Homeowner Liability: Dorothy, This Isn't Kansas Anymore...or Is It

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We've all seen the Wizard of Oz. Essentially the movie starts with a tornado picking up Dorothy's house and dumping it the same way a kid picks up a stuffed animal and tosses it into the toy box.

So, what's the point?

Most sheds and small building structures are not properly secured to the ground. This is a considerable hazard.

Did you realize that foundations serve two purposes? First, they protect a building or structure from the decay, pest infestation and settling. Second, they anchor buildings to the ground.

Simply stated, foundations are used to resist nature's temptation to toss buildings around as if they were Legos.

So, you have an accessory structure in your back yard; how do you know that it's properly secured? Oh...what's an accessory structure? As defined by the International Residential Code (the book that most governmental jurisdictions use for determining the adequacy of construction or the building department's bible):
...A structure not greater than 3,000 square feet in floor area, and not over two stories in height, the use of which is customarily accessory to and incidental to that of the dwelling(s) and which is located on the same lot.
So the question still stands, what is an accessory structure? It can be a garage, barn or even a shed. The main point is that most sheds do not meet the basic provisions of the code. There is clearly a homeowner liability problem.

Imagine, a big wind storm comes through and Pow, your shed is doing it's impression of a tumble weed; rolling along and falling apart as it goes leaving a trail of debris along the way. Really, all it takes is a big gust during a storm.

Now, when what is left of your shed comes to rest on top of your neighbor's new car, what do you do? It's hard to pin the blame on your other neighbor across the way.

Blame Game
Is your homeowner's insurance company going to cover the damage? Normally we would all say yes. But, what if they realized the damage was caused you ignored the building code? Does ignorance pass the test here? I sure wouldn't want to find out.

Forget about the neighbor's new car; what about your safety...or your children's...not to mention the contents that were in the shed.

All of these issues are most likely avoidable by properly attaching your shed to a foundation or slab.

About the Author:
With this in mind, see how at www.HomeImporvementU.com, we can help with all of your home design, remodeling, construction and shed plans and designs. We help you make your dreams a reality with training and advice by industry professionals.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


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