When Nature Calls

To date, the Water Patrol, AmerenUE, OSHA, DNR, EPA, FAA, the fire department, the city's building inspector, the compliance officer and the police have visited his property in Osage Beach, Mo. Ed Gire refuses to give in. He's only fought back harder.

In the construction business, Gire splits his time between residential and commercial projects all over the country, although his primary residence is in Illinois.

He purchased two homes off Zebra Road in Osage Beach with plans to remodel one and tear down the other to build a boat house for his weekend trips and vacations.

Gire said as soon as work started, so did problems with his neighbors.

One in particular, he said, has protested everything from the construction and remodel, to equipment, parking, burning leaves, even him driving his boat.

Work has slowed considerably because of the inspections from city, state and federal officials prompted by calls from the neighbor, he says.

Gire estimates he's paid more than $4,000 in inspections, fees, tickets and fines since last spring when the city was dragged into the middle of it.
 
This past week, Gire was issued a court summons for a visual nuisance violation.

Nine porcelain toilets are lined up along his property line in alternating directions pointed at Gire's antagonist in this slowly playing drama, his next door neighbor.

'I put these flower pots around my property and didn't even have time to plant my mums,' he said. 'All I wanted to do was beautify my property and the next thing I know, they give me a ticket for not being up to their flower pot code. Where is their flower pot code written?'

The violation carries a fine of up to $100 per day, but Gire hasn't backed down. On Friday, during one of his frequent visits to the area, he planted mums in several of his commode-flower pots.

'These were going to end up in a trash dump somewhere taking up landfill space. I'm putting them back to use' he said. 'I'm beautifying my property and the neighborhood and recycling and I get a ticket for it.'

Pedestrians stop and stare and drivers have to do a double-take when they see Gire's landscaping statement.

Gire has spent more than $2 million on his house plus construction and renovations, but can't get the proper permits to finish the work because of the ongoing issues with one neighbor, he said.

Last week, several pieces of construction equipment were towed because Gire's work permit was for only one day.

Gire said neighbors complained that it's taking him too long to get the work done.

'How can I get it done if every time I turn around the city's taking away my equipment?' he asked.

Click here to read more.