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House Building Update (LONG)
We've been working with our county since March of 2010. ILs want to gift us part of their land (about 3.5 acres) to build in a rural part of the county. FIL purchased original plot and several years after they built purchased an additional piece of land and merged that into his land.
County says we can't build there for several reasons...the division right on the original piece shouldn't count for the added piece (even though FIL should have asked for a right from the neighbor when it was first purchased). They also had the slope of the land documented incorrectly (saying it was steeper and therefore unbuildable)
They made several suggestions such as building us a guest cottage on the property that we would "rent" but never own. There were several other proposals of equal worthlessness to us as well. Meanwhile they are passing several other families through without division rights to subdivide.
We had the surveyor and the soil engineer out this past week ($$$) We had to have 30,000 within a certain slope to meet the regulations of the county. We ended up having 31,800 (yay)!
We submitted that paperwork this week with the drain field, well placement, and topography map. The county came back yesterday and said we needed a lawyer to draft up some document stating that DH is ILs son...they said a birth certificate wouldn't do.
We have pretty much decided on a log cabin and have several floor plans we like from a local company. DH and FIL will do all the inside framing/dry wall etc.
We're thinking maybe breaking ground in late spring! We're making progress 
Craft Blog
Re: House Building Update (LONG)
Oh gosh honey! I completely understand about all the hoops you have to jump through to get things rolling. But I am glad to hear things have started moving for you.
My DH would love to have a log cabin.
Wow, they've been putting you guys through a lot!! Why on earth wouldn't a birth certificate prove that your FIL is your H's dad?!? And frankly, why would that even matter?
I'm so glad you're on the verge of getting to break ground, though!
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"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain."
That is crazy what they are putting you guys through. I still can't get over the statement that a birth certificate is not proof. What would you show for proof, pictures of her giving birth to him or something, weird.
Hopefully things will speed up and you can get started.
Keep us posted.