Wood off ground-Board of Health

[Danno77]

just scanning through some indiana code I found this, so we can know how firewood is identified (fuel/building material, etc)

IC 34-6-2-8
"Agricultural product"
Sec. 8. "Agricultural product", for purposes of IC 34-30-3, means a natural product of a farm, a nursery, a grove, an orchard, a vineyard, a garden, or an apiary. The term includes trees and firewood.
As added by P.L.1-1998, SEC.1.

the code they are referring to isn't anything about health codes, but just something that might suggest a precedence of labeling of firewood as something other than a building material. the code it is referring to, BTW, is interesting as it has to do with liability and injury in "gleaning an agricultural product"

 

[Nonprophet]

I agree with others that one of your neighbors must have called in--though it's possible your city is cash-strapped and trying to raise money (translated: pick your pocket....). 15 stacked cords and more laying in piles is a lot of wood--especially for within city limits, so someone called probably because they thought it was "unsightly." Gotta love nosey neighbors........

Anyway, I also agree with others that they're probably just blowing hot air, and that there really isn't an ordinance that says that, though you'd be wise to check it out for yourself.

If it ever came to enforcement I'd fight it and make them demonstrate that firewood stacked 6" of the ground is a health issue--which of course they won't be able to do..........


NP

 

[Duetech]

My suggestion is ofcourse to disagree but find a lawyer who burns wood and who will be able to iterperet this ordinance and know exactly what to do about it. Waiting to face this down is not a good course if you are so inclined. Primarily if this kind of abuse of power can be visited on one person then the next is olnly a few steps away.

 

[gzecc]

Show us a picture of your wood storage and stacking area. We'll tell you if its a problem.

 

[rdust]

Show us a picture of your wood storage and stacking area. We'll tell you if its a problem.

x2!

I can't believe they would make you re-stack wood that is already cinder block height, I'd tell them to pack sand. I have 6 cords stacked that way and the rest are on pallets. Is this a city lot or on acres?

 

[anderzoo]

sorry so long getting back--- working on wood-lol......... We are in Indianapolis- We have 6 city lots- almost an acre.. Many people in our area burn and have wood stacks.. (some have more wood than us)... Most only stack wood on pallets, but we are the only ones dealing with the Board of Health... We have spoken with the supervisor, and she states that there is not any complaint against us. That they came across the wood when they found our shed. On our back 3 lots, we have an old shed/barn- and the Board of Health is telling us that these lots are considered vacant lots and we can't have any buildings on them-- so they want us to demolish our shed as well... this shed was built in the 1950's- well before any of the ordinances were written... we have a hearing scheduled for the shed...

Anyway, after finding the shed - they entered our fenced in back yard while we were at work and found our wood! But the supervisor is still says that the wood must be 18" off ground-- and advises using 2 cinder blocks & 2X4 OR can be on a cement slab not stacked. We are hoping they will allow us to correct this in the spring... and maybe at that time we can build a wood shed or a privacy fence with locks---lol......

 

[rdust]

I would make sure to tell them if you see any wood not stacked 18 inches off the ground they would be hearing from you. If they make all the wood burners angry you'll have a lot of people on your side.

 

[Tony H]

I think cave had a good idea about finding a lawyer that burns wood and see what he can do. Once they see you might fight sometimes they back off if they know it's a weak case because after all it's about making money for the city not spending time and money on lawyers. You might also want to call your rep or alderman and see what they can do , maybe you will be lucky and find they also burn wood or have family that do .

 

[Singed Eyebrows]

We have been burning for years, and we always stack our split wood on cement blocks and 2x4's or 4x4's- about 10" -12" off ground... all neatly stacked... (our unsplit wood remains on ground until split in the back) We just had an unwelcome visitor- the Board of Heath.... They are telling us all wood must be stacked at least 18" off ground- 2 cement blocks and 2x4.... To me, that is ridiculous and dangerous... Currently, we have over 15 cords of wood stacked with more unsplit wood on ground... We are willing to move unsplit wood off ground-10"-12"... but to restack all the split wood in the middle of winter??????????? the actual ordinance reads "building materials must be stacked 18" off ground"- Board of Health insists that building materials and firewood are one in the same... Has anyone ever faced this dilemma???

Tell me about it! This wood used to be on the ground, now it's 12" off the ground. This is because of "rats" in Milwaukee, I know, Randy

 

[Wood Duck]

But the supervisor is still says that the wood must be 18" off ground-- and advises using 2 cinder blocks & 2X4 OR can be on a cement slab not stacked....

