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Title: Acton man who built sprawling 'Phonehenge West' compound is ordered jailed
Source:
dailynews.com
URL Source: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18441063
Published: Jul 10, 2011
Author: staff
Post Date: 2011-07-10 11:44:54 by Ferret
Keywords: None
Views: 400
Comments: 27
LANCASTER - A 59-year-old Acton man who was convicted last month of a dozen misdemeanor counts for building a sprawling compound he dubbed "Phonehenge West" today was ordered taken into custody. Superior Court Judge Daviann Mitchell ordered Alan Kimble Fahey to be remanded in lieu of $75,000 bail pending his sentencing, which was postponed to July 22. The judge determined that Fahey had failed to comply with the conditions for his release on his own recognizance, which included removing people from unpermitted structures and turning off the power, Jane Robison of the District Attorney's Office said. Fahey was convicted last month of 12 misdemeanor charges, including 10 counts of maintaining unpermitted structures and one count each of failing to stop construction after getting a written stop-work order and unlawfully installing electrical wiring. Jurors deadlocked on three other counts. Prosecutors argued that Fahey was ignoring Los Angeles County codes at his 20,000-square-foot compound, feeling he was above the law. But Fahey's attorney, Jerry Lennon, argued that Fahey had created a unique compound and the county should show some flexibility. "He's not hurting anyone, and I don't think there's a mechanical or structural problem he can't resolve," Lennon told the Los Angeles Times. Deputy District Attorney Patrick David Campbell argued, however, that Fahey's property was inherently unsafe.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 24.
#6. To: Ferret (#0)
The criminal, hang the bastard.
Jesus is walking around with Moses playing a round of golf and they come upon a water trap. Jesus turns to moses and says, “Didn’t you do something with water?” and Moses says yeah, and proceeds to do the trick where he parts the waters. Jesus is impressed, and Moses in turn asks, “Didn’t you also do something with water?” Jesus proceeds to step out onto the water, but he sinks almost immediately to his knees. He gets out, gets a running start, and tries again, this time sinking to his waist. He comes out confused and embarrassed and Moses asks, “What was it you were trying to do?” “I used to be able to walk on water,” Jesus replies. “The last time you tried it,” Moses asks, looking him over, “Did you have those holes in your feet?”
If the man has correctly calculated the hypotenuse angles, the required R4 insulation for the type of walls and he had installed all wiring correctly to date, the county could just as well serve as his advocate instead of trying to crush him. But NOooo, they have to defend the crooked building inspection revenue system where wormy inspectors can be greased for as little as a single pic of Old Hickory. I suspect that had he applied for all permits and submitted the prints prior to commencing work he wouldn't be the target of vindictive prosecution now. When govt agents are quoted making statements like "the place is inherently unsafe" in an article that doesn't list a single example we know it's a pile of DAWGGY deux deux, and that's something I know something about. In DE electrical inspections for instance are performed by two competing private companies. If one company is too rigid in their adherence to the code then contractors will naturally call the other, so neither ever make any builders or contractors pull work out or start over. And, once we get to know an inspector and he sees that the past work was generally good, it's a simple matter to bury any violations secure in the belief that he'll sign off on the work as an "act of good faith".
I don't know how things got to this point, but if you're going to build where there are zoning/permitting regulations in place, it's not a bad idea to try and follow same. For goodness sake, don't piss'em off. Obviously, the guy knows how to build; so where was the problem?
Around here, the people of the building and land use departments are the most corrupt, greedy, lazy, incurious, drooling retards you'll ever encounter. If you step outside the box of a typical, ticky-tack McMansion, these guys start shaking their heads 'NO' and won't stop. They would have never let him build what he wanted. Right, but that's all but impossible without greasing palms now. You'd be surprised how many palms there are now in this county. Miss one, go to jail. He was outside their little, simple-minded, greed-driven box. Been there, done that. Dawg, you know the drill.
Mister, when you rip into them you leave them skinless! Wish I'd said that! And YES, the inspectors 'round these parts will cheerfully accept gifts that show our appreciation for their sensitivity, especially if we're not building a rickety lean to that's destined to collapse and kill folks on the first day of occupancy. (Think; The Hyatt Regency hotel walkway collapse) But they've never come right out and asked me. It was a subtle and silent dance not unlike mating rituals for snakes. For instance it sometimes involved an inspector's worried looks as he read the results of a 24 hr mercury-vacuum manometer test on new gas piping. (before mercury became a dirty word) If we bought the inspectors (a liquid) lunch any slow leaks overnight (read in inches of mercury column in the gauge) were suddenly within acceptable parameters resulting from temperature differentials, and all was well.
My problem with those people has always been going above and beyond the codes and "that's the way we've always done it," not cutting corners. Some examples from 1981 when I built my house: "You don't need eight inch walls in this basement. Six is plenty." We have alluvial shifting soils here. Six inch walls commonly fail after about ten years. Code minimum is now eight. "You've got way too many outlets. Whatta you think you're building, a mansion?" After 30 years of living here, I've got about a 25% deficiency in the number of outlets. "You don't need more than R-13 sidewalls. The extra cost will never pay for itself." Wanna bet? My heat bill last February was $25. Most other people in the 'hood ran about $200. "We don't get hurricanes around here, boy. Hurricane ties are just stupid." Ever hear of tornadoes? A house about a half a block from me lost its roof in one. "You don't need a main panel that big or a 200 amp service." The electric company wouldn't bury the service wires with less than a 200A service. My shop (added later) roof occupies the space where the overhead wires would've been. With the addition of two sub panels, my "too big" main panel is now full. "You should use aluminum wire, copper's too expensive." Yeah, it was. The copper I used was at the unheard of price of $13 for a roll of 12-2 during the big "copper crisis" at the time. And on and on, an on...
#25. To: Esso (#24)
Your inspector must have been a jew. ;)
My grandfather used to say, You can never build it too stout.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestFahey was convicted last month of 12 misdemeanor charges, including 10 counts of maintaining unpermitted structures and one count each of failing to stop construction after getting a written stop-work order and unlawfully installing electrical wiring.
#7. To: farmfriend, Ferret, 4 (#6)
joke/comment from christwire.org -
#8. To: All (#7)
the creation of phonehenge -
#9. To: Lod (#8)
#11. To: HOUNDDAWG, 4 (#9)
#13. To: Lod, HOUNDDAWG (#11)
(Edited)
I don't know how things got to this point, but if you're going to build where there are zoning/permitting regulations in place, it's not a bad idea to try and follow same.
For goodness sake, don't piss'em off.
Obviously, the guy knows how to build; so where was the problem?
#20. To: Esso (#13)
Around here, the people of the building and land use departments are the most corrupt, greedy, lazy, incurious, drooling retards you'll ever encounter.
#24. To: HOUNDDAWG (#20)
Replies to Comment # 24.
#26. To: Esso (#24)
End Trace Mode for Comment # 24.