Yesterday I cut a $50 piece of trim too short because I didn’t check my measurement. I fumed for a couple minutes and then let it go because my mistake pales in comparison to what happened to the builder of a very expensive oceanside home I watched go up a few years ago. 

So you’re about to build a very expensive oceanside home on a small lot with a postage stamp sized building area due to wetlands, marsh and beach setbacks. You have the land surveyed and the foundation staked out by a registered land surveyor. Question is – do you measure twice before starting the foundation? Or have someone else check the surveyor’s work?  

In this case it seems the builder/developer didn’t measure twice so now the $1.8 million house he built must be torn down or moved because it was entirely built on the adjoining parkland. The case went through a few judicial proceedings with the latest – and probably the final – at the RI Supreme Court. Sounds like the builder/developer was trying to force the private park to sell the land the house was built on.

 I’m surprised that with such a tight lot and several layers of jurisdiction (DEM, CRMC, town zoning and building dept) that no one checked the survey. 

If you want to delve into more details, check these articles out: 

http://www.prov­idencejournal.c­om/breaking-new­s/20140507-r.i.­-supreme-court-­considers-wheth­er-1.8-million-­house-built-on-­park-land-in-na­rragansett-shou­ld-be-demolishe­d-or-moved.ece ­

http://www.prov­idencejournal.c­om/breaking-new­s/content/20140­509-r.i.-suprem­e-court-should-­1.8-million-hou­se-built-on-par­k-land-in-narra­gansett-be-demo­lished-or-moved­.ece 

http://www.prov­idencejournal.c­om/breaking-new­s/content/20140­613-r.i.-suprem­e-court-1.8-mil­lion-point-judi­th-house-must-g­o.ece 

http://www.prov­idencejournal.c­om/breaking-new­s/content/20140­613-r.i.-suprem­e-court-point-j­udith-house-bui­lt-in-public-pa­rk-must-be-remo­ved.ece 

http://www.prov­idencejournal.c­om/breaking-new­s/content/20140­613-r.i.-suprem­e-court-point-j­udith-house-bui­lt-in-public-pa­rk-must-be-remo­ved.ece 

http://narragan­sett.patch.com/­groups/around-t­own/p/house-bui­lt-on-rose-nulm­an-park-land-mu­st-come-down-ju­dge-rules

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