up. I told him what the situation was and that I really didn't intend to allow them to pour cement until they had a permit. He got on his phone and called the real boss.

    The real boss arrived a few minutes later. I introduced myself to him. I said, "I have no beef with you, but there is no building permit for this project, the lot is of substandard size for a second structure, and if you are planning on pouring cement without a permit, you are going to have to pour it over me." He wasn't too thrilled with what I had told him, to say the least. He went over to speak with his crew. In fact, at that point, no one on the crew looked very happy with me.

    I called 911 and ask for a patrol car. "What seems to be the problem?", the dispatcher ask.

    "There is about to be an act of civil disobedience, and it could lead to an assault" (by that, I meant that I was in fear of being assaulted -- there was only one of me, after all).

    About this time the boss / contractor told me that he was calling the police. I said, "Don't bother. They are already on their way."

    While waiting for patrol cars to arrive I continued making phone calls. I called the building permits office. I called a city councilman's office. I was really working the phones. A few minutes later, two patrol cars arrived. One officer spoke with the contractor, while I spoke with the other officer. I explained the situation. The police said that they couldn't enforce civil law (zoning, building codes, illegal building or pouring of cement), but they could arrest me. "That's fine. If they start to pour without a permit they are still going to have to pour their cement over me."

    "Now why would you want to do something stupid like that?" the officer asked.

    "Because my neighborhood is important to me and I have to take a stand. If no one else is going to enforce these things, someone has to put a stop to it."

    "But what are you going to accomplish by doing this?" the officer inquired.

    "I think that I'll get some attention for a situation that is wildly out of control. Hopefully, then, people will wake up and realize that there are rules, and the rules have to be followed."

    I continued making calls on my cell phone while the officers were there. Eventually I spoke with Alice Glasco, head of residential permitting. She spoke with both me and one of the officers. Ms. Glasco agreed to immediately dispatch several inspectors to the site.

    Well, it wasn't until there were two APD patrol cars on the scene and two city building inspectors were on their way that the contractor finally decided that he should go down and get a building permit. It took that much!

    When the inspectors arrived they were very cooperative. We spent a good deal of time discussing the situation, as well as what could and couldn't be done. It was an enlightening experience.

    Eventually the contractor did get his permit to build. It was, however, very carefully worded by the city. The owner is allowed to construct a "New Metal Storage Shed Only". It further goes on to say, "This structure is for workshop only.