Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Wakefield Doctrine’s contribution to the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Hosted by Denise, governed by the Rule of Sixes.
(Dedicated, quite without permission or consent, encouragement or fore-knowledge, to Frank over at Poetry, Short Prose and Walking)
Prompt word:
BEAM
The dust cloud trailing the contractor’s truck billowed in silent resentment as the vehicle came to a stop, the more vengeful particulates slowing enough to partially-obscure the lettering on the driver’s side door: ‘F. Hubney & Son Remodeling and Renovation’ (and just below that), the Company motto: No mansion too large or rooms to numerous, we can prepare them.
The rough-framed house, being still in the museum-dinosaur stage, each room was readily identifiable, if not by holes in the floors to accept plumbing in the baths and kitchen then by the boxed in openings out to a patio or, where the contractor and his clients currently stood, in front of the nearly open wall through which the view of the ocean was almost unobstructed.
“We are more than happy with your work, Frank,” the woman stood to the left of the opening in the wall, the oversized header made it clear that it would be a picture window framing the ocean view, “what everyone told us when we first started this project was not only are you a good builder, but you have experience in dealing with unexpected problems,” she turned to look though the future window and the skeleton of a building growing between their home and the ocean.
“As you requested, I spoke to both the developer and his attorney and apparently your neighbors-to-be,” the contractor pointed with his ever-present rolled-up blueprint, “have met all the requirements both for square footage living space and design.” Pausing to allow the information to register with his clients, he continued, “Unfortunately, there are no visual easements attached to your lot that might protect the view, and, more to your concern, despite how unusual, the medieval castle-inspired architecture replete with water-features the new house might be, it does not violate any of the development’s covenants.”
“Regarding your desire to increase the size of this window to compensate for the building next door, while certainly doable, as your contractor I advise against it; were you to remove this beam it will be the moat in your neighbor’s yard that draws your eye.”
*
About clarkscottroger
Ah-ha! The bane of all contactors is the many clients who expect miracles within a physical reality that must comply with natural laws. Cleverly, and as always artfully, told Six. A pleasure to read.
Thank you, Susan!
File under “bummer”.
That would piss me off no end.
Well told, Clark.
lol totally agree
(thank you)
Very nice! I didn’t know there were such things as “visual easements”, but I can see how they could add value to some properties. I am glad to hear the fault wasn’t with the builder but the pesky neighbors.
here where I am the ocean is a major factor for a number of communities. while not overly common, I have encountered (in certain, very high-end, shoreline communities) easements that are meant to prelude the building of a structure that might interfere with a a waterview. Such might be the case with our fictional homeowners, the Matthews at 7:3 Seaside Drive* with the medieval-style home (complete with Mote!)threatening to wreck the view for our protagonists (who as we all know are having issues with beams on their own)
* hint hint at what I was trying for in this week’s Six (Mimi and Phyllis zero’d in)
(You’ve hit a nerve, there… as I have a construction going on next to my house for the second year. It’s ugly and I bet you it has broken all kind of laws.)
As Nancy said: major bummer… but there is always the option to embrace the situation and flow with it… or go into more ” drastic” options😄
Professionally penned, Clark.
yeah. that, unless there is a direct (not counting ‘they are such assholes’ impact) is very often a briar patch better left unvisited. (And, usually*, it’s not simply the immediate offending party, it’s when the local officials are the builder’s bros and such… totally make a head explode, double-standardistically-speaking of course)
* assuming you have parallel or otherwise similar regulatory dynamics i.e. Building and Zoning officials and standards for construction and such
Very Biblical, I especially like the reference to the log in the eye.
Thank you.
Moat/mote, quite clever.
This would be a bummer.
Not easy to have a builder, even a good one. Don’t do it.
Clever. Engaging. JB. I like it.
Something tells me that extending that window (esp. if it doesn’t have one-way glass) will give the neighbours an awful view instead.
Nice one! I managed to get a neighbour’s planning application turned down once. Just thought I’d mention it!
nice (rare occasion but satisfying to hear)
Good fences make good neighbors, they say. But in this situation, p’raps not. This is War!
lol Where’s Robert F when ya need him?