Daniel Borntreger’s home looks like hundreds of other Wisconsin farmhouses: two-story A-frame, porch, clothes on the line.
But his home could cost him thousands of dollars in fines. Borntreger, an Amish farmer, built the house himself according to Amish tradition — but without a building permit.
His case is among at least 18 legal actions brought against Amish residents in Wisconsin and New York in the past year and a half for building without proper permits, according to court records, attorneys and advocates for the Amish.
Reading between the lines, it seems that the code authorities are out of their minds with stupidity. Pennsylvania has made things work, and there have been no safety issues. Moreover it does not seem that the Amish have any problem paying for the permits. Their problem is stupid regulations that try to force them to have electrical outlets or forbid them from cutting their own lumber.
More to the point, have you ever looked at the price of property in Lancaster PA? It is out of this world. So many yuppies want to live next to the cool Amish that new Amish families can’t afford to live there anymore. On top of that, tourists come from all over to spend money in Lancaster because of the Amish.
Now all over the country property prices are falling and people are losing their jobs. And some idiotic town inspectors are going to try to drive out a group of people who are better then any stimulus package?
On top of that, anyone who would prefer a house built to “code” over one built by the Amish is out of their mind. You can add what the Amish don’t easier then you can make up for the lack of craftsmanship in a typical house.