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Woman living "off the grid" faces eviction

Care to supply a link for that bold assertion? I have yet to see a sewer meter or bill. I have a septic system, thus pay only for water.

You want me to show you a copy of my bill where water consumption and sewage are deliniated? Seriously? Will an online copy of someone else's suffice?

Note: There is no "sewage meter" its called "Solid Waste Charges" and usually the total amount is $0.00 until the end of the year.
 
Maggie did you read the story? She's paid her taxes, she can utilize the sewage system. She is choosing not to use the city's water or electricity, she has her own.

That being said, why can't one "One should not be able to simply shut off their water and avoid paying for the infrastructure." Why cannot one opt out of paying for something they aren't ever going to use? These are services you pay for by your levels of consumption of water or wattage.

If I don't drive my car this week, should I be paying the gas taxes on the gas I didn't use?

The argument might be made that she's not paying for the handling of her contribution of sewage. There is a way that they could guesstimate based on other homes of similar size and occupants, and bill her monthly for that and if she's reasonable, she would accept that.
 
Care to supply a link for that bold assertion? I have yet to see a sewer meter or bill. I have a septic system, thus pay only for water.

Here is your proof, without my bill:

Water and Wastewater Billing Changes | City of Hopewell, VirginiaCity of Hopewell, Virginia
Beginning October 2012, Hopewell customers’ Virginia American Water bills will no longer include charges for wastewater/sewer services. The City of Hopewell will send you a separate bill for your sewer/wastewater services.

You will continue to receive your regular Virginia American Water bill for water service. Here are some answers to questions you may have:
 
The argument might be made that she's not paying for the handling of her contribution of sewage. There is a way that they could guesstimate based on other homes of similar size and occupants, and bill her monthly for that and if she's reasonable, she would accept that.

Based on zero evidence, the claim could also be made that she is stealing cable. There is no reason to believe she does not receive a separate bill or does not pay her sewage portion, or doesn't own a composting toilet/outhouse; or is in any way violating any laws.

I cannot argue against all these baseless claims.
 
How dare her not willingly give money to the city and local electric monopoly every month.
 
You want me to show you a copy of my bill where water consumption and sewage are deliniated? Seriously? Will an online copy of someone else's suffice?

Note: There is no "sewage meter" its called "Solid Waste Charges" and usually the total amount is $0.00 until the end of the year.

You claimed that their was a separate sewer bill, independent of water usage. That is what I questioned. Yes - any example of a stand alone sewer usage bill will do.
 
To be honest, the whole assessment that Jefferson himself lived off the land is absolutely ridiculous. He had 200 slaves who ensured he was well fed, had water, had a clean house. Comparing that to what this lady is doing is nonsense. Jefferson had a small Midwest village working for him. This lady is just collecting water. I see no problem with that. Rain water is free. It's a bit dangerous to collect rainwater (mostly for pollution reasons) but it's her beef.

It takes all of an hour to educate yourself on how to use rainwater, or how to install a filter.

Also, hey at least Jefferson's slaves proved that they could live off the land.
 
Plenty of room on that roof for solar panels, a cell network node and plenty of property for wells and rainwater collection. But could you really live off the land, despite having all that square footage to go back to?

Yea, easily.
 
I'm guessing every community has building/zoning laws that define habitability...running water most assuredly being one. Apparently, her decisions run amok of those laws in her community. If she doesn't want to abide by those laws, then she needs to move.

I have no problem with what she's doing as long as she is safely getting rid of waste water. And, for her area, that undoubtedly means having a functioning sewer system. And that means paying one's fair share.

I think some of us are saying that until the last hundred and twenty years or so, all of humanity lived like she did, except for having her electricity which would make her living conditions superior to that of our first 10 or so presidents living in the White House. If there are no specific ordinances forbidding one from collecting water, her attorney will handle this smoothly. If there are, then they need to be fought. And it can be done.
 
I don't care about this all that much... but just for reference, citing Jefferson as an "off the grid" person and then talking about his home ignores this:

monticello1.jpg


If that's living off the grid, sign me the **** up.

