Quote:Won't the city condemn property that doesn't have utilities? Don't yell at me...I don't know...that's why I'm asking!! I just remember when a friend of mine was rehabbing a house in Springfield that had all the pipes and meter and stuff stolen before he bought it. He wasn't living in the house, just redoing it but the city showed up and condemned it and wouldn't even let him on the property until he had them.




And no...there wasn't anything structurally wrong with the house either, other than no running water or power.

The local ordinance says that that utilities must be connected.  Connected and utilized are not the same thing though. That is the little caveat that my friends seemed to be oblivious to.

 

For instance, solar panels are an alternative to electricity purchased from a utility. Not only is it legal, but it is subsidized by the government. If one can afford enough solar power to negate any electrical usage, not only are they not charged for it, but they can sell it for a profit. Also, Water can be obtained via a well as opposed to city water. I know. Not only is my home piped for well water, as well as city water, it also serves as my air conditioning. Yes, I have no modern air conditioner in my home. I have a very deep well, and no matter what time of year, the water comes up at roughly 70 degrees. So, it is pumped up, and a sophisticated system uses that water to cool my home better then even the most modern freon based system.

 

I am not harassed by the city. I am not in violation of any laws. I have the mandated meters connected to my home. Those meters are there to assure the city that if I am not paying for their utilities, I am indeed not using them. THAT is the difference that my challenged friends haven't managed to understand.

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