Ask the Architect

Do I have to elevate my house?

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Q. I got a letter from my village that says my house needs to be lifted, and that it’s mandatory because I was lucky enough to be 50 percent damaged by Sandy. Trouble is, we fixed the house right away after the storm and have gotten money from NY Rising already. I don’t want to lift it — it’s too much hassle, and we’re done with this whole thing! Seriously, what can they do to me if I refuse to lift?

A. Sandy isn’t the only one that will have damaged you, unfortunately. If you received the letter that says you need to lift to a minimum of 2 feet above the Federal Emergency Management Agency-proscribed height, you will, and I mean must, lift your home. It’s mandatory, no ifs, ands or buts. You can resist for an undetermined amount of time, but discussions with flood plain officials and building departments revealed that they’re audited by FEMA for every recorded property to monitor the status of work being done to prevent life and property loss.

FEMA isn’t only a part of the federal government, it’s an insurance company, to put it plainly, and doesn’t want to keep paying out after every disaster. If you remember when people around the country were grumbling about the huge payouts, several years in a row, to people who kept rebuilding along the Mississippi, you’ll understand that the agency wants to avoid repeated payouts to people who do not remedy. This mandate is intended to keep us all from paying even more taxes than we do.

The federal government, as a point of fact, is the sole owner of every inch of land in this country. You can pay off your mortgage and receive clear title, which is purposely called a title, granted by the nation, but you will never own property outright. So, under those circumstances, your strong will to fight the government mandate to lift will ultimately be fruitless. Along the way, each agency, from your local government to the county to the state, will exercise its responsibility to enforce the requirements of the federal government.

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