Re: Mail Box - culverts and government
Pat,
Did you have to PAY for a permit from the State for your culvert and driveway? My experience with that sort of thing is that even if it's done according to the governmental unit's standards, they still want their permit money. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img]
I think you're right. If no one complains, they'll just look at your add-on for the mailbox area and let it go.
My PITA neighbor called the County Road Commission to complain that I didn't install a culvert when putting in my driveway. They came out and looked at it. It is obvious I don't need one. My driveway is close to being at the top of the grade for the county road. There is NO ditch on either side of the driveay entrance. There were just ruts where previous owners drove into the field off the road. BUT, my idiot neighbor will complain about every little thing I do. He called the Drain Commision on a foot bridge over the creek /drain that runs through both of our properties. The bridge was on my property when I bought it. The neighbor claimed it was his because he built it. It was a POS because it was too low in the creek and debris would back up behind it. I had planned to replace it someday, so I could take vehicles across the creek.
Anyway, he called the Drain Commission and they issued a violation notice. I tore the bridge out and built a proper culvert to their standards. They were happy, I'm happy but my neighbor is still a PITA. I'm sorry to say that I'm kind of hoping that he'll end up like your old neighbor.
The other pain is that anything I do within 500' of that drain requires a "soil & erosion permit" at $150 a pop. Ka-ching.
BTW, how much do you pay for gravel in OK? I've been using 21A crushed concrete at about $12.50/yard delivered and been pretty satisfied. It's got a lot of fines that help it pack and it's cheaper than limestone for driveways.
Re: Mail Box - culverts and government
JML, I understand well what you are saying about the Gov wanting the $ but I didn't pay anything for the driveway connection to the highway and they came out to measure and mark for me before I built it and sent some dumb broad (I use the terminology accurately but never loosely) out to "inspect" after I was done. I will just modify the work to permit the rural mail carrier to have a safe place to pull completely off the pavement to service the mail box I will install.
Yeah, when I see .30 cal holes in T-posts, crimp fitting repairs to barbed wire that was shot into, or .30 cal holes in any gate I just smile and recall the feeling of relief that swept through the community when the idiot ate his pistol. It was all we could do to manage to NOT have a party. A few of the more astute took me aside and made comments about "assisted" suicide but I had an air tight iron clad bulletproof alibi for the time of the "incident."
Pat