Yeehaw! A Two Decade Long Battle That at One Point Saw Children Held Up at Gunpoint by Code Enforcement Comes to a Head
Exterior of the communal house at YeeHaw with owner Charles Garth on the chessboard dance floor. [All photos provided by Nikki Norris]
Additionally she works for the Law Offices of Eugene Denson.
In the coastal town of Trinidad, CA, population 345, you’ll find a gas station, a grocery store, and a few scattered novelty shops beside a row of new RVs in the city’s center. Just a few miles east of town –past the charming airbnb’s, tidy vacation rentals, and some unoccupied secondary homes at the end of Quarry Rd–is an intentional community called “Yeehaw” which is surrounded on three sides, a sort of yin-to-the-yang of a Mercer Fraser rock quarry.
The parcel is about 10 acres of meadows interspersed with once immature redwoods, now giants towering over gigantic stumps left by a logging company decades prior.
GIS Arial view of the parcel, south of the Mercer Fraser Rock Quarry
The forest floor is blanketed with lush foliage and romantic trails that guide you through berry mazes, leading you to various organic gardens and unique homesteads with goats, chickens, bees and bunnies. There is a collection of maypoles, meditation zones, community gathering spaces, shared kitchens, fire pits, composting bins and toilets, a hot tub, a sauna, a skate ramp, and a clubhouse with instruments, books galore and even a life-sized chess board that doubles as a dance floor.
Charles Garth opening the chessboard dancefloor.
Over the past nearly 40 years, Charles Garth has “stewarded” or owned the land while hosting an estimated thousand families and animals communally in structures made using recycled materials.
“[He] has a bleeding heart,” Charles’s son Carlos said. “He’s always wanting to help people and the community.”
Charles’s introduction to Humboldt wasn’t unlike many “back-to-the-landers” of the era. He left Silicon Valley at 20 years old to go to Humboldt State University where he majored in economics and worked as a mobile mechanic who mined gold on the side. In the 80’s, his partner was expecting and they were inspired to get back to the land, “someplace my family could have a garden,” Charles said. Charles drove their massive boat-like 1949 Ford to the land and lived in that bus for eight years as he built their first home.
Charles said it wasn’t long before everyone started to show up. He described the guests as, “traveling gypsies, hippies, and people on tour.” He told us, “ We had campfires with music every other night, kids were free to run and play, so many fell asleep around that fire.”
Charles Garth and the purple bus. [Photo by William Maderas]
Pearce moved to Yeehaw when her son was eight months old and stayed with her family for several years, she told us, “It’s a wonderful community. A lot of people that lived there at the same time that I did continued on in the community… I’m so grateful for Yeehaw taking us all in.”
Firepit, bbq and gathering space.
Charles’s open gate may be closing in September however, if Humboldt County Code Enforcement proceeds with the planned abatement and demolition of the unpermitted structures, RVs, and buses where people live currently.
County staff began the most recent abatement action in 2017 and maintains in the staff report submitted to the Board in February, “It is a danger to its residents and the environment and an ongoing nuisance to neighbors.” The primary concerns cited included unpermitted dwellings, electrical issues, sewage, junk, and abandoned vehicles.
After a 4-1 vote at the Humboldt County Supervisors’ meeting on February 2, the Code Enforcement Unit (CEU) was authorized by the Board to proceed with an abatement.
Director Ford explained the County went out for an inspection and tried to work with the landowner before Charles filed an appeal and then appealed the appeal hearing decision, adding, “We want to work with people. We want people to clean up their sites without us having to abate. Abatement for us is the last possible option… I think it’s fair to say we have not been able to resolve this and bring the site into compliance.”
Today, Yeehaw has been reduced to twelve livable structures and is home to about twenty inhabitants, including elderly folks, environmental activists, some disabled residents, health care workers, organic produce farmers, musicians, healers, artists, a mill worker, a double cancer survivor, and young children.
Bright Green Tags put on vehicles set to be removed in July, some were operational
That 1945 Ford bus is still parked on the land. Over the years Charles gutted it and rebuilt it to be two stories with a loft, lined with recycled old growth redwood he found in Oakland. The bus has housed countless families over the years and is one of the dwellings the County plans to remove.
