Neighbors Lend a Hand to Flood-Ravaged North Dakota Town

... Mattamy put in wiring that put my family at risk. Exposed to the elements and walking traffic, the wiring to my furnace could have failed at any moment and caused a fire, thus putting my children at risk. Brought to the attention of the authorities, the Town of Oakville, they did nothing. The report was buried, Mattamy was not brought to task for breaking the code and, the Building Department did nothing regarding this lapse of their responsibility.

My point was to ensure a by-law was passed allowing any homeowner to hire a building inspector to look after their interests as it was obvious that the Town of Oakville and a builder were unable to do so. A simple request brought forward that you would think a concerned politician would have no problem authorizing. But, alas, no. Seems getting donations was more important and, Wellspring got their money, while Mattamy skated away free. Putting people's lives at risk was not on the Council agenda. Not even an apology for allowing it to happen. The lawyers circled the wagons and put up a defence to ensure nothing would be done to protect future homebuyers. Mattamy, since then, has even made it very difficult for a homebuyer to hire a house inspector to look after their interests. After a sale closes and you take occupancy, you can, but lets face it, on a lot of issues, that is too late.

A responsible company that builds a good product would have no issue with someone being hired to protect the customer. I am sure when Peter Gilgan builds his own houses, he has someone look after the project. Any large custom built house will have a oversear. So, why can't we at the bottom end of the house market be allowed to incorporate this protection. Ensuring a builder follows code and does a professional job should not cause any reputable builder any concern.

Now, try to put in a deck or something else without a Permit and the Town will be on you like white on rice. Probably fine you, order it removed and make you pay for a permit to rebuild. Mattamy, they just put in the wiring without thought to safety and the Town goes along with it. Kind of like a system that hits the low end and lets the high end get away with it. But then, the Town of Oakville has let others get away with things. Ask some about the solid waste plant up near Burnamthorpe and how they were polluting the landscape for years without the Town doing anything. Seems if you have money or are willing to donate, there is a different set of rules for you.

After the Johnstown Flood, Carnegie built a library there. Donations given then and donations given now. History really hasn't taught us much, except, if you have the money to make a donation, you can get special treatment.

Yes, nothing has changed ...

http://www.topix.com/forum/toparts/north-dako...

... Mattamy put in wiring that put my family at risk. Exposed to the elements and walking traffic, the wiring to my furnace could have failed at any moment and caused a fire, thus putting my children at risk. Brought to the attention of the authorities, the Town of Oakville, they did nothing. The report was buried, Mattamy was not brought to task for breaking the code and, the Building Department did nothing regarding this lapse of their responsibility.

My point was to ensure a by-law was passed allowing any homeowner to hire a building inspector to look after their interests as it was obvious that the Town of Oakville and a builder were unable to do so. A simple request brought forward that you would think a concerned politician would have no problem authorizing. But, alas, no. Seems getting donations was more important and, Wellspring got their money, while Mattamy skated away free. Putting people's lives at risk was not on the Council agenda. Not even an apology for allowing it to happen. The lawyers circled the wagons and put up a defence to ensure nothing would be done to protect future homebuyers. Mattamy, since then, has even made it very difficult for a homebuyer to hire a house inspector to look after their interests. After a sale closes and you take occupancy, you can, but lets face it, on a lot of issues, that is too late.

A responsible company that builds a good product would have no issue with someone being hired to protect the customer. I am sure when Peter Gilgan builds his own houses, he has someone look after the project. Any large custom built house will have a oversear. So, why can't we at the bottom end of the house market be allowed to incorporate this protection. Ensuring a builder follows code and does a professional job should not cause any reputable builder any concern.

Now, try to put in a deck or something else without a Permit and the Town will be on you like white on rice. Probably fine you, order it removed and make you pay for a permit to rebuild. Mattamy, they just put in the wiring without thought to safety and the Town goes along with it. Kind of like a system that hits the low end and lets the high end get away with it. But then, the Town of Oakville has let others get away with things. Ask some about the solid waste plant up near Burnamthorpe and how they were polluting the landscape for years without the Town doing anything. Seems if you have money or are willing to donate, there is a different set of rules for you.

After the Johnstown Flood, Carnegie built a library there. Donations given then and donations given now. History really hasn't taught us much, except, if you have the money to make a donation, you can get special treatment.

Yes, nothing has changed ...

http://www.topix.com/forum/toparts/north-dako...

Lets see now. These people had to get Flood insurance 30 days before the flood? Yet, no one there did.........and I'm supposed to feel sorry for them and their stupidity?

Blame wrote:

... Mattamy put in wiring that put my family at risk. Exposed to the elements and walking traffic, the wiring to my furnace could have failed at any moment and caused a fire, thus putting my children at risk. Brought to the attention of the authorities, the Town of Oakville, they did nothing. The report was buried, Mattamy was not brought to task for breaking the code and, the Building Department did nothing regarding this lapse of their responsibility.
My point was to ensure a by-law was passed allowing any homeowner to hire a building inspector to look after their interests as it was obvious that the Town of Oakville and a builder were unable to do so. A simple request brought forward that you would think a concerned politician would have no problem authorizing. But, alas, no. Seems getting donations was more important and, Wellspring got their money, while Mattamy skated away free. Putting people's lives at risk was not on the Council agenda. Not even an apology for allowing it to happen. The lawyers circled the wagons and put up a defence to ensure nothing would be done to protect future homebuyers. Mattamy, since then, has even made it very difficult for a homebuyer to hire a house inspector to look after their interests. After a sale closes and you take occupancy, you can, but lets face it, on a lot of issues, that is too late.
A responsible company that builds a good product would have no issue with someone being hired to protect the customer. I am sure when Peter Gilgan builds his own houses, he has someone look after the project. Any large custom built house will have a oversear. So, why can't we at the bottom end of the house market be allowed to incorporate this protection. Ensuring a builder follows code and does a professional job should not cause any reputable builder any concern.
Now, try to put in a deck or something else without a Permit and the Town will be on you like white on rice. Probably fine you, order it removed and make you pay for a permit to rebuild. Mattamy, they just put in the wiring without thought to safety and the Town goes along with it. Kind of like a system that hits the low end and lets the high end get away with it. But then, the Town of Oakville has let others get away with things. Ask some about the solid waste plant up near Burnamthorpe and how they were polluting the landscape for years without the Town doing anything. Seems if you have money or are willing to donate, there is a different set of rules for you.
After the Johnstown Flood, Carnegie built a library there. Donations given then and donations given now. History really hasn't taught us much, except, if you have the money to make a donation, you can get special treatment.
Yes, nothing has changed ...
http://www.topix.com/forum/toparts/north-dako...

Here's a quarter, call someone that cares.