Big Boys Hobbies

CROOKED City Office

hawgdawg said:
I'm with ya Mud, I'm looking into my options of hittin the road in the mobile home. There's an endless change of scenery out there, plenty of fishin' holes, wet and dry. There's more to life than being a slave to the man.
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Right Hawggie? I've been a homeowner off and on since 1980...It was the way we were taught by our Parents, and in their era, it worked for them...you buy the worst home in the best neighborhood, fix it up and that 'sweat equity' will pay off? Not necessarily! Too many variables!

A guy HAS to be able to do everything from landscaping to roofing let alone general maintenance, plumbing, electrics, what not...then theres the 'permits' required for any kind of improvements...If a big factory in town closes down and values plummet, a guy is left sitting with an immense millstone around their neck!

The damn woodpeckers dont care about GeoPolitical finances or know any better! They are constantly pounding holes in a guys chimney! Plus, that damn grass always needs a mowing! Then, here comes the property taxes to build a new firehall or school!

I guess we did gain some handy skills along the way though....but damn! A guy starts working the math and sees how upside down they were ...A guy just wises up and realizes they were a sucker, making $10, paying $3 off the top for taxes, another $7 for payments/expenses...

It just aint financially reasonable and is mathematically unsustainable when a rolling Gypsy can knock down more pure take home dollars doing a paint job or blacktopping a driveway?
 
Well I am in a unique situation. My home is paid for. A new furnace and new paint 2 years ago, a new hot water heater and roof last year, I have remodeled the whole thing and I don't pay taxes.

So my bills are small compared to most. I have been thinking of a motor home though just so I can plunder all of Michigan better. One that can pull my 18' boat and just go. But I enjoy coming back to a place that is larger than a motor home and comfortable. I have been remodeling the inside and have one small bedroom to start on and small items to finish in the rest of the house.
 
I don't know Scuba, I sorta agree with olfart. Seems like 187 gallons is pretty low, for an entire month. Just the daily shower is going to put you over 300 gallons. Check these estimates, though. Might give you some ammunition, when you go to battle with the water people....

How much water do you use? Find out how much water you use: how much is it costing you?

Bath........................................40 gallons
5-minute shower.......................10 gallons
5-minute power shower..............20 gallons
Brushing teeth with tap running...2 gallons/min
Brushing teeth with tap off........(.25) gallon
One toilet flush..........................3 gallons
Other water use (drink/cook).......7 gallons
Washing machine.......................40 gallons
Dishwasher................................10 gallons
Washing car with bucket..............3 gallons
Hose/sprinkler............................140 gallons/hour


Oh, and how come NO Taxes ?
 
Reef Runner said:
I don't know Scuba, I sorta agree with olfart. Seems like 187 gallons is pretty low, for an entire month. Just the daily shower is going to put you over 300 gallons. Check these estimates, though. Might give you some ammunition, when you go to battle with the water people....

How much water do you use? Find out how much water you use: how much is it costing you?

Bath........................................40 gallons
5-minute shower.......................10 gallons
5-minute power shower..............20 gallons
Brushing teeth with tap running...2 gallons/min
Brushing teeth with tap off........(.25) gallon
One toilet flush..........................3 gallons
Other water use (drink/cook).......7 gallons
Washing machine.......................40 gallons
Dishwasher................................10 gallons
Washing car with bucket..............3 gallons
Hose/sprinkler............................140 gallons/hour


Oh, and how come NO Taxes ?
Click to expand...


I only have my October bill that says I used 187 gallons. So I will have to ask the water department about other past bills.

As for no taxes. It is one benefit I get for being a 100% disabled vet. That is a federal law.
 
Take a close look at your new 'smart' meter...If its a Badger, Its reading a magnetic swash plate and sending the signal to the pertinent billing agency....So....simply afix a computer magnet to a common 5" sanding disk, chuck it into a handy 3/8 drill, pop off that Badger head, hold the drill/magnet assembly in the proper alignment, pull the trigger, and get that baby rotating backwards!

