[bearishgurl]

Russ, the first paper fee at a CA Superior Court is now $435 ($370 for Limited Civil):

http://www.sdcourt.ca.gov/portal/page?_pageid=55,1057199&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

You can likely speak to a qualified RE attorney for TWO HOURS for ~$500. Before throwing good money after bad, I would do that if I were you. Once mistakes are made on your COA’s (either in the wording or you want to add/subtract one or more after filing), there is more “protocol” to follow to fix them. And very often, they cannot be fixed causing you to be SOL.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Blogstar][quote=bearishgurl][quote=Blogstar] . . . BG, I think the judge could rule ex-parte, It seems like the sensible thing to do , especially if I keep it just to the easement interference . . . [/quote]Russ, are you saying here that you are considering NOT pursuing a Quiet Title action?[/quote]

Considering everything. I am not sure it’t needed though less sure it isn’t.
If He settles, can the quiet title easily be dropped? You are saying the quiet title pulls in a lot of protocol? Not crazy about that with such a tight deed and title insurance.[/quote]I think I posted before that in this case, I feel you should pay for a 1-2 hr consultation with a qualified RE attorney where you bring ALL your papers and other “evidence” in (+ preferably a way to listen to audio and watch videos) to determine what your causes of action should be, if any. Since you are paying the attorney for his time and expertise, he’s not likely going to be trying to “sell himself” into representing you during your two hours.

You need a few answers to thorny legal issues which the Piggs (or any stranger) can’t properly give you before moving forward.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=spdrun]

The kids in these MD and VA towns are typically bused to school with their stop situated on a two-lane country road.

Rural America is a shitty place to raise kids. Older “streetcar suburbs” and small towns are much better in this respect.[/quote]I tend to agree with you. I remember the Manhattan mom (can’t remember her name, though) who put her nine-year-old? son on the subway by himself and I believe he even had to make a transfer to get home. She was accused of child neglect (I think CPS investigated), even though the kid knew how to safely negotiate the subway and all the people on it just fine. IIRC, she was one of the founders or early adopters of the concept of “free range kids.” Had this happened back in “my day,” no one would have cared or reported the incident.

I personally believe that kids do better in life when they are forced to learn the ins and outs of their home turf at a young age … that is, provided their “home turf” is relatively safe.

The parents who move their kids to the exurban countryside (outside Wash DC) are obviously seeking to raise them in a “bubble.” It isn’t foolproof because many of these kids undoubtedly grow up with a sense of entitlement and can’t “envision” themselves living in anything less than the (expansive) family home they grew up in. Also, some of them are unable to assimilate and conduct themselves properly after accepting admission a large public university.

Small towns are good because they have a diverse group of longtime residents of all ages in them who hang out in public during the day and watch out for local kids walking in and out of stores alone, etc.

It helps that everyone pretty much knows everyone else i most of these towns.

I still think most of the public HS’s in suburban/exurban Wash DC are excellent for college prep. I’m assuming the reason is because all the high-level Federal Gov’t employees and contractors buying residences in these areas have always demanded high performance in their public schools … and received it.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=Blogstar] . . . BG, I think the judge could rule ex-parte, It seems like the sensible thing to do , especially if I keep it just to the easement interference . . . [/quote]Russ, are you saying here that you are considering NOT pursuing a Quiet Title action?

[bearishgurl]

[quote=FlyerInHi]This is the new American home 2016 by the national association of home builders.
It doesn’t have a lawn, fake Tuscan curved double staircases, ionic or Doric columns,
Corinthians elements, paladian windows, raises panel doors, or such imitation elements of the past.

Indoor-outdoor living is built into the design.

http://www.tnah.com/showpage_details.aspx?showpageID=32195%5B/quote%5D

Looks like a small subdivision or spec-home development wa-a-a-ay outside of LV, FIH. I watched the video showing all the extra steps they’re taking for energy conservation.

