Figuring out the threshold for not saving a historic property is a biatch. This is going to be a protracted legal conflict that neither the review board or the owner is going to happy with.

Looks like the perfect opportunity for a zany staged haunting.

He's doing it wrong. Don't waste the money on a legal fight that might have an unfavorable outcome. Take what you're going to pay the lawyer and add it to the demolition and construction costs. Find a construction company affiliated with a large union in your area. Explain the problem with the permit and what you're willing to pay. Next time the board convenes, they will vote in your favor.

Ever hear of spontaneous combustion? I mean a fire could happen. Just saying.

MaxxLarge: What a silly goose. You only get to tear down badly-damaged, historical homes if you're as rich as Steve Jobs, remember?

No, no, no... it's just that if you're super-rich and powerful, the secret government historical preservation strike force has to be more subtle, like delaying you for ten years while the slow-acting carcinogen takes effect.

Sky21Dancer: Ever hear of spontaneous combustion? I mean a fire could happen. Just saying.


He should just invite a bunch of winos to live there rent free. It'll burn in no time.

I would just tear it down in the night. What are they going to do in the morning?

Those people are a joke

meanyogurt: He's doing it wrong. Don't waste the money on a legal fight that might have an unfavorable outcome. Take what you're going to pay the lawyer and add it to the demolition and construction costs. Find a construction company affiliated with a large union in your area. Explain the problem with the permit and what you're willing to pay. Next time the board convenes, they will vote in your favor.

We just rented a Bobcat and "accidently" took out a corner of the building while doing some "landscaping". Make sure everyone is on the same page (we were planting a tree) and agrees that a regretable accident happened.

Is this a registered historic building? If so, then the daughter knew that when she bought the property, and accepted the legal restrictions that go along with it. Daddy has to deal with it.

If not, then yes, the city regulators are busybodies abusing property rights of the citizens.

Umm...The entire city of Charleston is a historical site. It is illegal to tear down any building in the city that is more than 75 years old, I believe.

This guy is a dumbass for buying a property there without knowing the rules. Not that it really matters; he can probably sell the place for several million even in it's current condition.

Fun little town, definitely has its charm. It's a city for the rich though, and I guarantee this guy is one of them.

From TFA: "The best thing I could do for that memory is to do something that would not offend her if she were alive. ... I think she'd find it comforting to know if she can't live here, no one else can either."

So, you're worried about offending her beyond the grave, and if she can't live there, no one can.

Way to put your own words in your dead daughter's mouth that make her sound like an emasculating be-hoo-yatch, sir. That must be the Charleston way to show respect for the dead.

Linkster: BesiktasBoy83: I would just tear it down in the night. What are they going to do in the morning?

Those people are a joke

Happens all the time, just sayin'.

honestly if i lived near this guy he'd have a bit of help ;)

Why doesn't he just sell the property and be done with it? If we tore down a house every time a loved one died, we'd take out a good chunk of the houses in town.

"If she couldn't be there, she wouldn't want anybody else to be there."

Not exactly the representation of a loving girl. On the contrary, she would probably want you to put some of that legal money back into restoring her elegant historical home. You don't move there and then refuse to restore damage. You know you're getting a historical home when you purchase it.

highwayrun: That must be the Charleston way to show respect for the dead.

He's an "Atlanta businessman" whose 21-year-old daughter owned a historical house in one of the most expensive districts in the entire southern United States. Don't blame this on Charleston, this guy is a foreign invader.

MaxxLarge: What a silly goose. You only get to tear down badly-damaged, historical homes if you're as rich as Steve Jobs, remember?

You must admit, though... that an 82 year old house is hardly what most of the world would reasonably consider "historic." Granted if you're as rich as Jobs you could just buy another 100 acres of wooded land wherever you want to build on, so it seems rather douchey to insist upon the demolition of that house when you're as loaded as he is.