By God! The water dept will be sending YOU money! :laughing: Do I have to think of everything here?:laughing::laughing: You gonna talk or you gonna fish?:laughing::laughing:
 
Are you sure the readings aren't in CCF versus gallons?

CCF = 100 cubic ft, used to measure a volume of water.
 
Maybe it's just CF rather than CCF. If so, your 5 would be 37.4 gallons and your 187 would be 1398.76 gallons. That would seem much more likely for one conservative individual's water usage.
 
Mud-puppy said:
This is exactly the kind of thing that is pushing me closer and closer into an RV! Or renting even...

I should have my house on the market by Friday, thats why I've been so busy getting it ready...The realtor is pretty much sure I will have an offer or two within the week....And Buddy, hallelujia!

I'm just tired of getting all these damn bills all the time that its just too mentally exhausting to fight them anymore or even argue about it...I need to decompress and get some Life back instead of battle after battle, bill after bill as a homeowner....bleeding money out both ends....and not only that, I never want to ever mow the grass, shovel snow, or clean out gutters again unless somebody is PAYING me to do it!:laughing:

Its a fun thought to be able to roll on down the road quick if a place goes sour...
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Hello mud I do collision repairs and painting on rvs I am head of the body shop for tiffin motor homes in plainville ct I also do fleetwood newmar senica Berkshire and a few others they are very pricey and cost quite a bit to maintain and lucky to get 8 mpg most don't have very many miles and the owners seem pretty wealthy some sit in my shop for 6 months at a time provost seem the nicest hope this helps don't know your financial position but they aren't any less expensive than owning a house i just finished a Monaco and the lady told me she has 6 years left on a 1400 a month payment on the other hand you have north America as your backyard good luck my boss has a allegro bus and it breaks down every other time he takes it out he seems to have a bottumlesss pocket and keeps it indoors when not in use not trying to discourage you just let you know what I see good luck it was also a dream of mine till I started working on them about 8 years now don't think I could afford it i am looking to buy a vacation home ft Myers probably and give my house in ct to one of my kids in the next 10 years hope it works for you you can get a pretty good deal on a used one and the warranty is short lived on new ones if I can answer and questions you have I will gladly do so don't hesitate to ask if I don't know the answer I know someone who does

Sent from my LG-V410 using Tapatalk
 
Any time I am not going to be home for more than a couple days I lift the lid on the meter box, get out my trusty tool I borrowed from a plumber and turn off the water. If I get a bill for water that I did not use I will make them show me how I used the water when it was cut off in front of the meter.
 
georgeinsc said:
Any time I am not going to be home for more than a couple days I lift the lid on the meter box, get out my trusty tool I borrowed from a plumber and turn off the water. If I get a bill for water that I did not use I will make them show me how I used the water when it was cut off in front of the meter.
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Can't do that here. You are charged 40.00 a MONTH even if you don't use a drop of water or sewer. They call it readiness charge. Meaning as long as it is hooked up they can charge you each month because they are ready to give you service. Another bunch of bull but they passed a city rule.

My father called this city a resort town, the last resort.
 
my water bill is paid quarterly so I don't have one sitting here

but everyone has a monthly allowance (I think 3000 gallons) at a flat rate

the bill only goes up if you go over that
 
Well I called today. It was fixed. A new bill supposedly went out, Instead of owing I have a 36.00 credit.

Still a bunch of bull that they can ESTIMATE your bill when they THINK their equipment is not working.

Is that like getting a speeding ticket because the officer thinks you were speeding?
 
ScubaDetector said:
Well I called today. It was fixed. A new bill supposedly went out, Instead of owing I have a 36.00 credit.

Still a bunch of bull that they can ESTIMATE your bill when they THINK their equipment is not working.

Is that like getting a speeding ticket because the officer thinks you were speeding?
Click to expand...

It's like getting a speeding ticket when the officer's radar gun clocks you doing the speed limit but he thinks it must be broken.
 
zeemang said:
Until you put it back where it can be read you will continue to get estimated bills i am sure...
Click to expand...

No, they have it hooked up to wireless. They fixed the problem. They thought it was broke because nobody was using water. They never come in the house to read meters anymore. I now have a credit and everything is good.
 
serveimage
 
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