aggie79 wrote:Bob,
It's time to fight fire with fire. Ask him to reconsider by written letter. Mention that you are thinking of filing a Fair Housing Act complaint with the federal government. The Fair Housing Act is part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968. The Fair Housing Act is intended to eliminate indirect discrimination that result from setting artificial housing standards that "price out" classes of people. I would also CC: the county legal staff.
Tom
Well Tom you will be proud of me. I dun went and dun it............... Flag this messageHUD Fair Housing Complaint - ROBERT HENRYThursday, May 23, 2013 1:58 PMFrom: "
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[email protected]r ROBERT,
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) has received your HUD 903 online housing discrimination complaint form. The information listed at the end of this email is the data you submitted. Your complaint of housing discrimination will be routed to the appropriate regional office for processing. Your complaint will be reviewed by a fair housing specialist to determine if it alleges acts that might violate the Fair Housing Act. The specialist will contact you for any additional information needed to complete this review. If your complaint involves a possible violation of the Fair Housing Act, the specialist will assist you in filing an official housing discrimination complaint. Please feel free to contact FHEO at the main discrimination hotline number 800-669-9777 (800-927-9275 for the hearing-impaired) or refer to the state toll-free number breakout listed below.
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Thank you for your submission. Below is the data you have submitted.
Your Personal Information:
First Name: ROBERT
Last Name: HENRY
E-Mail:
[email protected]Address: 309 E SOUTH ST
City: LINDEN
State: IN
Zip: 47955
Day Time Phone:
Evening Phone:
Best Time To Call: Day
Your First Contact Information:
1. First Name: mcci
Last Name: employer
Organization:
Day Time Phone: 7656548719
Evening Phone:
Best Time To Call: Day
Your Second Contact Information:
2. First Name:
Last Name:
Organization:
Day Time Phone:
Evening Phone:
Best Time To Call: Day
What happened?:
Told my housing did not meet size standards in this county
Mr. Henry 5/2/13
The Unified Zoning Ordinance does not allow citizens of our County to live full time in RVs or travel trailers, unless they are located in RV parks that have been allowed to have full time residents. To my knowledge there is only one of these in our County.
Mobile homes or trailers as they were called are allowed only in mobile home parks or areas that they are zoned for, but they must have a State tag identifying them as a mobile home that can be used as a residence.
Back to your structure, it is neither a RV or a travel trailer or a mobile home nor does it meet the minimum requirements set by the State for single family residences which is 750 sq. ft.
Those Counties that do not follow the State mandated building regulations are subject to having their charter dissolved and are subject to suite by the State. I for one do not want my department dissolved as my position along with 5 other hard working professional County employee would no doubt be eliminated. And most important, the State mandated jobs of permitting and inspection that protect the citizens of our County in all areas of the building process would also go by the wayside. Loosing 17 years as a devoted County employee for allowing someone to live in a space not recognized as adequate by State law is not a path I would choose to take.
You are welcome to your own opinion, just as I am, but my position and responsibility dictate I follow the State and local Ordinances.
If I were you, I would continue to pursue a place somewhere outside of Tippecanoe County for your structure,
Ken Brown
Tippecanoe County Building Commissioner
20 North 3rd Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
765-423-9225
Bob 5/20/13
Cute little homes, but then again cottage and cabins relate to temporary living, not full time 365 days a year.
I did not mean to sound sarcastic, I only wanted to impress on you that these little structures have many issues that would present problems with code compliance.
Without getting into the specifics and not actually having inspected the structure I wanted you to know that strict compliance with the IRC would be all but impossible without variances from the state.
The single family residential code is quite specific about what has to take place both inside and outside and the home and how much space is required for the living area, bedrooms and bath fixtures.
I�ve been in many RVs and motor homes that were considered very large but none of them complied with what a single family home requires.
If this structure was connected to a larger structure then you may meet the minimum 750 sq ft total but there are still issues with the requirements above, footings and attachment and all other sections of the IRC.
I am a very positive up beat person who has always been willing to listen to what new ideas are proposed, I am just trying to make you see that it may be unrealistic to think you could use this structure
as a single family residence in Tippecanoe County.
Ken Brown
Tippecanoe County Building Commissioner
20 North 3rd Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
Why do you believe you are being discriminated against?:
DISABILITY.... too poor for a normal home I chose to build a tiny house with solar capabilities , rain water harvesting, and composting toilet. I have been told it has to have 750 square feet of floorspace to be livable. Alas it is but 120 sq ft.
Who do you believe discriminated against you?:
First Name: state of Indiana
Last Name: tippecanoe county IN
Organization: county
Address: see above
Where did the alleged act of discrimination occur?:
Address: letter above
City: lafayette In
State: IN
Zip: 47905
When did the last act of discrimination occur?: 05/02/2013
Is the alleged discrimination continuous or on going?: Yes
The County commissioners have a copy of above. I would like to be a fly on that office wall talking about the crazy in the tiny caboose
That will really mess them up.
