Living OFF GRID not allowed in Huntsville Alabama

[milkmania]

(title is somewhat true)

just watched an article on the news and found the additional story....
link:
Veteran's off-the-grid trailer condemned by Huntsville

excerpt:
While politicians across the U.S. talk about the importance of renewable energy, Huntsville resident Tyler Truitt is doing something about it.
In January, the 27-year-old Marine Corps veteran planted a row of gleaming solar panels in his front yard, hauled in a 550-gallon plastic tank to catch rainwater and installed a composting toilet in the single-wide trailer that he shares with girlfriend Soraya Hamar.


It's as close to an off-the-grid lifestyle as you can come while still living in the middle of Huntsville (the trailer sits on two wooded acres at the end of Hood Road, not far from Brahan Spring Park Natatorium).


Truitt said he and Hamar should be applauded for treading lightly on the environment, and attempting to live frugally. A Redstone Arsenal employee, he is considering returning to the University of Alabama in Huntsville to complete a physics degree that he started working on before joining the Marines in 2008.


"We're not bothering anyone," Truitt told AL.com. "I just wanted to have something that would be debt-free, so that if I chose to go to school full-time I wouldn't have to worry about any bills."


Tyler Truitt talks about his ongoing legal fight with the City of Huntsville. City officials have condemned Truitt's off-the-grid house trailer as unsafe. Truitt and girlfriend Soraya Hamar have refused to leave. Solar panels in the front yard power the TV, refrigerator and other appliances.

Condemned
Instead of being celebrated as a clean-energy trailblazer, Truitt is being taken to court by the city.
He was cited in late March for violating a Huntsville zoning rule that prohibits trailers outside of mobile home parks. Then on May 12, the Community Development Department condemned the trailer as unsafe because the electrical, plumbing and heating and systems do not meet city building codes. City officials said Truitt also never applied for the necessary permits.

[Kubla]

Off the grid living is great, but trying to do it in a city that derives income from taxing the utilities and going against zoning (when you can not afford big name lawyers) is just stupid, he should have done it outside the city where he would have had next to no problem (except for the composting toilet, just use a septic tank)
he is fighting city hall with the trailer thing, trailers do not bring as much property tax as a house so cities do not want them, and you can always move it if they threaten you and cities hate you not being stuck paying them taxes, he should just buy a piece of land outside towm and move his operation outside zoning rules

[milkmania]

fortunately, I'll be living off grid in the county soon, with no building codes... My 5 year plan is to start in a regular tent, save up enough for a wall tent from davistent.com on a newly poured house pad that was never built upon... it is rent free, all I'll pay is water & electric, and no-fee septic and I can immediately start saving $900 a month, by not paying the rent I'm currently paying (making someone else's mortgage payment)... I plan on renting a "rent-to-own" storage building for my Eccotemp L5 shower, water toilet, laundry room, and kitchen... you rent the building as long as you want and you'll either pay it off, or tell them to come get it.

Once I get enough saved, I can start putting my life back together again... hopefully by that time, there will be legislation go forward for insurance companies to recognize converted skoolies as viable alternative living dwellings. We'll see how that works out! probably won't, but it's in my plan just the same.

Then I will begin my journey into Work Kamping

[milkmania]

first pic shows general location, with pasture/hillside out the front door.
second pic shows scale with pad in bottom left corner.

I can't get there fast enough!

[Kubla]

How far from Oklahoma City?

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by Kubla

How far from Oklahoma City?

3 hours 3 minutes @ 195 miles....

9 minutes @ 7.7 miles to Arkansas/Oklahoma border

[dredman]

Funny, that guy is only an hour away from me, think I might go visit :0

Originally Posted by milkmania

My 5 year plan is to start in a regular tent, save up enough for a wall tent from davistent.com on a newly poured house pad that was never built upon... it is rent free, all I'll pay is water & electric, and no-fee septic and I can immediately start saving $900 a month, by not paying the rent I'm currently paying (making someone else's mortgage payment)...


Then I will begin my journey into Work Kamping

Sounds like a good plan...........everything but work camping, everything I have read sounds like slavery - work-to-rent = sharecropper

Maybe I missed all the "good opportunities"?

[milkmania]

Originally Posted by dredman

Funny, that guy is only an hour away from me, think I might go visit :0




Sounds like a good plan...........everything but work camping, everything I have read sounds like slavery - work-to-rent = sharecropper

Maybe I missed all the "good opportunities"?

There's review websites where you can research the location's previous history.... Workamping Reviews - #1 Resource for Workamp Site Reviews is an example. There are some horror stories, but also some great experiences..... I know my capabilities and when to cut my loses and hit the trail.

There are some instances where locations were misrepresented... "basically my dump has a view of the ocean, but I didn't tell you that you would be parking anywhere with a view to the ocean" etc...

I read one story about such misrepresentation that the couple never stopped at the location once they saw it.... sent an email to the owner to stick it, as they were driving away!