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permaculture - Re: [Fwd: help, taking care of the earth is becoming illegal!]

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  • From: Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>
  • To: "permaculture" <permaculture@franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: [Fwd: help, taking care of the earth is becoming illegal!]
  • Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2001 09:57:32 -0700

I just became aware of someone who is being sued (in the state of Tennessee)
by her neighbors for "devaluation of their land"
<snip>

The idea that increasing "property value" is a Good Thing is another one of those bizarre, never-questioned bits of suburban irrationality. If you plan to sell your property it makes sense. But if you don't plan to sell, or at least not for a long time, then activities which *lower* property values in your area should be encouraged. Lower property values = lower property taxes and more affordable property. Lowering property values indirectly promotes more stable communities because there is less incentive to sell if (1, property taxes stay affordable, and (2, if the price of property is so low that no one is tempted to sell out by the promise of quick windfall profits.

Some folks in Oregon once made the suggestion that every neighborhood could have a rotating junk yard to help lower property values and discourage speculation and gentrification (and the ultimate raising of taxes for everyone who chooses to stay). Each house could have it for, say, three years, then it would move on to the next place.

The only suggestion I might have for the woman fighting property-value-conscious neighbors is to ORGANIZE! Take the offensive by offering tours and a free workshop on converting lawns to edible landscapes. Find others in her area that will support her. Manipulate the media and get an article describing how great edible landscaping is. Embarrass the uptight neighbor in the public eye for being such a busybody and intruding on her rights! Depending on how productive the site is, donate produce regularly to the food bank, homeless shelter or somesuch and publicize that it came from this edible landscaping. Try and find a sympathetic lawyer who will work pro bono. If that's not possible, forget fighting it in court and fight it in the "court of public opinion"--the media, the streets, etc. If she can find enough sympathizers, it might be possible to put enough pressure on the neighbor to drop the lawsuit. Gene, when you find out more details, email me off-list and I might have some specific ideas. I love these kind of fights because they're usually easier to win than it might at first seem.

Mikal



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