On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 14:30:39 -0800, Sunworshipper
wrote:
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 20:38:16 GMT, wrote:
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 16:16:22 +1100, Terry Collins
wrote:
wrote:
On Fri, 14 Jan 2005 12:36:11 +1100, Terry Collins
wrote:
Not only interesting, but useful.
I've been thinking about getting rid of the 'azure albatross' for
years, but I also was quoted a cost of $10 K or so.
If you don't want it for a swimming pool, how about raising fish (for
viewing, relaxation or eating?
Two words: Yard Nazis
Did you get it in writing? I've had a number of these types of "demands"
suddenly disappear when they were asked for them in writing.
This one _appeared_ in writing. In the form of a summons, to be exact.
The money I paid out included the $50 'nominal' fine after I brought
the pool into compliance. Around here the best you can hope for from
the Yard Nazis is a letter giving you 14 days to fix whatever they
deem is wrong. Most of the time you just get the summons.
The thing that was _really_ stupid about this incident was that the
problem was unfixable within the time frame they gave me.
I had finally determined -- in April -- that the pool needed to be
pumped out and refilled. However you cannot do that when the
temperature is over about 75 degrees F without risking damage to the
pool. Since it was already into the 80s by April, the pool company
told me to leave it until fall. So I loaded the pool with misquito
fish, kept the pump running on the timer and waited.
In July these morons from the city issued me a summons. Since the
temperature was well over 100 there was no way I could fix the
problem. Their response was 'tell it to the judge; we've already
issued the summons.' Of course none of the pool companies would touch
it because of the liability issues if the pool was damaged.
So I went to the preliminary hearing, pled not guilty, had a trial set
for September and tried to get a postponement until November when the
temperature would be low enough to pump it (which I planned to do all
along.) At the September trial, the city 'generously' offered me a
deal -- plead guilty and they'd put sentencing off for 45 days and
'only' fine me $50 if I fixed the problem before then. The alternative
was an immediate trial where I had no case. I went for it.
Listening to some of the stories other people told made me realize I
was lucky.
I'd been thinking about getting rid of the damn pool for years because
of the maintenance problem. Now I'm getting a lot more serious about
it.
--RC
"Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells
'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets
fly with a club.
-- John W. Cambell Jr.
This must be a fiberglass pool.
Nope, plaster.
Still I can't understand what the temperature has to do with it. Where are you and what was the reason
for the 75 degree limit?
I'm in Phoenix, Arizona. The problem is that the plaster can crack and
come off in large chunks.
I've spent a good part of my life down in them holes and have never heard that one before.
Pretty common knowledge, apparently. All the pool companies in this
area were well aware of it and I found several references to it on the
Web. Significantly, most of the references came from pool companies in
the desert. I guess it's a non-issue in most places.
All I know is that when it starts getting near 120 degrees you won't find me in one past
about noon. I just love that one sales baby asking me if I'm going to
lunch when I'm leaving for the day. I get up around 3am and go as fast
as I can non stop till I about forget my name from heat stroke and I'm
outta there.
Only because you're smart. Similar schedules are the norm for
construction crews around here in the summer. The sleepyheads start at
6 a.m. and a lot of them start earlier.
--RC
"Sometimes history doesn't repeat itself. It just yells
'can't you remember anything I've told you?' and lets
fly with a club.
-- John W. Cambell Jr.