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March 2, 2008 at 12:39 am #586478
JeannieParticipantI call them Hummer Houses: Big, ugly, tasteless monstrosities that show no consideration for others (and are environmental obscenities). Someone is building a Hummer House just down the block. It’s humongous, and it has destroyed the view from our deck. My house is small and modest; its main value was the nice view of the Sound and the Olympics from my deck. Now, thanks to the Hummer House, the view is 90 percent gone. “Neighbors” like this, with more money than class, are NOT welcome here. I doubt if there is any legal recourse – but they may be violating height restrictions. Any others of you experienced a similar situation? And, please no one give me the “that’s progress, so live with it” line. This is a single-family home and a blight to our street.
March 2, 2008 at 5:22 am #616314
JanSParticipantJeannie, it hasn’t happened to me, but I do know people up on Genessee Hill who did lose a view. And it was totally legal. I’m sure that there must be someplace where you could check aobut height restrictions in your neighborhood…maybe WSB knows..they seem to have the in on most things like that.
I like that name/ Hummer House”. In a post by WSB on the blog yesterday, they brought up a possibility of Admiral Safeway remodeling, and expanding upwards with perhaps condos or apartments. I live to the east of them, across the street. If that happens I’ll lose my view of the Olympics, sunsets, and probably a lot of afternoon sun, especially in the winter. Yes, not fair…but they are within their right to do something like that.
I definitely sympathize..
March 2, 2008 at 9:32 am #616315
JeannieParticipantThanks, Jan. I have a number and will call first thing Monday. I’m not optimistic, but I feel I have to at least try. I spoke to some neighbors; the Hummer House is wreaking havoc on their views, too. The uglification continues.
March 2, 2008 at 5:32 pm #616316
shihtzuParticipantYep, Jan S. There’s a hummer house on my block that took away someone’s view on Genessee Hill. It sucks, but it’s legal.
I read an article once that in Seattle, you shouldn’t consider yourself REALLY having a view if there is a house in front of you.
No way is the city going to prevent someone from improving their house and generating more tax revenue.
March 2, 2008 at 7:32 pm #616317
AnonymousInactiveBecause we are currently renting our home and currently have a GREAT view, I have a question that relates to this topic if there is anyone who knows about real estate stuff.
I’ve been told, by a realtor, that there are things you can do when you initially purchase your home to protect or guarantee your view, at least to a certain extent. Does anyone know anything about this?
March 2, 2008 at 8:09 pm #616318
JeannieParticipantYour best bet, newresident, is to check with a reputable real estate lawyer.
Good point, shihtzu, about the tax revenue. Sad but true.
March 2, 2008 at 9:17 pm #616319
AnonymousInactiveYeah, Thanks Jeanie. We will definitely look into that, in depth, when we are ready to purchase. I was just wondering if anyone has run into that particular situation before since a lot of homes here have views. Before you purchased your home, did you check into guaranteeing your view at all?
Thank goodness the home across from us is tiny! That’s the only reason we have such a great view. Should they choose to re-model, our home’s value would really go down.
March 3, 2008 at 3:02 am #616320
JoBParticipanti am currently renting a house with woods below.. but they are privately owned and could be sold and developed at any time… Unfortunately, there are no guarantees.
i have known people to cut down mature trees on a neighbors property that were there before they bought or remodeled to improve their view. it wasn’t legal.. but once it was done it only cost them a small fine.
those who build hummer houses without any consideration of neighbors don’t seem to be too interested in anyone’s rights but their own…
i think some neighborhoods have covenants that protect views, but i haven’t heard of any here and getting them in your neighborhood requires the agreement and signature of every homeowner… not easy to do.
good luck. if you find some remedy, please let the rest of us know.
March 3, 2008 at 5:09 am #616321
JeannieParticipantI will keep you posted. What’s especially sad to me is that, when my sister died of cancer just over a year ago, I would find some measure of solace by going out to my deck and looking out to the water and the mountains. Now, instead of this comforting sight, I see the rear end of a Hummer House monstrosity–a testiment to someone’s massive ego.
March 3, 2008 at 5:23 am #616322
JoBParticipantJeannie.. this is the same thing i have experienced where i now live… i am glad it has given you comfort as it has me.
as for the monstrosities… i try to look around them. i know you can no longer do that from your deck… but you are welcome to come share mine any time.
March 3, 2008 at 6:49 am #616323
JeraldParticipantIf you do lose your view, I think you can have your assessed value (and thus taxes) lowered.
March 4, 2008 at 9:58 am #616324
AnonymousInactiveIs your house by any chance on 37th? There are several gigantic tacky houses that are completely out of character with the charming bungalows around them. (Columns? Seriously???) But I guess it’s true of everywhere in Seattle.
March 4, 2008 at 3:47 pm #616325
AnonymousInactiveStory on KIRO is about this exact topic and explains what you can (or can’t) do about this. http://www.kirotv.com/money/15477338/detail.html
March 4, 2008 at 4:40 pm #616326
AnonymousInactiveWe cut down a whole side of trees for our beautiful 5 story house overlooking alki. It is glorious to see this view each morning! We did for a time live in Arbor Heights. We also donated the lumber fro the trees we cut down for habitat for humanity.