“All these structures they call unsafe or a nuisance, a lot of them are ingenious architecture,” said Caire Terra, owner of Terra Family Farms, who has lived at Yeehaw for one and a half years with her partner and their two year old daughter.
Terra elaborated on how ideal it is to raise their daughter at Yeehaw, saying, “We eat berries every day, we pick our food from the garden, she loves watching the baby apples grow…I just hope and pray she will be able to eat the apples again this year. If [the County CEU] follows through on their threat and comes to bulldoze in a month, I truly don’t know where everyone will go.”
Ford explained that DHHS will be helping to relocate the residents. “My expectation is that the people will be matched up with resources available.”
One of many homes set for removal.
As of publishing Terra said her family has not been contacted by DHHS and they don’t know when the demolition will happen. Terra added, “It’s all been very unclear and nebulous.”
Terra told us, “I wish the county would open their eyes and hearts and see what we are doing here could be replicated and celebrated. It seems really absurd to me that while we are in this housing crisis, and there’s such a lack of affordable housing, we are taking one of the only, that I know of, functioning examples of affordable housing and demonizing it…
One structure that may or may not be removed
She added, “I truly believe we should be copying this model, with tiny house villages, and making it accessible for people to live…We’re in a crisis right now, why are we going to put another 10 families on the street?”
In late August the Director of The Planning and Building Department, John Ford stated to this reporter,
I am very concerned by the people that live there…..I am open to creative solutions, though this is something that’s been going on for a long long time. I don’t want to be heartless, but on the other hand the Public Health Officer in 2017 issued an order to have all of those places not lived in anymore. It has been a long time that everybody has known that those shouldnt be dwellings right now.
One of Charlie’s other tenants, Alex Valle, says, “The county is acting as if they think it’s safer for us to be homeless, than to live here.”
Valle and his partner are in their early 20s and have lived on the land for 7 years, initially with his partner and her mother when he was a juvenile. Valle describes their family as, “Honest folk just trying to get by.” Valle works at the Scotia Saw Mill and says, “Even having a decent job like mine, this is all we can afford, to be comfortable, to have food and reliable transportation.”
Valle added, “The rental situations in California are crazy right now, if we didn’t have our place on the land, I don’t know how we could afford to live.”
One structure set for removal.
The lack of access to affordable housing is not just an issue in Humboldt County, but also across the nation. A recent annual report released by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found,
Full-time minimum wage workers can’t afford rent anywhere in the US… This year, workers would need to earn $24.90 per hour for a two-bedroom home and $20.40 per hour for a one-bedroom rental. That’s an increase from $23.96 and $19.56, respectively, from last year.
The last Census in 2019 found 19.1 % of Humboldt residents live in poverty, with a per capita average income of $28,769. The Census also found the gross median rental cost in Humboldt was $981. That equates to 41% of the average per capita income, spent on rent. Most budgeting experts recommend one spend only 30% of their income on rent.
88-year-old Earth First (etc) activist Jack Nounan’s trailer set for removal.
When people cannot afford housing sometimes they end up on the streets. The 2019 Point In Time Count found nearly 1500 houseless residents countywide who were willing to participate in the survey. That does not include people who refused to be surveyed, or those who are underhoused, such as couch surfing or sleeping in their cars.
Owner Charles Garth not only provides low income housing at Yeehaw but also opportunities for people to recover from health issues who would otherwise have no place to go.
One double cancer survivor who wishes to remain anonymous (who we will call Jane Smith) spoke about Charles allowing people who are struggling to get back on their feet again, saying, “ Yeehaw saved my life.”
Smith first found out she had cancer while she was going through a divorce and supporting her two teenage daughters alone. She could not work due to cancer treatments and had to find a place to live on Social Security of less than $1000 a month.
Smith says,
I found this ad on Craigslist for a cabin in the redwoods. Before I moved here I never even thought about living in an intentional community, now I can’t imagine anything else… It was hard to find a place to live with our cats too… When I first moved here I had complications from radiation and I almost died from that, but I was able to heal more here without having the high rent to deal with.
