Town Uses Google Earth to Look for Illegal Pools

[polar67x]

One Word.... Camouflage!

 

[Guest]

yea this is such crap I live out in Mesa, AZ and we bought a house that was a short sale with a pool that was half way done, meaning it was dug, the re-barb was all in and the only thing that had to be done was poor the cement so we could fill it up with water. But we decided to go through the county. (That is what we have to do where we live) anyway the county tried to hit us with all these fines because the people who originally built the house didn't go through any of the right channels and just built the pool with out permits. So when we tried to get it done they tried to hit us with all these fines. We had to get a lawyer to explain it to them and finally they decided not to fine us but they then wanted new plans drawn up by a civil engineer for the backyard, because the ones they had in the office were 2 years old. So we called the original civil engineer to see if he could just sign off on them and it turned out that the poor man had died the day before. I couldnt make all this crap up if I wanted, so we had to find another engineer to come out draw it all up again. So finally after a month we got all that in. Oh did I mention I live in Arizona where its 110 all dam summer. So now we have the plans in and they told us they will get back to us in 3 weeks and tell us if its ok. So it could take many more months to get this dam pool done. It will probably be done just in time for winter. I am beginning to wonder if its even worth all the time and headaches but I have a 10 foot deep hole in my backyard so I guess I should get it done. Anyways I really think the government sucks in this aspect and google can but out!

 

[Guest]

It is not an invasion of privacy if the area is viewable from public space. Satellites are located in public SPACE. The same way that you can "privatize" your yard by putting up a fence, you would have to "roof over" your property to assert your privacy from sky or space based surveillance.

 

[K-zon]

Idk, if you can go and buy a pool for 200-300 dollars and take it down and put it up every year or so, i dont know what the issue would be. If you are building a above ground or underground pool, i believe in the process of doing so pays for and gains a permit, cause if someone is building it for you, they should of have some licenses and if you are building it yourself then whatever expense involved should cover a permit.

Cause the permit helps provide funds i believe to ensure systems and such work accordingly with the extra water usage and build up, which shouldnt be a complaint. Think the complaint comes in in over compensation on means to pay for things else where, which is justifiable given the action of being able to use Google Earth in the first place. Just on some means of the permits and taxing doesnt justify the means in which say a pool was obtained. Maybe, im not really for sure, given each city and twon has varied laws around such things. But some of the points provided are founded. To what extent i dont know. Having toget a permit of most cases in about dumb though too. But in others its not. And what Google Earth is going to help inforce? Idk. If buying a 200-300 dollar pool setup thats tkes twice as much work to maintain and twice as much expenses to run over an inground or above groun built pool, i'd have no clue why i would have to get a permit either. Might dig a hole and put a "cheaper" pool in it. What would that present?

 

[WineByMe]

For all of you who think it is against the law to use Google, for those of you who don't think the laws should be obeyed, if a child drowns in a pool that was not up to standards and for that matter, if a child dies because someone runs a red light because red light cameras were revoked by people who don't care about others, I can only hope it is YOUR child that is killed.

 

[turbolover22]

[citation][nom]xythrax4420[/nom]lol those images are at least 4 years old in most places[/citation]

On google maps, the image of my house is more than 3 years old. I have been living there for that long and it has the image of the previous owners car in the driveway, the tree in the front yard still, a trampoline....etc.


Damn, I wish it had an image of a pool too.

 

[nezzymighty]

@ Boxman and Kingnoob

I never mention the word "right" in my comment, in the context of right and wrong. You should read my comments and understand what is written before implying that I am telling you that "just because something is law doesn't make it right."

If you break the law, you are unlawful. If or when you're caught, be ready to pay those consequences. The means by which they were caught does not make them exempt from being unlawful. These people have to pay for their unlawful actions. Period.

 

[songemu]

anyone who thinks that anything out of view of the street is private is an idiot. Would you walk outside naked, even if you had a fenced in backyard? No! Your neighbors might see you without breaking the law. That helicopter flying overhead can see you. The satellites can see you. If you expect privacy in THE GREAT OUTDOORS, you're a moron.

 

[Guest]

Its my yard, I should be able to have a pool however I want! Its my car, I should be able to drive as fast as I want or not wear a seat belt if I choose! Its my gun...

Stupid laws, always caring about peoples lives.

:rollseyes:

 

[mrecio]

I think its funny how no matter how you are caught or what you are caught for there is always someone who think you deserve it and that the government can do no wrong. I laugh at these people for not wanting to know more about the legality of the processes used by the town to fine you. Just because its the government doesn't mean what they are doing is legal.

At this point the governments priorities (especially states and towns) are to bring in more revenue. They do not bring in more revenue by finding murderers and rapists or other violent criminals but instead finding more ways to squeeze every time from normal working citizens.

Our own governments have gotten to big for their britches and now have just become big bullies.

 

[Guest]

So what if your backyard got photographed when you'd have this tiny plastic tub in the back, for your 4 and 5 year old?

You know those mobile pools you'd have to pump up with air to use them?
They can't see that from above, the only thing they see is a circle with blue, and they assume it's a pool!

 

[eddieroolz]

The law is stupid, but breaking it isn't good either.

With that said, using a tool to snoop and catch something that otherwise would've gone unheeded, that's a problem.

 

[tolham]

"Riverhead's chief building inspector Leroy Barnes Jr. said that permits are required to ensure that all pools meet safety requirements."

oh? does that mean you get held accountable when someone gets hurt at an approved pool? no? then what's the point?