Bus Shanty and Renting

Norway Report 2001

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Bus Shanty and Renting

The proposed bus shanty site across from the current bus shanty site is a large relatively level area where Grandpa has planted apple trees, and may be suitable as a house or cottage site.

This area could also be utilized for additional parking rental instead of the community using it for the bus. Or the community could pay for the site and buy it.

The local community committee is also using the current bus shanty site for a large garbage dumpster that everyone else has rejected on their properties because of the horrible smell.

I will be contacting the garbage company to inform them that they do not have our permission to locate the garbage dumpster on our land.

It appears that the local community has gotten the notion that they can do anything they want to confiscate and use our land, and prevent our use and development of whatever they haven't confiscated- so they can buy it for themselves at rock bottom prices.

Unless and until the local committee is willing to give a little in exchange for all their taking I think it is time to start playing a little hard ball, or we will lose the use and value of it all.

I informed the local planning committee that we are not open to giving any more land for larger bus shanties, etc. until they are willing to approve some of our plans.

Furthermore, I have submitted an application ($50-100) to the Mandal Kommune to develop temporary parking places near the road Einar Haaland has made across our land, and near the bus shanty, with spaces for boat docks along the waterfront. If we start using the land and making applications for intent to use it, we will not lose our rights to use the land.

The Mandal Kommune application and color-coded map shows the proposed areas for parking places and boat docks.

The parking areas will be grass and easily converted into yard, driveway, or garden space once a building application is approved.

It will also show the local committee that without allowing building sites, they are giving us no other option than to benefit by our land than to build and rent parking places. If the applications are approved, the land value increases whereas now it is useless and just about worthless in it's present state, and most importantly, the land will become more sub-dividable for sale or distribution among the heirs of the estate. Any boat docks built can be easily and inexpensively removed and/or replaced with boathouses.

The planning approval process for the house sites on the Øygarden land may take 1 to 2 years for approval. Drafting fees for drawing up the plan will cost approximately NOK30.000-.

If the Øygarden land can be separated from the rest of the farm it could be sold for NOK1.000.000-. With an approved plan with building and boathouse sites, it could sell for NOK3.000.000-.

Renting/leasing parking spaces

Because parking and boat spaces are in such demand, it is common for property owners to demand a deposit and a lease. One property owner demands a NOK35.000- deposit, 10-year lease, and payments of NOK1.800- per year per each boat rental space. The deposit is not refundable at the end of the lease. The deposit is used for developing the parking area and building the boat dock. This way the improvements pay for themselves, plus the property owner receives income from the property. A lease may be for any length of time. For example, if you have other use planned for the land, a lease may be for only three years however you can not charge as large a deposit.

Lill Tony Ramvik has agreed to my offer to be a "property manager" for 10% of rental fees, to organize leveling and filling of the parking areas, supervise building of the boat docks, and the management of renting spaces and collecting fees. (Fees will be deposited into a bank account, with Lill Tony reimbursed expenses and her percentage.) Lill Tony's father and brother are professional building contractors, work cheaper than other contractors, and can obtain other reliable services for less.

I think an important thing to keep in mind that people will be continuing to use our land as parking and boat spaces whether we agree or not. I think it makes a lot of sense to start charging and collecting the fees and have the land in Norway start paying for itself. We need to decide if we are interested in doing so.

The following fascinating aerial photograph of Øygarden and the boathouse on Skogsøy that shows in detail the exact situation we are currently facing. If you zoom in you can see the Dumpster next to the bus shanty, Einar Haaland parking on the road he's made across our land, how all the properties except ours is developed, a car parked across from our beach park, etc. I think we better start fighting for using and benefiting from the land, sell it, and or else be willing to lose it.

Flyfoto