It's not going to bring her back. He's more of a diva than his daughter could be.

As if Paul Saylor wasn't coping with enough after his 21-year-old daughter Olivia died in a New Year's Day blaze, someone recently stole the gas grill off the charred piazza

Well it's not like she was the only person who enjoyed throwing an impromptu barbeque every once in a while.

If his daughter had not died there he probably would look at it and say it could be restored. It's all in the eye of the beholder and this is just a no-win situation.

I suggest that the location where his daughter died tragically is not the best place for a memorial to her.

I live near Galveston TX. Historic districts everywhere are heavily legislated, and this guy's daughter knew that damn well when she chose to buy her house. You can't so much as paint your house the wrong color, and this guy thinks he's going to go up against Charleston, of all the places, and get a historic home in good structural condition torn down?

He's apparently a well-spoken cheap bastard whose assertion that "His daughter wouldn't want anyone else to live here either" fails to excuse his responsibility for a blight on the landscape of Charleston. How dare he claim sympathy for a neighbor and then imply if he can't build a garden then they are just going to have to look at the eyesore because that's his way of saying F-you to 7 people?

If my kids and husband perished in my home while I was away, do you REALLY think my HOA would let me tear down the shell and build a garden? Subby must have the life experience of a 15 year old...

I want your BAR, Mayonnaise. Say it... B-A-R.

Shaggy_C: highwayrun: That must be the Charleston way to show respect for the dead.

He's an "Atlanta businessman" whose 21-year-old daughter owned a historical house in one of the most expensive districts in the entire southern United States. Don't blame this on Charleston, this guy is a foreign invader.

That's fair. My point stands, though, that it is a cowardly act to claim to speak in the name of this dead woman in favor of tearing the building down, when clearly her actions in life showed that she favored preservation of historic buildings to the point that she chose to live in one.

Rusty Shackleford: "My daughter loved Charleston. My daughter loved her neighborhood. My daughter loved her house," he said. "The best thing I could do for that memory is to do something that would not offend her if she were alive..."

So I'm going to tear a house down where people have lived and died for over 125 years to make a public expression of my grief, instead of give some other families the chance to live and love and cry and make their own memories there. And when I'm dead, the city can pay to look after the park and keep the junkies and homeless out. In memory of my daughter.

Nah after the historical tag is off in the future they'll put a 7/11 or a checking cashing place on it.

The home is historical, the daughter is a tiny footnote in history that nobody else but the father will ever notice.

Plus, if he makes major changes she's just gonna end up haunting the place anyway.

Rusty Shackleford: "My daughter loved Charleston. My daughter loved her neighborhood. My daughter loved her house," he said. "The best thing I could do for that memory is to do something that would not offend her if she were alive..."

So I'm going to tear a house down where people have lived and died for over 125 years to make a public expression of my grief, instead of give some other families the chance to live and love and cry and make their own memories there. And when I'm dead, the city can pay to look after the park and keep the junkies and homeless out. In memory of my daughter.

This!!! farking selfish ass. He doesn't even live in Chaaahhhhhlston. What a cock.

His own engineer says it's an 8/10 in great shape.

Hey dad, your daughter hated you and immolated herself because you couldn't keep your hands off her. How's that memory?

A protected house in my neighborhood has been fumigated six times in the last few years as they continue to try to deal with a giant bee hive in their chimney. The town refuses to allow demolition of the chimney, even with the promise that the chimney will be rebuilt after the demo and bee removal.
It's a very nice house, except for, you know, the giant bee hive.

Dumbass tag belongs on the homeowner. Fix the place up, restore it, best thing that could be done to honor his daughter. What a narcissist the father is.

There was a developer here in Los Angeles whose protected historic wreck accidentally burned down by accident after he'd lost his last round with the city. You never know with those old, empty buildings--some crackhead could break in one night and accidentally set the whole thing on fire.

why doesn't he just say he's a Muslim?

they'll give him a permit to build whatever the fark he wants.

