Latif are due in Derby Superior Court on Nov. 19.

So, somehow, the gas station owner is responsible for the irresponsible behavior of his customers. Sometimes our society makes no sense.