Quick Question About Building a Privacy Fence in Denver?

The code enforcement "lady" is unreasonable and is threatening to skip and trial and sentenceing and go straight to heavty fines. I own my house and I don't get any money from her for the rent but she acts like she owns the place. She was pissed about uncovered storage so I put a tarp on it. She didn't like my RV in the back yard so I parked it on the street. And its been broken into 2 times and had a TV and stereo stolen. But now the covered storage isn't good enough she wants a fully enclosed structure like a garage. How stupid is that? She is just making up rules as she goes along. If I put up a garage she'll want an aircraft hanger next. I need to be left alone.

How hard would it be to build a 6' tall fence about 100' by 50'? With or without camera's to catch her fishing some more looking over the fence.

Thanks.

ETA I don't have a garage although I would love one.

No offense, but it kind of sounds like you are just bending over and taking it. She isn't the be all end all of your property, she has a chain of command.

Fence is pretty easy, just a bit labor intensive. You need to check code on what you can build however. I can't have a 6' fence in the front yard, everything even with the house and forward needs to be only 4' tall I believe. Also, if you're on a corner or something, there may be other issues. This reminds me that I need to put up the thread about how you are NOT legally liable for shoveling the sidewalk in front of your property in Colorado.

i had some problems with the aurora inspectors. I just told them to show me where it was in the code book. he couldn't but insisted I needed to do what he said. I went to have a meeting with his boss. who noted one violation, which I knew about but all the other crap was not in the code. He continued to try to make things up for another year. I just talked to his boss every time he couldn't site the code he threatened me with court, I promptly gave them my schedule for having me served for court. That was the last I heard from him.

You have to pull a permit for the fence, You may have to have the property line surveyed. String it, dig the posts, set, run stringers, install pickets, trim up. Usually two saturdays but this time of year digging is not fun.

Any ideas about what it might cost? Right now I have more time than money. I do have some stuff to trade if you have some fence material?

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Originally Posted by hurley842002

No offense, but it kind of sounds like you are just bending over and taking it. She isn't the be all end all of your property, she has a chain of command.

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She's counting on it. She has been busting my balls 3 times in less than a month. And most of the time its been too snowy to do anything. Last time they were creeping around I called the mayor and all harassment stopped. I don't think I will be able to clean it up or get away with it, because a lot of people that think they know better then everyone else has been riding their bikes and jogging past my yard and all they have to do is call 311 to report me. Although I think she was fishing for stuff and maybe even trespassed to look over certain fences. She is talking to my neighbors about these violations and I am sick of it. I didn't sign up for a mother or HOA and I don't want one. I guess its time to start calling all the nasty city counsel scum until they say just leave me alone he isn't worth interrupting my nap time or whatever they do there.

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Originally Posted by DOC

Any ideas about what it might cost? Right now I have more time than money. I do have some stuff to trade if you have some fence material?

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If I remember right, I expect that you're easily looking at over a grand in materials alone for 150 feet of fence line (posts, rails, pickets, concrete, screws, gate hardware). Every fence I've built cost more than I originally expected. I've built a lot of fences, but I'm still a crappy estimator.

Also you need to call locator services to flag all utilities before digging-at least it's free.

I had about 65' of fence done last summer. $800 if I remember right. Lemme dig around and I can find the guys number if you want.

Not to be that guy, but chances are if your neighbors are complaining and code keeps coming out you might need to clean the place up a bit. Neighbors don't usually bitch unless things are a problem.

If you do the fence yourself, it's pretty cheap. If you pay someone, it'll be pricey. I had an estimate of $20 per linear foot a few years back. 170' of fencing so do the math. I did it myself and had a bunch of friends come over to help with the pickets. We had 2 nail guns going and it got done pretty quick. I think my cost ended up being around $800ish.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

i had some problems with the aurora inspectors. I just told them to show me where it was in the code book. he couldn't but insisted I needed to do what he said. I went to have a meeting with his boss. who noted one violation, which I knew about but all the other crap was not in the code. He continued to try to make things up for another year. I just talked to his boss every time he couldn't site the code he threatened me with court, I promptly gave them my schedule for having me served for court. That was the last I heard from him.

You have to pull a permit for the fence, You may have to have the property line surveyed. String it, dig the posts, set, run stringers, install pickets, trim up. Usually two saturdays but this time of year digging is not fun.

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Was that Officer Barry D.?

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Originally Posted by RCCrawler

Not to be that guy, but chances are if your neighbors are complaining and code keeps coming out you might need to clean the place up a bit. Neighbors don't usually bitch unless things are a problem.

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Yup this is what happens, with HOAs too.