TheMadChaosopher: why doesn't he just say he's a Muslim?

they'll give him a permit to build whatever the fark he wants.

5/10
can't write in no-caps then suddenly honor allah by capitalizing Muslim

FTFA: I think she'd find it comforting to know if she can't live here, no one else can either.

Wtf.

Obligatory.

Now your daughter will be remembered as a self-centered b*tch. Congratulations.

Tag should be for the submitter. And the girl's dad.

TheHighlandHowler: It's always the people who don't own a(n) historic home that want it saved. If you want so bad, buy it and save it,

To which the reverse is equally true, if you aren't planning to do everything you can to save a historical home, don't buy it.

Those who suggest another fire is needed are wrong. Charleston gets something like 46 inches of rain a year. All he has to do is not keep the rain out and the problem will be solved. In summer, the interior would look like a black mushroom farm.

Adolf Oliver Nipples: I like what he said:

"What they didn't focus on is they can't force me to rebuild."

That's all kinds of win right there. He obviously has the coin, let it rot. when it becomes a hazard due to squatters, rodents, and general structural decline they'll be begging him to tear it down.

That's how you deal with these people.

Yeah. That's nice. Except they will fine him and then take the building. So, let's see how that works out.

Sky21Dancer: Ever hear of spontaneous combustion? I mean a fire could happen. Just saying.

I came here to say this. Of course wait a while or it's a bit suspicious if there is a fire right after you are denied demolition. Have a good alibi, and fire insurance of course.

Maybe, I dunno, put a starving rat in the wall and smear peanut butter on the wires or something and go to Hawaii for a week?

An ever so tiny gas leak?

A drunken homeless smoker?

red5ish: A protected house in my neighborhood has been fumigated six times in the last few years as they continue to try to deal with a giant bee hive in their chimney. The town refuses to allow demolition of the chimney, even with the promise that the chimney will be rebuilt after the demo and bee removal.
It's a very nice house, except for, you know, the giant bee hive.

Ummm... don't bees hate smoke? What goes up a chiminey? I say start up the fireplace and that will take care of the bees.

Adolf Oliver Nipples: I like what he said:

"What they didn't focus on is they can't force me to rebuild."

That's all kinds of win right there. He obviously has the coin, let it rot. when it becomes a hazard due to squatters, rodents, and general structural decline they'll be begging him to tear it down.

That's how you deal with these people.

My town let the historic house across the street from me rot.

Adolf Oliver Nipples: when it becomes a hazard due to squatters, rodents, and general structural decline they'll be begging him to tear it down.

He'd be stupid to let that happen. He needs to keep it as safe as possible and not the least bit hazardous, or they'll just come use the power of the government to take the house from him.

Your Company's Computer Guy: red5ish: A protected house in my neighborhood has been fumigated six times in the last few years as they continue to try to deal with a giant bee hive in their chimney. The town refuses to allow demolition of the chimney, even with the promise that the chimney will be rebuilt after the demo and bee removal.
It's a very nice house, except for, you know, the giant bee hive.

Ummm... don't bees hate smoke? What goes up a chiminey? I say start up the fireplace and that will take care of the bees.

They don't hate smoke. The smoke puts them in a sort of trance. The smoker a beekeeper carries isn't to chase the bees away, it's to stop them defending the hive.

Your Company's Computer Guy: Ummm... don't bees hate smoke? What goes up a chiminey? I say start up the fireplace and that will take care of the bees.

Yeah, flying little fire balls of stinging fury... that's what I would want in my house.

Adolf Oliver Nipples: I like what he said:

"What they didn't focus on is they can't force me to rebuild."

That's all kinds of win right there. He obviously has the coin, let it rot. when it becomes a hazard due to squatters, rodents, and general structural decline they'll be begging him to tear it down.

That's how you deal with become an even bigger asshole toward these people.

Fixed.