I just wonder if this type of “smart home” could pencil out for developers in CA (assuming they already owned their subdivision land). The difference in unimproved lot prices (w-a-a-ay out there in Clark County?) is likely $6K-$30K per lot versus ~$110K per lot in CA inland counties and up to $400K per lot in CA coastal counties. Could CA developers get their price after going thru all this extra work for each home? Maybe, depending on where the subdivision is.

The problem is that there really is little to no subdivision land left in CA coastal counties.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=flyer] . . . I think we’ll continue to see a lot of turnover in years to come as some realize they can’t afford to retire here, while others arrive and start the cycle all over again. It’s been that way for decades.[/quote]It has. But only for the transplants who are unrealistic and expecting to automatically have the discretionary income they had back in the locale they moved here from (with lesser-expensive housing). Or expecting to have the same type of house and/or live in the same type of area they had back in the area they moved here from.

For those who are more realistic and move here with eyes open, obtain employment right away (preferably FT) and start working (yes, BOTH of them if they plan to be co-buyers here) and live below their means for their first years here to save money every month, I believe they will be able to buy a house. It may not be the all-brick 3000 sf mcmansion on 2/3 AC that they had back in TX but it will be a house with their own yard.

flyer, I believe you are referring to more recent (unrealistic) transplants to SD County who insist on “having it all” the minute they get settled in SD. And possibly transplants who first moved here 8-12 years ago and accepted a NINA mortgage to purchase a house beyond their means and later lost it.

A good portion of the population in SD County WERE “transplants” at one time and are now retired locally with defined benefit plans. This group did all the right things to remain here for life and are still living within their means in their retirement.

I see these unrealistic delusions being played out (and sometimes attacked by the locals) in one (expensive) US housing market after another on the city-data.com forum. Most of these inquiries come from the Gen Y crowd and in some cases, the “bored housewife” (a bit older) sitting at home while kids napping/in school and dreaming of relocating to SD/HI/CT/Boulder/Aspen/Malibu/Fairfax Co, VA/West Palm Beach, FL, etc.

I find it hilarious to read these threads. One of my favorite (repeat) questions is, “What can I rent in Boulder for $650 month? We have no kids but two big dogs and are outdoor people who need to be by hiking trails and close to the mountains.”

[bearishgurl]

If Mr. Wacko doesn’t respond to anything (attorney letter and/or complaint) and continues with the status quo (likely) he is still entitled, by law, to an evidentiary hearing. That means Russ will have to argue his case before the court (whether or not Mr. Wacko even shows up) in order to obtain his default judgment. The problem he has in pro per is that he cannot put himself on the stand and examine himself and vice versa with Mr Wacko. However, they can cross examine each other and/or each other’s witnesses. If Mr. Wacko decides to get an attorney prior to the evidentiary hearing and shows up with one, I feel it could be hard on Russ to be in pro per. This is because introducing evidence (witnesses and/or exhibits) can be “tricky.” Especially exhibits. I feel some of the skirmishes the OP described here may very well be inadmissible if his opponent is able to successfully object to them.

I wouldn’t count on being able to settle this type of dispute by summary judgment. To do that, you would likely need the explicit (procedural) cooperation by your opponent whom you say currently doesn’t have an attorney.

I would advise Russ NOT to draft his own complaint for a Quiet Title action using a Nolo book as a guide. It would be far preferable in his case to get an attorney to draft it (and his lis pendens) so as to leave it open for him to obtain an early preliminary injunction while the case is pending … which could take awhile, IMO. Even if he only has a Limited Scope Representation agreement with him/her . . . for now.

[bearishgurl]

Back to the OP … this problem isn’t exclusive to MI. There are areas of the southwest (flyover country) which have had “rusty” tap water for years. (Don’t know if its actually contaminated with lead.) I suspect the nearby fracking operations dumping into the nearby tributaries are major contributors to this problem. Again, it is the local governmental water quality personnel who are falling down on their duties in this region.

The citizens of CA are fortunate in that we have (overzealous?) environmental agencies who are constantly on top of any instances of pollution (i.e. warnings of ocean water pollution from Mexican sewage runoff into SD County) as well as all other aspects of our environment.

