July 13, 2008: Kelburn Castle

[xoxoxoBruce]

Kelburn is supposedly the oldest castle in Scotland to have been continuously inhabited by the same family,

OK, so your granddaddy builds a unique house, and it gets handed down through the family to you. It's a big old place, difficult and expensive to maintain. You decide it would be in the interest of your comfort and pocketbook to make changes to the old place.

Now what if the neighborhood says, they don't care about your comfort or bank account, they don't want anything changed?

What if the local government says so?

What if the national government says so?

Who in hell are they, to tell you what you can do with property that's always been in your family?

[spudcon]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

OK, so your granddaddy builds a unique house, and it gets handed down through the family to you. It's a big old place, difficult and expensive to maintain. You decide it would be in the interest of your comfort and pocketbook to make changes to the old place.

Now what if the neighborhood says, they don't care about your comfort or bank account, they don't want anything changed?

What if the local government says so?

What if the national government says so?

Who in hell are they, to tell you what you can do with property that's always been in your family?

Bruce, I don't know what property rights they have in Scotland, or any other country except the U.S. We have the right to do what we want with our property here, but there are beaurocrats that can take those rights from you. For example, tax collectors, zoning enforcers, codes enforcers et al. I think it's wrong and unconstitutional, but as long as there are busybodies in government, and greedy citizens who use said busybodies for their own enrichment, it will continue.
Having said that, I still say that castle is butt-ugly after the paint job, but it's their property, and I hope no one fines them, or makes them remove it before they're ready.

[xoxoxoBruce]

No, they won't be penalized. They went through proper channels and got the blessing of the government.

[spudcon]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

No, they won't be penalized. They went through proper channels and got the blessing of the government.

Doesn't mean a thing here in NY. The Bureaucracy doesn't have to follow its own rules.