Man jailed for siding his house.

[ThinkAnarchy]

http://kstp.com/news/stories/s2542281.shtml

Faber says he had every intention of completing the stucco and decorative rock project on his home but he ran into money troubles when the economy soured. Burnsville leaders say they had no choice to enforce the law.

But in 2009 there were two more warning letters, and in 2010 yet another--this time requiring Faber to appear in court. Burnsville leaders provided 5 Eyewitness News with these 2010 photos of the Fabers' home as proof there was a problem.

"I was expecting maybe a $700 fine," Faber said. Instead he was given an ultimatum -- finish the siding or go to jail.

So Mitch returned to his house and he and Jean say they spent about $12,000 putting a stucco façade over the plywood exterior. They thought they were finally in compliance. They were wrong [...]

It's an abundance of stories like this that have resulted in my conversion to anarchism.

[Tank]

Sorted title. What a seriously bizarre situation.

[xSilverPhinx]

Three letters: WTF?!

[Guardian85]

This is what happens when privatized corrections and pay-per-vote politicians collide.

5 Eyewitness News also called Dakota County Corrections as well as Midwest Monitoring (the company in charge of the electronic home monitoring) but calls were not returned. In a letter dated February 21, 2012, Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom wrote the Fabers, "This was a prosecution initiated by the city of Burnsville through their privately-retained city prosecutor.

Does anyone here think this case would not have gone as far, if the corrections services were run by the state.

[ThinkAnarchy]

This is what happens when privatized corrections and pay-per-vote politicians collide.

5 Eyewitness News also called Dakota County Corrections as well as Midwest Monitoring (the company in charge of the electronic home monitoring) but calls were not returned. In a letter dated February 21, 2012, Dakota County Attorney Jim Backstrom wrote the Fabers, "This was a prosecution initiated by the city of Burnsville through their privately-retained city prosecutor.

Does anyone here think this case would not have gone as far, if the corrections services were run by the state.

It was still run by the state. The city simply retained a "private prosecutor." He was no longer exactly private when he began accepting a paycheck from the sate to prosecute on behalf of the state.

[Whitney]

are there any pictures of the offending siding....4 years is a long time to not complete it and 12,000 to complete something already started seems very high; so I think maybe there is more to the story.  Not that I think jail is the proper solution to code violations (unless they present a harm to the public).