Complain all you want about how this is “bad for business” but before doing so, please consider the alternative. You need look no further than other states (with less conscientious gubment agencies to protect the environment) to see what happens in the absence of a high level of regulatory oversight in place.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=bearishgurl]…Did I miss anything?[/quote]

Ice scraper and a snow brush for the vehicle. Carrying a portable battery charger is a good idea, as well.

[bearishgurl]

For instance … among others:

http://www.greatschools.org/maryland/ijamsville/646-Urbana-High-School/

They’re among the best public HS’s in the nation, IMO.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=paramount][quote=bearishgurl]

I do believe it’s a really amazing locale to raise kids (and big dogs) in …. probably the best in the country. Especially in Montgomery and Frederick County, MD and Fairfax and Loudoun County, VA.

“Bucolic” is the only word I can think of which describes this region adequately.[/quote]

I owned a house/property in Frederick County and lived there for a number of years. I lived in a subdivision, but my nearest neighbor was about 100 feet to my left and right.[/quote]I know. Isn’t it awesome? You should have stayed with your gov-contractor employer there. It’s hands-down a better place to raise kids in than any city/county in SoCal. Period.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=La Jolla Renter]I grew up in Northern Virginia, yeah, those 4 seasons were great… ice, rain, pollen, and humidity.

The surf was 5-7ft today. … I rest my case.[/quote]

Well, La Jolla Renter, you must have gotten a great K-12 public education. If you attended public school there, good for you.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=spdrun]The counties that you describe actually have TOO big lots outside of a few towns. Annoying to maintain. There are towns outside of NY and Philly that have much more “manageable sized” housing. Generally spread out enough to have green space, but dense enough so kids can walk to school.[/quote]Yes, you are correct, spdrun. The kids in these MD and VA towns are typically bused to school with their stop situated on a two-lane country road. That is … unless they live in the town the school is located in. This applies to high schools and often middle schools as well. It’s still an awesome micro-region to raise kids in, IMHO. Fairfax County, VA (Great Falls) tends to be the most expensive out of the four, with Montgomery County, MD (Chevy Chase) coming in at a close second. (Those are the two closest-in counties to Washington DC.) I’ve never been north of Baltimore but I believe you that it’s more walkable up there.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=XBoxBoy]To some degree I agree. Life in San Diego is pretty nice. But a friend of mine who lives outside of Washington DC on a couple acres sent me a video of him and his hound playing in 30″ of snow today. I’m deeply jealous. To be bundled up, off for a romp in the snow with a big hound… now that’s the life for me.[/quote]Yeah, those eastern seaboard suburban and exurban neighborhoods have really nice lots. Homeowners typically use tractor mowers there and often there is no fencing (except possibly a minimal split rail) between lots.

I do believe it’s a really amazing locale to raise kids (and big dogs) in …. probably the best in the country. Especially in Montgomery and Frederick County, MD and Fairfax and Loudoun County, VA.

“Bucolic” is the only word I can think of which describes this region adequately.

[bearishgurl]

I’m constantly battling with my yard in sunny SD. In a previous life, I had a 110-foot raised bed of so-called “prize” floribunda roses. They cost more to maintain per month than my own individual food bill. And I didn’t even own any stock in the Scotts Company but probably should have:

http://www.ortho.com/smg/gosite//home

I used to don heavy rubber gloves while still in my swimsuit and turn on the floodlights in the dark to spend my token hour-plus cutting them back about once per month. Since I was gone and under fluorescent light in an office or commuting 9.5 – 10 hours per day, 5 days a week, I really never got to enjoy them much in the daylight. The time I spent feeding them, cutting them back and exterminating them far exceeded the time it took me to properly care for my three cats!

Such is the price of living in a SFR in SD sans (expensive) gardener.

Shoveling snow a few times per year (hopefully just the walks) while getting a few months reprieve from “gardening duty” seems like a fair tradeoff for “snow-clime dwellers.”

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