Once you are in their sights you are screwed. You will need to comply with the code or you are toast. You can appeal the ticket to the Board which seems pretty reasonable.

Whatever you do make sure you obtain a permit for anything you build. I have a client demoed and built a garage without a permit. 4+ years later he is still messing with the city.

I know it offends the code enforcers senses. But the neighbors could be the problem too. But I'm pretry sure they are all illegal aliens and don't want to make waves. It's on a corner lot with a busy street so it could be anyone that turned me in.

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Originally Posted by crays

Was that Officer Barry D.?

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Yes. Did you make friends with him too?

Code enforcement in the Springs is 99% driven by neighbor complaints. Enforcement officers here are understaffed and often have dozens of new complaints and follow-ups to go out on. They start by speaking to the neighbor who complained, then speak to the offender about what codes are being violated. If they can't back it up with actual code, it is normally not worth their time fighting with the offender. They give the offender a time period in which to fix the violation and then come back to reinspect. They are authorized to access all public right-of-ways, and even "set-backs" to peer over fences and such.

The winter time is their slow time because there are fewer neighbors out walking their dogs and reporting violations, so they are able to follow-up more readily with complaints. Most will work with you as far as time needed to comply with the code.

You should be able to find the city codes online through the city web pages.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

Yes. Did you make friends with him too?

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Unfortunately yes. To the point that I quit wondering if it was the crabby old lady from across the street complaining.

At first I thought it was the guy next door but Barry had a chip on his shoulder for sure. At first I was nice but then he just got unreasonable. He tried to claim my rose bushes didn't count as greenery and the trellis for them was trash at one point. He also stole my firewood and tried to bill me for its removal. Fun times

Not sure what became of him, but there's a young lady patrolling the neighborhood now.

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Originally Posted by Wulf202

At first I thought it was the guy next door but Barry had a chip on his shoulder for sure. At first I was nice but then he just got unreasonable. He tried to claim my rose bushes didn't count as greenery and the trellis for them was trash at one point. He also stole my firewood and tried to bill me for its removal. Fun times

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Ahh, yes...the old "40% green space" rule. One of my neighbors xeriscaped his front yard during the height of the drought, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE AURORA CITY FORESTER, and Code tried to tell him it was a violation...

I've had to do stuff for Aurora code enforcers and I don't even live there.

I'm not feeling motivated at work so I did some research. The Lakewood Municipal Code just states that the material be covered or secured in a manner that the material won't end up in the street by natural causes. As far as the RV goes, the code says that it can only be parked on the street in front of your house for a maximum of 48hrs without a permit. The permit allows 2 weeks.

10.33.075 Parking of recreational vehicles or travel trailers prohibited
10.33.076 Permits for parking of recreational vehicles or travel trailers on the public right-of-way
9.30.050 Construction materials covered or secured

Got pics?? :D

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Originally Posted by TFOGGER

Ahh, yes...the old "40% green space" rule. One of my neighbors xeriscaped his front yard during the height of the drought, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE AURORA CITY FORESTER, and Code tried to tell him it was a violation...

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I xenoscaped. I was told the stand of aspen trees dont count as trees or bushes. Wtf?!

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Originally Posted by fj605

I'm not feeling motivated at work so I did some research. The Lakewood Municipal Code just states that the material be covered or secured in a manner that the material won't end up in the street by natural causes. As far as the RV goes, the code says that it can only be parked on the street in front of your house for a maximum of 48hrs without a permit. The permit allows 2 weeks.

10.33.075 Parking of recreational vehicles or travel trailers prohibited
10.33.076 Permits for parking of recreational vehicles or travel trailers on the public right-of-way
9.30.050 Construction materials covered or secured

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I have Denver code enforcers breathing down my neck. I put Lakewood in the description because I am closer to that city and because of shit like this I don't want to be associated with Denver. I'm tempted to move out and rent out this place to other people.

But I would like to build a privacy fence because the storage is an old CJ3a that I bought for parts and I haven't got to take any parts since its been snowing ever since I got it home.

I think their biggest problem is that I don't have a paved driveway in the back for the RV my dads camping trailer is back there too but its been stored and used from that spot for 20 years. I own a duplex and the back house is mine and the front I rent out. So everything here is in regards to the back yard.

The permit fee is $100 on top of what actually could help me get the fence started. But I'm not even sure about that?
We should start a petition to keep the code enforcers from getting worse. Just shut them down now.

When they've got your number look out. My neihbor's yard is a bit cluttered and the city got it in for him. The code guy was on a 8 foot A frame in the back of his yard looking over his fence. He spent a fair bit on lawyers. Yard looks about the same. This was a case of a code enforcer with too much time on his hands. A shame a retired old man not hurting anyone has to pay a lawyer just to be left alone.