Side Note: My husband just got selected for the hunt in Wyoming so another mount is likely on our wall to join the 7 point elk, the whiutetail deer, the beaver and the cougar. Cool!!
March 4, 2008 at 5:46 pm #616327
KenParticipantMy house has two 6 x 8 picture windows that now look onto a three story McMansion under construction. It is 5 feet from the fence, 15 from the window and 3 stories tall. There will be 3 of them, all identical on what was two lots.
I have another picture window that used to have a view of the entire cascade range with Mt Rainier off to the right. The SHA rebuild of Highpoint took care of that view as if they had stood in the window and made sure to build a large tall townhouse in any small space that was left open.
The Lawyer Stepdaughter confirmed that there is and was nothing we could do about this after our offer to buy the lot next door was refused and sold to the neighbor for less than we offered.
(It seems I annoyed the republican who owned the lot when he last ran for office :)
Ah well…
umm Who mounts a beaver? And why? And how did they treat it to get it to not smell like a beaver? You can smell them at a 1/4 mile in the wild. Castorium I think is the marking scent they excrete.
Expect some reflexive anti hunting replies btw. Several of my relatives are subsistence hunters who would be just as mystified by the taxidermy though.
March 4, 2008 at 5:57 pm #616328
WSMomParticipantplease don’t feed troll
March 4, 2008 at 6:02 pm #616329
AnonymousInactiveI don’t think Ken knows who we are all talking about.
Ken – Responding to the hunting and mounting would be “feeding the troll”. Hopefully you can gather who this particular person is now.
March 4, 2008 at 9:26 pm #616330
JeannieParticipantYou guys are funny! Oh, and the Hummer House that is destroying my view is on the 3700 block of SW Austin St. I can hear the hammering now. I was able to search the city Web site to find out who the owner is. He currently lives in Shoreline. I wonder if his current home is as ugly. Oh, dear, no columns, I hope.
Thanks for the link to the news story, JT.
March 5, 2008 at 2:22 am #616331
JayDeeParticipantMy “unfavorite” Hummer House is located near 56th Ave SW and Spokane. It has been under construction or rebuilding for years. Not only is it a large house, it has got to be one of the ugliest houses in West Seattle, with, I think, 4 floors of windowed rooms, including a bonus room (Widow’s walk) on-top to ruin whatever view remained of the neighbors (not me, thankfully).
No architectural grace or anything to soften its offending boxes stack on-top of the original construction. According to neighborhood sources, it’s only saving grace is that it reportedly blocks the view of a “developer” (odd, how we consider it a pejorative term) who house is adjacent but whose recent project a few avenues away took away the the views from several adjacent properties.
When I bought my place in ’96, the house to the left has a view convenant (and so, a flat roof) that an adjacent property owner had purchased or made when they’d sold the property originally. No easement on my place but the shame I would feel. Now if the people downhill from me go up…(knock on wood, or particle board…).
March 6, 2008 at 1:48 am #616332
jissyParticipantWhile I appreciate everyone’s feelings on both sides of this coin, in light of what’s gone on this week at the 2007 Street of Dreams and ELF’s agenda, I’d caution anyone from putting actual street identifiers, addresses, and labels on peoples homes. As we’ve seen on this blog lately, you never know who’s trolling here and what their agenda is. I’m sure we’d all be shattered if something happened in our community, regardless of how you feel about someone building any type of home.
Not criticizing or judging by any means, I just at times try to wear the shoe on the other foot for a moment and consider everyone’s safety, espec. that of our West Seattle community.
March 6, 2008 at 4:36 am #616333
charlabobParticipantUm, first of all, even the FBI hasn’t said this is an Earth Liberation Front action. Second of all, people can just drive around and see the the hummer houses. It’s not like you can hide your house or put it in your pocket or the closet.
Frankly, in this market if I lived next to a hummer house that had been under construction for years, I’d be a bit worried that the builder might decide to take an easy, but fiery, path to profitability. Apparently the street of dreams houses had been for sale for 6 months to a year.
March 6, 2008 at 4:39 am #616334
charlabobParticipantBTW, Jeannie, thanks SO much for “Hummer Houses”. It’s absolutely brilliant and everyone gets it. McMansions was getting stale.
March 6, 2008 at 11:05 pm #616335
JeannieParticipantThanks, Charlabob! Glad you appreciate my term “Hummer House” – hope the word gets out-feel free to use it liberally! I agree with your previous points completely. These houses are, unfortunately, highly visible. That is the nature of a Hummer House.
March 7, 2008 at 4:17 pm #616336
KenParticipantIn any fire, investigators look at the owner first.
I remember when Legal Seafood in Boston burned to the ground across the street from a large urban fire station (late 70’s?). The fry cook told me there had been water running down the wall from the attic for two days before the fire and the Fire crew was at a false alarm at the furtherest corner of the district when it finally broke through the roof.
Alledgedly the insurance financed the expansion of the resturant into 4 more locations…
March 7, 2008 at 4:38 pm #616337
charlabobParticipantKen,
Hey Ken,
Thanks for reminding me of my old home. I lived there then (1980) and LSF was one of “our places”. I can’t imagine Berkowitz burned the first one…but anything is possible. And you’re right–it turned out well: there are now 30 LSFs on the east coast.
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