Some developers are swine.

[ultrarunner]

We're going to look for a lawyer that has a track record of fighting and winning cases against developers.

My one and only HOA decided to fight a development of 9 homes on 21 acres… 9 years later the HOA won and the city park district now owns the property…

The downside is 400 homeowners paid special assessments in the thousands of dollars to win…

The HOA could have bought the property and it would have come out ahead… many of the most vocal leading the fight moved or passed away by the time victory was declared 9 years later.

Lawyers were the real winners.

 

[ultrarunner]

For someone estate planning with property, there could also be an option to Sell it to a conservation group, while keeping a life hold lease on the property. They sell get the cash, and stay on the house/property until they die. They dont own it anymore, cause the sold it, but they own a life hold lease. The heirs get any cash left in the estate; or the estate spends it all in their final years; doesn't matter.

This happens a lot in coastal California redwood areas…

Know several that sold with life estates… within 30 days of passing no trace of the home or improvements could be found… just about every trace removed…

Eminent domain has in part been replaced by life estate course as politically more palatable…

 

[paulsharvey]

I’m in the works with a much smaller development on 3.7 acres. The city required engineer stamped plans to comply with state regulations. The high points include sewer drawings, storm water runoff and detention pond plans, a road thats at minimum 20 ft wide with an 80 ft turn around for fire trucks and a fire hydrant 500 ft from the farthest house. Judging by the size of the project and the fact they mentioned retention ponds I’m sure the OPs developer already has engineers involved.

That's realistically around $20,000 for the civil plans, storm water plans, run the required storm events, traffic study, ect; and you haven't even gotten to the actually construction phase... Have gotten an earful from a guy that spent right at $70,000 for engineering, construction, and permitting of the storm ponds for his 1200 sq ft fast food place. Thats not building, thats not the basic parking lot, ect.

 

[4570Man]

That's realistically around $20,000 for the civil plans, storm water plans, run the required storm events, traffic study, ect; and you haven't even gotten to the actually construction phase... Have gotten an earful from a guy that spent right at $70,000 for engineering, construction, and permitting of the storm ponds for his 1200 sq ft fast food place. Thats not building, thats not the basic parking lot, ect.

My engineer was cheaper than that although he did delay the project by almost 2 years. I’m using city water and city sewer so we didn’t have wells or septic to complicate the process. I didn’t have to do a traffic study either. I ultimately had plans for 12 buildings but I reduced the permits down to 4 mostly to simplify erosion permits.

 

[paulsharvey]

Im not saying it Is the case, but it is also possible the original owner told the OP something to keep a nosy neighbor out of his/her personal fiancé, and had no intention in doing that. Is it a lie, sure, but it shuts up a nosy neighbor.

 

[paulsharvey]

Another thing to think of; Ag doesn't mean 62 acres of corn. It could easily be hog or chicken houses, rural event venue under agri tourism, packing house, seed and fertilizer dealer, heavy equipment mechanic, you pick apples/grapes/berries, ect.

Agricultural tourism/agri rural venues are keeping many farms from going under. Stuff like corn mazes, farm themed weddings, company banquets, ect. Remember Luke Bryan's Farm tour, i know members of one of family's that they used their farm; yeah, probably 18,000 people go to the concert, but the farm also brought in a years income off of a 3 week disruption. Mud bogs, and RV parks too, or heck, primitive camping.

 

[paulsharvey]

My engineer was cheaper than that although he did delay the project by almost 2 years. I’m using city water and city sewer so we didn’t have wells or septic to complicate the process. I didn’t have to do a traffic study either. I ultimately had plans for 12 buildings but I reduced the permits down to 4 mostly to simplify erosion permits.

I doubt you are making as much as the haters assume, when its all said and done. Yep, I hope you do well off of it, but that 3.7 acres isnt a $10m payday.

If you dont mind, did you end up with the boat and rv storage yard concept, or something else?

 

[4570Man]

I doubt you are making as much as the haters assume, when its all said and done. Yep, I hope you do well off of it, but that 3.7 acres isnt a $10m payday.

If you dont mind, did you end up with the boat and rv storage yard concept, or something else?

Duplexes. I wouldn’t use one of the few buildings lots left with sewer to build storage buildings.

 

[paulsharvey]

Duplexes. I wouldn’t use one of the few buildings lots left with sewer to build storage buildings. View attachment 4222359

Must have been someone else, had a rural property, across the street from a small new subdivision, that was debating on what to do to take advantage of the new neighborhood change...

 

[sandman2234]

Yeah, but I wouldn't want Rivertown dropped next to me either...

Rivertown is quite the investment for someone! I moved away from there due to a neighbor, and ended up just north of the other one you mentioned. I am on the edge of Oakleaf on the southwest side of Jax. We have a large creek buffer of about 1000 acres alongside of us, but unfortunately there are two parcels of land between us and that buffer. Those could become a housing development. I have pretty much decided that if one goes up for sale (owner is 90 years old) I will offer this place up for sale with it and move across the street to our other house! (However, this house won't go cheap!) If they want both places, then I will let them have it, simply because if they plan on buying both of the available ones, they can have both of mine!
David from jax