Thursday, March 02, 2006

When Stupid Laws Attack

Olivia Shelltrack recently moved into a new home in Black Jack, Missouri with her three kids and her long time boyfriend. They have been denied an occupancy permit due to the fact that there are more than three people living in the house that are not related by "blood, marriage or adoption."

These laws do have their place, I suppose, but this isn't one of them. I'm sure the law was originally put in place to stop groups of younger people from living fraternity style to keep the neighborhood a quieter place to live.

Residents may appeal to the Board of Adjustment, and that's just what Shelltrack and her fiance, Fondray Loving did. Not only did they lose their appeal, but the following happened. From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:

At the hearing, Shelltrack said, one board of adjustment member, Norma Mitchell, even pointed at her and asked, "I don't understand why you as a woman didn't exercise your right to marry that man," before being hushed by another board member.

Girl, you better make that man put a ring on your finger!

Seriously, though. Black Jack isn't some backwoods small town where town officials are often nitwit relatives of someone important who can't understand the complexities of modern life, it's a suburb of St. Louis. Then again, I don't know to whom Mitchell is related in Black Jack.

Anyway, this law is clearly being misused in this case, and I have to wonder if the reasons for denying this couple their occupancy permit doesn't lie in something more nefarious than the board member simply being stupid.

Sometimes I wish I lived in a place like Black Jack. Can't you imagine the fun I would have driving the locals nuts?

Found via Americablog.

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