Right. You'd live in there without running water or electricity, just because its pretty. Btw. It looks better there than it ever did while Jefferson was occupying it. He never really finished the house because he was hugely in debt, having acquired 'expensive tastes' as a politician, particularly during his time spent in France. Our Florida women has superior hygiene and her house is cleaner than the one pictured, when that is, Jefferson was occupying it.
 
Also, rather than sewage should could also be using a composting toilet:
View attachment 67158593

Unless there's new tech on this in the last several years (which there well could be) these require a pier and beam construction with crawl space to house the other bulky component. Her house looks to be slab.
 
To be honest, the whole assessment that Jefferson himself lived off the land is absolutely ridiculous. He had 200 slaves who ensured he was well fed, had water, had a clean house. Comparing that to what this lady is doing is nonsense. Jefferson had a small Midwest village working for him. This lady is just collecting water. I see no problem with that. Rain water is free. It's a bit dangerous to collect rainwater (mostly for pollution reasons) but it's her beef.

The author of the op could have done us all a favor and began the story differently and we wouldn't be getting side tracked with Jefferson's 200 slaves.
 
Based on zero evidence, the claim could also be made that she is stealing cable. There is no reason to believe she does not receive a separate bill or does not pay her sewage portion, or doesn't own a composting toilet/outhouse; or is in any way violating any laws.

I cannot argue against all these baseless claims.

Easy buddy. You and I are in total agreement on this whole story. I live in a house I built myself that operates on solar electric, wood heat and cistern water. I APPROVE of what she's doing. But someone else brought up the sewer issue and I'm just agreeing that sense she lives in the city and her house connects to city sewer that "IF" she isn't billed for her usage separately, that it would be fair if she was. Do you have a problem with that?
 
Right. You'd live in there without running water or electricity, just because its pretty. Btw. It looks better there than it ever did while Jefferson was occupying it. He never really finished the house because he was hugely in debt, having acquired 'expensive tastes' as a politician, particularly during his time spent in France. Our Florida women has superior hygiene and her house is cleaner than the one pictured, when that is, Jefferson was occupying it.

The whole point is, we all lived like that in Jeffersons time. But now this woman proves it can be done again. Going against the new accepted norm. Don't go against the norm. The G will come visit.
That is the lesson here.
 
The whole point is, we all lived like that in Jeffersons time. But now this woman proves it can be done again. Going against the new accepted norm. Don't go against the norm. The G will come visit.
That is the lesson here.

I've been trying to tell you I live like her now dude. :)
 
I think some of us are saying that until the last hundred and twenty years or so, all of humanity lived like she did, except for having her electricity which would make her living conditions superior to that of our first 10 or so presidents living in the White House. If there are no specific ordinances forbidding one from collecting water, her attorney will handle this smoothly. If there are, then they need to be fought. And it can be done.

I doubt it's that simple. If the town has habitability laws requiring running water, electrical service and sewer connection, they aren't going to re-write the laws for her. If she has such service, then, in my opinion, sans unsafe living conditions because she doesn't use them, she's good to go.

A village can't force one to drink tap water...turn on lights...flush toilets. But they can force people to have access to these amenities; and, by virtue of their NOT using these things, they can enforce public safety concerns.
 
I live in Oklahoma and it is illegal to store the runoff from rain on ones house. It's considered interfering in the free flow of water that should be going down thru the streams and into the rivers. I think that this needs to be changed but that is the law as it is now.

I live in Oklahoma- who told you that? It is perfectly legal to catch rainwater for use around the residence in SW Oklahoma, the City of Lawton just finished a rain barrel campaign. Farmers and ranchers have been encouraged to dig more ponds to hold run-off on their lands- some paid for with tax payer money.
 
The fire department is covered by the property tax, but water lines are not.

I should note I have an off grid home, and do not have city / county required services or even a grid tie in requirement. But please note this is also a LONG ways from any town in an extremely rural area. I also own a home in a city that I keep for when I work in town. This home gets its power from solar, but I still pay for utility connections. The utility company was required to install power lines to my home (in the city), they made an investment, and in return they were promised a connection charge from that property forever. It does not matter that I cut off using their juice. I also can't install a leach field or septic tank on my property in the city because it can effect water supplies in the area (again in the city) but this certainly isn't the case at my rural home. And what of garbage? I'm required to pay for garbage service at my home in the city even if I'm not there, but yet I am not in the rural location.

