topic Re: Private roads in Community Chat

Private roads

madzonie — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:18:33 GMT

There was an article in the paper a couple days ago about these families who live out in boonies near our town. They access their homes and property via PRIVATE roads. To me that means there is no construction/repair/maintenance by the city or the country.

Over the last couple summer rainy seasons, portions of the "main" private road into the area where people live have been seriously washed out, eroded and damaged. The property owners came together and found a way to put a band-aid on the situation...temporary or less than permanent repairs were made.

Now with the summer rains on the way, some of the property owners are expressing their concern about what will happen to their roads once the rains get going. That's how the article landed in the paper.

On one hand the fellow being interviewed said it was their "fault" for choosing to live in this area with no regularly maintained roads. But then he basically says "when is the government going to do something about this?"

This is especially ironic since our area here is very very "anti-government" and the vast majority of folks around here don't want anything to do with what they consider government interference in their lives.

While I feel bad for these folks, my take is that they KNEW they were going to live in an area with no publicly maintained roads. I feel they must find a way to rectify the problems with the roads with their own funds and quit whining that the "government" won't do anything to help them.

BTW, we own a lot in a development that has nothing but private roads. Our annual HOA fees (we don't have a house on the lot so don't live there) go toward maintaining the roads within the development...as it should be.

Re: Private roads

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:25:30 GMT

Sounds like the 'boonie' families are out of luck where government-funded road maintenance is concerned.

Re: Private roads

terrier3 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:27:18 GMT

Everyone is "anti" until they need something....then they change pretty quickly!

They have 2 choices, IMO - continue to maintain their own roads or have the county take over their roads and either get a one time assessment to pay for them or get their taxes raised.

That is what happens when country properties start getting county water service.

Re: Private roads

raven-blackbird — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 20:52:15 GMT

we have property, not where we live, but where we are going to build, and it has a private road.........WE have to maintain it, it's on our property not the counties.......yeah when the rains start up, there is a lot of work to do on sections of it because, frankly it gets washed away.......and yeah we have to buy and use pea gravel to fill wash outs and pot holes...........but it's part and parcel to having property outside the city.................................raven

Re: Private roads

kittymomNC — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:23:57 GMT

There are too many people who are against "big government" and continually shout that they want the government to stay out of their lives....until a hurricane, or a tornado, or an earthquake hits. Then all they can do is shout about their disaster, "why isn't FEMA or whoever helping us, and why aren't they doing it better, and why aren't they doing it quicker!" Just like the people who want the government to stay out of their Med*icare, and don't even realize it's a government run program! These people you're talking about should stop their whining and put up the money to fix their own roads.

Re: Private roads

terrier3 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:26:39 GMT

On 7/2/2014 deepwaterdotter said:
Sounds like the 'boonie' families are out of luck where government-funded road maintenance is concerned.

The government maintains government roads, not private ones.

Why would the government care for someone's private property?

Re: Private roads

KathyPet — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:34:09 GMT

I live in a gated community and the roads are private which they must be if you want a gate. public roads maintained at tax payers expense cannot be closed off with a gate if tax payer $$'s are being used to have Dept of Transportation maintain the roads. Oor HOA has a required by law study done every 5 years which analyzes the cost of estimated repair and replacement for all the facilities that are owned by the HOA such as pools, tennis court, fitness center, roads, parking lots, gate house etc. The figure that they come up,with for each category of replacement cost is then included in our budget in a category called "capital reserve and replacement fund". That way when we need to,recoat the roads or replace the roof on the Fitness Center the funds should be there. sounds like the residents who live on this road had no clue what they were getting into with road expense on a private road and they have no one to blame but themselves.

Re: Private roads

Elstongunn — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:35:29 GMT

"When is the government going to come in and take care of this?"

Errr...when you turn over your private driveway to them. Until then, raise your own funds to fix it properly.

Re: Private roads

Mj12 — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:36:36 GMT

On 7/2/2014 kittymomNC said:
There are too many people who are against "big government" and continually shout that they want the government to stay out of their lives....until a hurricane, or a tornado, or an earthquake hits. Then all they can do is shout about their disaster, "why isn't FEMA or whoever helping us, and why aren't they doing it better, and why aren't they doing it quicker!" Just like the people who want the government to stay out of their Med*icare, and don't even realize it's a government run program! These people you're talking about should stop their whining and put up the money to fix their own roads.

Re: Private roads

deepwaterdotter — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:38:10 GMT

On 7/2/2014 terrier3 said:
On 7/2/2014 deepwaterdotter said:
Sounds like the 'boonie' families are out of luck where government-funded road maintenance is concerned.

The government maintains government roads, not private ones.

Why would the government care for someone's private property?

They wouldn't.

Re: Private roads

KathyPet — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:40:23 GMT

In our state you cannot just turn your private road over to,the state to maintain. The state will not accept the road into the state road system unless it was constructed to,state standards.

Re: Private roads

nunya — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 21:47:08 GMT

The neighbors need to put their money and heads together and a buy a tractor or backhoe. Your land, your problem.

Re: Private roads

madzonie — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 23:49:43 GMT

Thanks folks! I'm glad to know my thinking about this situation is not ""crazy!"" Sometimes I think I'm alone with my opinions. :-)

Re: Private roads

terrier3 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:04:08 GMT

On 7/2/2014 madzonie said: Thanks folks! I'm glad to know my thinking about this situation is not ""crazy!"" Sometimes I think I'm alone with my opinions. :-)

Did you know that the more ""anti"" a state is....the more aid their citizens tend to receive.

It's all backwards...

Re: Private roads

Lacey1 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:19:18 GMT

When we lived in the country, there was a stream between the main road and our driveway. There was a bridge that crossed the stream-it was the only way to drive to 3 homes. Well, sure enough, one day the bridge collapsed. It was a private bridge, so we got an estimate for repair and went to the other 2 homeowners. Guess what? No body had any money for a new bridge, so we ended up paying for it ourselves.

We had to get permission from every stupid government entity to fix this bridge. Everyone had to park across the road and walk over a homemade foot bridge, while the bridge repairs went on. The other families had the nerve to bug us to hurry up and fix the bridge because of the inconvenience, plus if we needed a fire truck or ambulance we were out of luck.

It did finally get repaired but it cost $$$$. The lawyer said there was not much that we could do about making the other families chip in. So, I would think carefully before ever getting involved in a 'private road' again.

Re: Private roads

ennui1 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:38:46 GMT

On 7/2/2014 terrier3 said:
On 7/2/2014 deepwaterdotter said:
Sounds like the 'boonie' families are out of luck where government-funded road maintenance is concerned.

The government maintains government roads, not private ones.

Why would the government care for someone's private property?

They do it all the time. If your weeds are overgrown, the government mows them down and sends you a bill, for example.

Re: Private roads

terrier3 — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 00:42:54 GMT

On 7/2/2014 ennui1 said:
On 7/2/2014 terrier3 said:
On 7/2/2014 deepwaterdotter said:
Sounds like the 'boonie' families are out of luck where government-funded road maintenance is concerned.

The government maintains government roads, not private ones.

Why would the government care for someone's private property?

They do it all the time. If your weeds are overgrown, the government mows them down and sends you a bill, for example.

Mowing weeds is simple and a fast way for them to make money from a fine.

Repairing a private road leading to someone's home? No way will they pay for the repairs...it's PRIVATE.