Florida ponders

[j.w]

All I got to say is I wish my taxes were only $1000. per year
And if I could get property here for $5000. an acre I'd be in Heaven. We are talking $200,000. here for 5 acres and that is w/o a house............course it might be a bit less now cuz of the economy

 

[JustJack]

I used to live in Palm Beach County (until just over a year ago) and depending on where in the county you live, it will get noticed. shakaho is right--permits are local and each locality is different. I lived in North Palm Beach County for years and we had local inspectors patrolling our streets every week and even peeking over fences. Also, if you have a homeowner's association, you'll have to get everything approved before even applying for a permit.

I know the guy that put these ponds in did it without a permit so I'm hoping it won't get noticed, but back in Palm Beach County, we had to fix the things that were done to our house without permits by the previous owner. I would definitely check into it first so you don't have to pay any hefty fines or anything.

 

[addy1]

They look for construction debris also!

 

[sissy]

Here as long as you pay your taxes they don't care if you do anything and I mean anything .I have seen some strange stuff since I moved here 6 years ago .Now here you can buy houses for as little as 15 thousand and ten acres near here went at auction for 3 thousand .I sold my house in NJ for half a million and believe it or not it is up for foreclosure for 199 thousand .But then the house is not in the shape I left it and taxes there on that house are 14 thousand a year now .I'm just glad I got out when I did

 

[j.w]

Wow you are lucky Sissy.
You sold when the economy was still good and took the money and ran.
I bet you are so relieved that you sold when you did and man oh man..........$14,000. a year......................I would pass out and not revive

 

[sissy]

The taxes where not bad when I was working but when you retire not so good and I did not want to live for a house .I said when I was 50 I was going to retire and I did .The house in NJ was paid for and this house was custom built and with everything cost me less than a hundred thousand .So believe I was glad to get out of NJ ,I still miss there as I lived there since I was 4 years old .But could see I needed to get out while the getting out was good after 911 everything went downhill there and everywhere

 

[oldmarine]

Don't know if I broke the law here or not but it seems as if most people just dig a hole and put some fish in it and call it good. They never bother w/ permits. Maybe if it was a very large pond that would be different

Some of the big cities like Seattle here in the northwest do have some basic safety laws that require safety fences to keep unattended children from falling in a pond and drowning. Each county in each state I'm sure their own spacific laws concerning swimming pools and or ponds.

 

[sissy]

There are so many ponds around here would be hard for them as are natural ones and made ones .Gosh we have a creek that runs though all the properties here and 6 ponds that run off the side of the creek .The only thing here is you have to buy signs from the county to post on your property for no hunting or trespassing .Like that does any good hunters hunt where they want .The cops don't waste there time on that unless they shoot a cow or horse on a farm .Most properties around me are large farms and not many houses .I see more cows than people here

 

[pondbuilder13]

haha well you can call a conservation officer too they get pretty mad about that kind of stuff

 

[sissy]

All we have here and he lives in Chatham which is over an hour away and to get him out here would be unlikely and besides that he always says call the cops and the cops say call the game warden .There are only 2 game wardens for the whole county and with budget cuts wonder how long that will last .

 

[pondbuilder13]

Yea well i feel you with the budget cut thing we own a lawn care and landscaping company and we are the first people to get cut i guess people think its cheaper to cut the grass them self

 

[sissy]

I have 3 acres to cut and when it's 100 degrees outside not so easy .Here there is 2 landscapers who cut grass and few locals who do it .I have 2 ride on mowers one a zero turn and my little red mower so do it myself .

 

[JerryW]

To the Op,
I live in the Palm Beach Gardens area, I have a few small ponds, no permits. But I do know they look for things, but like pools & sheds...
We do get cold fronts, my koi & turtle have survived 2 winters now, summers get real hot.

I know a few ponders, all the homes out west have big drainage ponds, some are made into nice garden ponds.

PM me if you have any ????

Jerry

 

[sissy]

wow 200 gallon and 3 waterfalls .You must love the sound they make .I guessing they would not say anything about waterfalls or pondless waterfalls or am I wrong .would love to see pic or do you have some here as I have not looked at everything here .Since you joined in 2008 .You might want to watch they could be checking sights out like this just so they can catch ,you never know huh sneeky they are .

 

[JustJack]

I lived in Palm Beach Gardens for several years. I didn't have room for a pond then, so no personal experience there, but I do know that Gardens and Jupiter are both very strict about things like that, so if it does get discovered...or you have a neighbor that doesn't like you and calls it in...you could get fined. Jupiter is worse, but Gardens is probably right behind them. Out west is a different story, but if you live closer to the ocean, I'd be careful what you do without permits since it got a lot stricter the last few years I was there. On the other hand, it takes so long to get permits there sometimes that if the fine isn't that much, it might be worth it!