ot: for the licensed hams in forum presently living under

[kc8gpd]

HOA's and CCR's and/or land use/deed restrictions

FCC is taking comments on impediments to amateur radio emergency communications.

https://www.arrl.org/news/view/fcc-...y-amateur-radio-and-impediments-to-amateur-ra

 

[davenn]

hi there,

you are so fortunate that the ARRL and the FCC take a serious interest in this subject.

Here in Australia, the local town/city councils are a law unto themselves and getting permission to errect a mast anything much past the highest point of the house is quite difficult. From memory I think its 3m max above the highest point. And it is so variable between all the different councils as to their laws.

And god help you if you live in any sort of retirement village or other estate housing arrangement, any sort of outside antenna is pretty much banned, no if, buts or maybe's, by those that run the estate etc.

cheers
Dave
VK2TDN
Sydney

 

[jpanhalt]

Everyone I have known who bought into an HOA has either regretted it or died before they could regret it.

Such restricted deeds may still be popular in some parts of the country, but in my area, Realtors cringe when one mentions such covenants and restrictions. In the US, we have a term, "fee simple," which I believe is the only way to own residential property. (Commercial property is a completely different ball game.) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fee_simple)

John

 

[Dean Huster]

You should see what happens when the FAA gets involved. A ham living near a medium-sized airport put up a 50-foot tower. His distance from the airport was such that 50-feet was well below the maximum tower height he could have. Just to be a nice guy and for extra safety, he installed a blinking red light near the top of the mast.

An FAA rep saw it one night and inspected. The installed light was not an FAA-approved fixture with proper fail-safe and lamp-out warning circuits. He had to replace it with an approved fixture that was going to cost thousands of dollars. He decided to take it down and forget about it. Oh, no. Once a light is installed, it must remain, but with a proper fixture. The guy ended up having to install a fixture that cost more than his entire ham station and tower combined if the tower were to remain. He took the tower down.

Doncha just love government agencies?

 

[ronsimpson]

Doncha just love government agencies?

It has only started.

 

[Pommie]

Oh, no. Once a light is installed, it must remain, but with a proper fixture.

I think I would argue that, as the light wasn't an approved type, it never existed in the first place.

Mike.

 

[jpanhalt]

I think I would argue that, as the light wasn't an approved type, it never existed in the first place.

Mike.

A friend built a homebuilt biplane with a very small engine. A visiting FAA inspector at our airport had a preconception that all biplanes were intended for aerobatics. Aerobatic airplane must have the engine cabled to the frame, so if the mounting bolts break, the engine does't literally fall off. He started to ground the airplane for that reason.

Obviously, though, that airplane was not for aerobatics. The builder was Minnesota farmer and was an independent sort. So, when the inspector mentioned the "airplane" the farmer replied, "What airplane? All I see is a lawn mower."

He still had to put the cable on.

Some would argue that in America, there are four branches of government, not just the usual three. The 4th branch is composed of the quasi-legislative agencies and their inspectors. They have almost unlimited power and in most cases cannot be sued for relief. In a very recent case (https://www.npr.org/2012/03/21/149101530/supreme-court-property-owners-can-challenge-epa), our Supreme Court over-turned appellate decisions on an EPA matter and allowed a lawsuit to proceed.

Getting justice from these quasi-legislative agencies will still be expensive, but it is no longer impossible.

John