Here we go again! What should arrive in the mail but a notice saying that now the mother fucking fine is 45 fucking days late! Dammit! And, it being Saturday, City Hall and the Court House are closed today, so I can’t even call anyone and bitch at them!
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking fuckity fuck!
You know, I am thinking it isn’t the inspector or the city planners. I am thinking its the neighbor. I’ve had neighbors like that who would drop a dime on anything.
At this point, as per my OP and post #8, it’s not even a matter of finding out who’s blowing the whistle on me; it’s a matter of having paid the fucking fine, and them denying that I’ve paid it!
Why, oh why, when I had willing Dopers here on the 16th, did I not take them up on their offer to piss in Fucky Chucky’s swimming pool?
norinew: But I paid the fine!
fucky chucky: Ah, our records show you didn’t.
n: But here’s my cancelled check.
f/c: No matter.
n: What do you mean?
f/c: It’s not properly logged into the book of important things.
n: So?
f/c: The book is the official record.
n: But you cashed the check.
f/c: Without proper listing, I’ve no idea what tht was for.
n: It was to pay the fine.
f/c: Might have been for a cat license.
n: Cat license?
f/c: Ah yes. Cats must be properly licensed.
n: You’re nuts.
f/c: None of those scraps of paper with “CAT” written in crayon, either.
n: It was for the fine, not a Cat license.
f/c: AHA!
n: AHA what?
f/c: So you don’t have a Cat license, do you!?
n: Yes, I have a Cat license!
f/c: Well, let’s have a look at it then.
n: Here!
f/c: Looks to be alright, but you’ve still got this outstanding fine.
n: AIEEEEEEEE!
I used to work at Kline’s on Mechanic St. Stan & Connie wouldn’t dream of selling “used” novelties, even though Connie is a bit of a nut job.
It’s time to take a front & back copy of your cashed check to them and tell them where to shove it.
If you think this will stop them from getting even more money out of the OP, you’re deluded. They have one job, and the correct and just enforcement of the laws is not it.
Quite frankly, any punishment that cannot be appealed is prima facie unjust and should be unenforceable. It’s an open door to unlimited abuses and wholesale corruption, and a skeleton key to every bank account in the city. Think about it: If the government can levy fines that cannot be challenged, they don’t even need the pretense of just cause. “Just 'cause” will work just fine.
And, of course, if they can re-fine you simply by pretending they never got the first payment, so much the better.
Would it be possible to sue them in state court or something? If you threaten to do that, and the employees just shrug and say you’ll lose more money by taking it to court than by paying up again, just shrug yourself and muse “that’s true, assuming you register the $250 this time…”
My apologies; apparently, when I made those remarks about combining a pawn shop and sex shop, I was insufficient in my use of smilies. 
danceswithcats, the scenario you paint is exactly the kind of thing I’m afraid of!
Exactly! This city’s been running in the red for quite some time now, and the powers that be are getting more and more eager to wring money out of all the cracks they can!
My husband and I will be making a trip downtown on Monday morning, cancelled check and receipt in hand, to see if we can’t get this ironed out once and for all. If that’s not successful, you can bet that we will be in touch with our attorney to find out what recourse we have against these assholes.
I settled a situation like that by hiring the nosy neighbors to do my lawn care. So now if anything isn’t done properly, it’s their problem. Sure cut down on the complaints!
That part’s got me scratching my head. I’ve always lived in neighborhoods where there were several properties that could only be improved with an application of high explosives or a lightning stike and this town’s fining people for peeling paint??
Our town has properties like this, too. The City owns them. The City cannot afford to tear them all down, so they stay like this, and, hey, who’s gonna fine them? The City fuckin’ owns them. In fact, when I went to court on August 21st about this whole thing, my attorney tried to raise the point that the City is not living up to it’s own standards. Fucky Chucky’s lawyer objected, and the Judge wouldn’t allow statements about that. 
:rolleyes:
Do you have a ‘troubleshooter’ reporter on your local TV stations? Maybe a newspaper reporter?
Hell, at this point maybe you should consider a run for city council!
A newspaper reporter, possibly. We don’t even have a local TV station; the closest we come is a Hagerstown station, about 70 miles east of here.
I’m not interested in running for city council at this point in my life, but I do know one of the councilmen, who has helped out with our Crime Watch business in the past. If the problem doesn’t get resolved once and for all by the end of tomorrow, I do believe I’ll contact him.
Well, the theory is that if the town goes after them right away, when all they need is to fix the peeling paint, the properties will never get to the point where only demolition will fix them.
Yeah, that’s called the “broken-window” theory. Fix the broken windows and you won’t have slums. It’s a pain in the ass to private property owners, though, because not everyone has the time or the wherewithal to keep up with the little shit, and it’s a pain in the ass to the city, who has to maintain its own properties. However, bureaucrats love it because they get to whip their dicks out and fine people for a burned-out porchlight or somesuch.
FWIW, Norine, my mom the landlord has mucho experience with this crap. It’d be amusing if it weren’t such a hassle to deal with.
Robin
True enough, except that the City owns properties in similar condition and does nothing about them. Laws and ordinances are fine, so long as they are enforced across the board.
Oh, yeah, and it’s a boon to vindictive neighbors, because it gives them a quasi-legal means of harassment. Most of what my mom has had to deal with that comes from that, in fact.
Robin
It also explains why some folks move out into the middle of nowhere, just to get away from candyasses, crybabies, and busybodies.
Well, the middle of nowhere is our ultimate destination; not just to get away from the candyasses, crybabies and busybodies, but I have to admit that is part of the appeal. Also, it would make a kick-ass kind of place to have a weekend long DopeFest, wouldn’t it? Everybody bring camping gear and dead animals to throw in the BBQ pit (or dead tofu, if you’re vegetarian). Beer, music, good times, huh?