Shame on those Code Officials Who do not follow the code and or make up there own? Or worse yet use it to oppress others

I wrote this article in 2007 for Security Mission Web Page  and friends business Chucks Hubcaps

was effected the building burned down  several years ago.and now just a empty weed filled lot  Chuck found a new place to run his business but never recovered financially. 

 

Shame on those Code Officials

Who do not follow the code and or make up there own?

Or worse yet use it to oppress others.

By Nick Markowitz Jr.

Fire Investigator

 

Over the years I have on numerous occasions butted heads with various local code enforcement, fire inspection and other AHJ’s who have tried to Exceed there authority and start making up there own codes. Or deliberately try to use codes to shut down a business. Because they want a payoff or have another other agenda I have even had officials threaten me with violence or otherwise try to intimidate me. Which I immediately report to state and federal authorities. 

In case they or there cronies get the stupid ideal to try and retaliate.

 

I recently ran into this in the Mon valley were a building inspector shut down and condemned my customers building illegally even though building code violations were minor  and easily correctable and there are structures in the town in dangerous condition allowed to be occupied.

This building inspector walked into my customers business after bricks fell off the building and condemned it for minor structure problem which building permits were already applied for to allow repairs to proceed instead of issuing the building permit he condemned it and then refused to allow my customer to enter the property to retrieve his business property threatening him with arrest. The Fire Marshal in the town felt the building was not dangerous but went along with the inspector out of fear of losing his job, my friend nearly went bankrupt trying to restart his business in another location. The building inspector never posted a proper and legal signed condemnation sign and never sent proper notice of condemnation or the fact that my friend could appeal. My Customer has filed a compliant with Pa. Labor and Industry and I am asking for a full and complete investigation of the inspector and his firm.  My Customer is also contacting the US Justice dept because my customer’s civil Rights have been violated as well. This agency has had several questionable cases which have made headlines were I have seen them trying to keep buildings closed after a small fire or keep businesses from opening up in an old building. So you have to ask your self why are these inspectors doing it? With these old steel mill towns depressed you think they would have open arms ready to allow any and all legal businesses to come into town and provide jobs and pay taxes and work with building owners to make sure the business are run safely but There can only be one answer and it is the same answer why there have been so many Arson fires in towns all along Mon Valley from Pittsburgh to W. Va. Greed and Money$$$$$.

All along the Mon Valley there is speculation on property because of River Boat Gambling. In Brownsville Pa. A couple from Church Hill Pa. Bought up half the town on speculation and the buildings are now in ruins when they promised prosperity for the town they instead have allowed the buildings to crumble .

 

And every where a casino opens property value will jump sky high It absolutely is amazing when they announced the Mon Valley Expressway was going to be built the amount of arson fires, and other illegal and treacherous acts were committed all along the proposed path of the road you should here the story’s the old timers tell. The same arson pattern was visible along Pa. Route 51 in the city of Pittsburgh when the PAT Bus way and traffic Cloverleaf at the liberty tunnels were announced. When it came time to build both projects many structures were already burned to the ground and long gone. But the eventual owners of the property were handsomely paid.

Exactly what I suspect in my customers case because several buildings have been shut down and condemned along the block for absolutely no justifiable reason. And because often times the owners are poor and uneducated they can be easily bullied and not even realize they can fight back. A big drugstore chain and other big box retailers have their eyes open for property in the Mon valley and some Code Officials have decided to not obey their oath.  There is also the very strong possibility that certain areas are deliberately kept depressed so that business will not even think of locating there and are stuck having to pay higher prices for properties better suited for development. Then of course there are those who try to keep a competing business from opening in a community too.

Of course this is another reason why so many small towns kicked and screamed and are now trying to repeal the Uniform Commercial Code UCC adopted by Pa. Because inspectors are now required to be certified by the state and can have their credentials pulled. Because

Now every one follows the same code so there is no advantage to building in town A that has non-existent codes to Town B, which has codes. Of course money and greed has nothing to do with the way some inspectors act it is because they have a God Complex what god says goes.

It is an absolute shame that code officials would even consider engaging in such wrong or illegal criminal actions

When I have meet and worked with so many excellent and professional code officials all over Pa. And the Mon Valley who have assisted me in making sure codes were complied with at a customer’s property with out undue burden. It is the old saying there are always a couple of rotten apples in every barrel  no matter what trade or occupation you look at