You see how much information we don't have with this story? How old is her home? Was it built when individual wells and septic systems were allowed or not? Were city services extended to the property, and how are they paid for? The stories (two) that I've read about this case jump to conclusions without all the facts. At my rural location I would agree no services are necessary, no fees and no government required. At my city location, I knew when I bought it, that it came with city services that must be paid for.


Well this is Florida. :) So, how is the cost of fire departments covered in CA?
 
I doubt it's that simple. If the town has habitability laws requiring running water, electrical service and sewer connection, they aren't going to re-write the laws for her. If she has such service, then, in my opinion, sans unsafe living conditions because she doesn't use them, she's good to go.

A village can't force one to drink tap water...turn on lights...flush toilets. But they can force people to have access to these amenities; and, by virtue of their NOT using these things, they can enforce public safety concerns.

She has water at her tap, she can turn on her lights and she can flush her toilets. I've agreed she needs to be billed for her sewage usage, nothing else is acceptable in America. (Old school America anyway) I realize that there is an evolution going on with our civil liberties at present.
 
She has water at her tap, she can turn on her lights and she can flush her toilets. I've agreed she needs to be billed for her sewage usage, nothing else is acceptable in America. (Old school America anyway) I realize that there is an evolution going on with our civil liberties at present.

If that's true (running water/toilets flush/electricity available), I agree with you. It's none of the town's business. Let them go police a hoarder house with 50 cats.
 
I've been trying to tell you I live like her now dude. :)

I view the electricity and gas and water and sewage lines like a source for mainline drugs for an addict. Get them addicted and charge what the traffic will bear. Property tax says the gov't owns your property and you just lease. It is the "tax system" and these people improve their lot by raising taxes (gov'ts and administrators). The worst part of this is that the utilities have become partners in this tax system to maintain their addictions or monopolies. Try selling electricity to your neighbor, or gas, etc. There has been an organized effort to block Renewable Energy for at least 30 years and nobody notices. Why do you think the 10 million dollar windmills are subsidized as renewable energy. It's because their output goes into the existing Monopolistic Utility Grid, or mainline addiction source, and everybody gets their share of the booty, except the taxpayer. Now, a little common sense will tell you why local level renewable energy, think small windmill or solar on local rooftops, is not funded by these huge gov't programs. To me, this situation in Florida is just a flagrant expose of the monopoly utility and tax problem. I think we all must look deeper to the gov't prevention of independence.
 
It ironic when you think about. In about 15 years or probably less you won't be able to finance a 30 year home loan in south Florida. Miami and a portion of the land and coast north will be under sea water. That's not a maybe. It is growing struggle now to provide potable water in some areas.

Coral Springs is down near Ft. Lauderdale, no where near where I'd want to live to begin with. If I did own a home there and if I wasn't planning on selling it and getting the hell out while I could I too would be looking to live off the grid. It's a wise move.

In the desert in Arizona some people are beginning to find they have the same problem with living on the grid regarding electricity. In short, the power companies want to charge off grid fees that would almost negate the off grid homeowner power savings. A recent newspaper exposé traced the efforts back to energy companies owned by the Koch Brothers.
 
It ironic when you think about. In about 15 years or probably less you won't be able to finance a 30 year home loan in south Florida. Miami and a portion of the land and coast north will be under sea water. That's not a maybe. It is growing struggle now to provide potable water in some areas.

Coral Springs is down near Ft. Lauderdale, no where near where I'd want to live to begin with. If I did own a home there and if I wasn't planning on selling it and getting the hell out while I could I too would be looking to live off the grid. It's a wise move.

In the desert in Arizona some people are beginning to find they have the same problem with living on the grid regarding electricity. In short, the power companies want to charge off grid fees that would almost negate the off grid homeowner power savings. A recent newspaper exposé traced the efforts back to energy companies owned by the Koch Brothers.

Over population is why potable water is hard to find. Not rising oceans.
 
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