I still think you need to ask for the ordinance that says firewood has to be 18 inches off the ground. Where is firewood identified as a building material? This seems like a mis-interpretation of an ordinance by someone who probably hasn't read the ordinance. Read it and then you'll know what you're fighting.

 

[firefighterjake]

As goofy as some of the rules and ordinances are out in the country, it's posts like this that make me glad I live far from the city.

I'm right with you on this one Quads.

 

[firefighterjake]

sorry so long getting back--- working on wood-lol......... We are in Indianapolis- We have 6 city lots- almost an acre.. Many people in our area burn and have wood stacks.. (some have more wood than us)... Most only stack wood on pallets, but we are the only ones dealing with the Board of Health... We have spoken with the supervisor, and she states that there is not any complaint against us. That they came across the wood when they found our shed. On our back 3 lots, we have an old shed/barn- and the Board of Health is telling us that these lots are considered vacant lots and we can't have any buildings on them-- so they want us to demolish our shed as well... this shed was built in the 1950's- well before any of the ordinances were written... we have a hearing scheduled for the shed...

Anyway, after finding the shed - they entered our fenced in back yard while we were at work and found our wood! But the supervisor is still says that the wood must be 18" off ground-- and advises using 2 cinder blocks & 2X4 OR can be on a cement slab not stacked. We are hoping they will allow us to correct this in the spring... and maybe at that time we can build a wood shed or a privacy fence with locks---lol......

This is so wrong on so many levels and would have me fuming.

Random thoughts:

-- I would think the shed would be grandfathered if it was built on the lot so long before the ordinance . . . I mean as long as there are no imminent threats to health (i.e. it's half rotten or falling down) or harboring a giant rat population.

-- Firewood is fuel . . . it is not a building material. I would challenge them to take a cord of your wood and attempt to build a shed with it . . . if they succeed congrats, they've just built you a shed which you can use to store your wood . . . if they fail (more likely) I would say their definition is flawed.

-- The wood needs to be up 18 inches so rats can't live underneath the wood? Good Gawd man . . . how big are the rats you guys have in Indiana? Are these rats mutated from nuclear waste or something? If so, I'm checking Indiana off my "States I Should Visit Before I Die" list.

-- Nic had some good advice. I would not be a jerk (one of the worse things to do . . . both with good inspectors -- i.e. the ones who attempt to educate and enforce codes that make sense and use commonsense realizing that in the real world things are not always black and white -- and the bad inspectors -- i.e. the ones who like the power and believe that they are the end-all and be-all.) When folks become hostile or are not polite, things ratchet up and what happens is folks tend to dig in their heels a bit more. Try speaking with a Supervisor . . . and if you have to go with the nuclear option you bring the issue up to the Town/City Manager, Councilors, Selectmen, etc. . . . he who complains long enough and loud enough with the most high level "friends" wins each and every time.

 

[firefighterjake]

We have been burning for years, and we always stack our split wood on cement blocks and 2x4's or 4x4's- about 10" -12" off ground... all neatly stacked... (our unsplit wood remains on ground until split in the back) We just had an unwelcome visitor- the Board of Heath.... They are telling us all wood must be stacked at least 18" off ground- 2 cement blocks and 2x4.... To me, that is ridiculous and dangerous... Currently, we have over 15 cords of wood stacked with more unsplit wood on ground... We are willing to move unsplit wood off ground-10"-12"... but to restack all the split wood in the middle of winter??????????? the actual ordinance reads "building materials must be stacked 18" off ground"- Board of Health insists that building materials and firewood are one in the same... Has anyone ever faced this dilemma???

Tell me about it! This wood used to be on the ground, now it's 12" off the ground. This is because of "rats" in Milwaukee, I know, Randy

Giant rats in Wisconsin as well . . . good grief . . . was there a nuclear plant explosion that I didn't hear about that is causing giant, mutated wood-eating rats to spread like a plague of locusts?

 

[quads]

Are rats really that common in the cities? All my life, out here in the country, I have only seen a few rats under the old chicken coop. Got rid of the chickens and the rats went away, even though the old chicken coop still stands empty and in disrepair, but no more rats. If rats are that common in the city, then I would have to venture a guess that it is NOT firewood and the way it's stacked that's encouraging the rat problem.

 

[prajna101]

we have rats. Our crawlspace is pretty tightly sealed and clean so no real problem with them there. I have never had any in a wood stack but I dont have much wood either. They do keep my compost bin well aerated! and I have to remember to turn any buckets in the yard upside down or they crawl in and cant get out, then die and stink and then get added to the compost pile for their friends to feed on. They don't really bother me. I see them dead on the road pretty often too. I think Portland is pretty clean as far as cities go, so I would say most big cities have a healthy population of rats.

todd