By Vanessa Saunders Founder/CEO – Global Property Systems Real Estate
Bureaucratic Insanity Unveiled: A Journey Through Permit Fee Fiasco – AKA Madness Reigns in the Real Estate World.
My recent social media post about the absurdity surrounding a seemingly innocent shed adjacent to a pool has garnered such an overwhelming response I decided to share it with all of you too.
Just because it’s a quiet time in our real estate world, it appears that many towns’ building departments have found new ways to make a buck.
Once upon a time, in a little town in the county of Rockland, NY, a seemingly innocent shed adjacent to a pool owned by one of our sellers stood tall for over 50 years. It had witnessed countless summers of joy and laughter, a silent witness to the memories made by generations. However, as fate would have it, the time had come for the house to be sold, and suddenly, the bureaucratic machine decided to unleash its insanity upon the unsuspecting residents.
Enter the infamous building inspector and the dreaded permit fees and inspection costs. Like a dark cloud of control descending upon the town, the inspector proclaimed that the shed was one foot too close to the house, and in order to sell the property, it must be relocated. But wait, there’s more! They presented our seller with a jaw-dropping list of permit fees and inspection costs that could rival the price of a luxury vacation!
Is this some twisted reality TV show, or are we trapped in an episode of “Bureaucratic Madness”? It’s hard to fathom how a humble shed that has coexisted peacefully for half a century is suddenly deemed a threat to society. Could it be that the building inspector and their cronies are concocting a scheme to fund their next extravagant office party?
Let’s call a spade a spade – permit fees and inspection costs have their place in ensuring safety and compliance with building codes. But when these fees become a tool for milking the hard-earned money of innocent homeowners and buyers, it’s time to put the brakes on this bureaucratic madness!
Are we to believe that the shed, which has weathered storms and stood strong through the years, is suddenly a hazardous structure? Perhaps it developed magical powers overnight, which the rest of us mere mortals are oblivious to. Or could it be that the building inspector has caught a bad case of “Fee Fever” and sees dollar signs dancing before their eyes?
We must not forget the spirit of common sense that once guided our society. Permit fees should be reasonable, reflecting the actual cost of administrative work and ensuring safety rather than being inflated to exploit the vulnerability of those who simply wish to sell their property. Homeownership is already a significant investment, and burdening sellers with excessive costs is akin to throwing them into a bureaucratic labyrinth with no way out.
It’s time to reclaim our sanity and put an end to this permit fee fiasco! Let’s demand transparency in the fee structures and hold our bureaucrats accountable for their actions. It’s time to prioritize common sense over profiteering and let the shed stand tall as a symbol of our triumph against bureaucratic overreach!
Before you find yourself embroiled in the perplexing realm of building regulations, reach out to us here at GPS, and we will make the appropriate inquiries without jeopardizing your situation.
#StopThePermitFeeMadness #CommonSenseOverBureaucracy #PermitFiasco #TransparencyMatters #ReclaimOurSanity
