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My family and I came home from vacation today to find the town moved our fire Hydrant from across the street to which was in no ones yard to our front yard. Now, I know that the town owns a part of the front yard but the way my house sits it is now taking center stage right in front of my home. To no fault of our's, now the curb appeal of my home has been affected. I did not purchase the house with this eye sore and now I have live with it. Also, if I was to sell my home now I feel like it is going to be potential problem.... I feel villated they didn't even tell us they were doing this...
It's likely there is an easment and the city has no need to inform you of it.
For starters contact your insurance company and ask for a discount! Since the hydrant is so close to your home it's likely they will offer a discount.
Contact the FD and ask about landscaping. You may want to install plantings and redesign the landscaping of your front yard to change for focal point from the hydrant -- basically to distract the eye. You will want to check with the FD for regulations. Usually they need clearance of 3' around the hydrant. While you are chatting with them ask if the hydrant can be moved to one side or the other - it never hurts to ask .... very nicely!
My understanding is that the fire hydrant was supposed to be put back into the same place but when they put the valve on they put it on the wrong side. In order to fix the mistake cheaply they decided to put it on the other side of the road in front of my house. Also, where it was was on a medium next to the sidewalk where it was not affecting any part of someones property.
They probably moved the hydrant in conjunction with a larger water main and/or paving project.
Unless you have some really weird elevation (which would be another problem all by itself) I really doubt that any future buyer will notice the hydrant anywhere near as much as you do right now...
Location: Mokelumne Hill, CA & El Pescadero, BCS MX.
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I'd buy 200' of cotton jacket 1 1/2 hose, an adapter to fit the hydrant, a hydrant wrench, and a fog nozzle. learn how to make it work, then call your insurance agent.
Then again, I've been a rural volunteer firefighter for years, and a hydrant is a thing of beauty to me.
My family and I came home from vacation today to find the town moved our fire Hydrant from across the street to which was in no ones yard to our front yard. Now, I know that the town owns a part of the front yard but the way my house sits it is now taking center stage right in front of my home. To no fault of our's, now the curb appeal of my home has been affected. I did not purchase the house with this eye sore and now I have live with it. Also, if I was to sell my home now I feel like it is going to be potential problem.... I feel villated they didn't even tell us they were doing this...
Lawyer time. Spend $250 on a consult with a local RE guy...then you sic em on the town or landscape around the hydrant.
To literally move a fire hydrant across the street and into the "center stage" of the front of a house is likely condemnation of the property.
If the OP produces a picture that shows the hydrant not in the parkway but smack in the middle of his lawn even then you'd have a heckuva time finding an attorney that would take on a municipality!
You gonna bring suit against the phone company for upgrading their service boxes from analog tech in olive drab to digital in beige?
The cable company for getting rid of the old skinny coax for the the fatter stuff?
Quote:
Originally Posted by olecapt
Lawyer time. Spend $250 on a consult with a local RE guy...then you sic em on the town or landscape around the hydrant.
To literally move a fire hydrant across the street and into the "center stage" of the front of a house is likely condemnation of the property.
but you need a lawyer.
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Fire Hydrant