In 2019 Smith got stage four cancer a second time, beat it and went back to Yeehaw to recover again.
Charles recollects about her return, saying, “I’ll never forget how she sat in the field beneath that maypole in the sun for days, playing with the rabbits after surviving cancer the second time. She was just so grateful to be alive.”
Smith adds, “I’m still healing from cancer today. I really don’t want to move, I feel safe here… we’ve looked for other places to rent but there’s nothing available even if you make good money… It’s not just about people, it’s animals too. We have goats, bunnies, chickens, cats and dogs. All the animals don’t have a place to go either and I think they matter also.”
One viewpoint is that the affordable housing and homeless narrative is used to condone slumlords and their unpermitted houses. One community member pointed out on this website in a comment, “The argument about putting people on the street was also used by Floyd Squires to justify his non-compliant nuisance properties.”
Yeehaw’s Most Recent Abatement
A communal kitchen
On February 2, the Board also voted to affirm a Superior Court’s decision to fine Charles Garth for $62,000, with Fifth District Supervisor Madrone dissenting. The cost of the abatement would be added to the $62,000 and then attached to Charles’s land via a property lien, often running in the hundreds of thousands.
Charles says he offered to pay the county $62,000 earlier this year which included $17,000 in administrative fees going directly to the Code Enforcement. However Charles claims the Code Enforcement Unit Manager, Karen Mynell, said it would be much more than $62,000 and abatement was inevitable. Thousands more in administrative costs have been added since the February 2nd Supervisors’ meeting, bringing the fine up to about $65,000 and growing.
On July 14, the CEU came out to Yeehaw with environmental health, the Planning and Building Dept., and contractors for a pre-abatement inspection. They posted bright green tags on vehicles and notices to abate on the structure the county intends to demolish or remove.
At the time, Yeehaw had reduced the households in attempts to accommodate the county’s requests and adhere to building codes. They removed excess items, including cars, they took out kitchens in the residences, replacing them with common kitchens, and they removed plumbing. They even got a porta-potty and used the old toilets to create upcycled art, which now sits in their parking lot with plants growing in the bowls beside a sign that reads, “Tower of thrones,” and another that says, “Fasten Seat Belts.”
Upcycled toilet art
Terra says that when the county came out in July to paper the property with notices to abate, tagging some operable cars and a horse trailer with bright green stickers, the images used were about five years old. She said, “The violations that were listed did not exist anymore.”
Terra explained,
There was an inspection but the papers they served cited information from 2017 and earlier. We’ve worked really hard as a community for the last six months to do all the things that were requested and to meet the county’s standards, get rid of vehicles and trash… If they are going to serve us with papers saying they are going to bulldoze it, at least have it be with accurate information…that’s just embarrassing for the County. If you’re really going to take out a bunch of households and a legacy of affordable housing and peaceful living, at least do it with accurate up to date information– I mean don’t do it — but if you have to do it, cite accurate conditions.
Ford has not been to Yeehaw yet, but he said he may go out soon.
Charles and the residents said they “welcome him with open arms and encourage a visit.”
Ford says, “I don’t have a plan right now… We’re still putting information together, that will be my immediate focus, if it extends beyond that … and something seems like it can be fruitful, I will definitely go out and look.”
Community garden
Backstory
As many recall, this isn’t the first run-in Yeehaw has had with Code Enforcement. In 2001 their commune began receiving letters and unannounced inspections from Humboldt County’s Code Enforcement Unit (CEU).
In 2007, the CEU held Yeehaw residents up at gunpoint including young children. A lawsuit was filed by Charles and his tenants on November 1, 2007 against the County. This CEU incident led to the disarmament of the Department, with help from the Civil Liberties Monitoring Project (CLMP).
On August 4, 2008, Charles signed a mutual release and settlement agreement with the county stating he would drop the lawsuit, abate alleged nuisances and, “Within 30 days after the effective date Charles shall submit to the county a complete permit application(s) with all information and documentation required by applicable county standards for a complete application in effect on July 25, 2008.”
”We gave up our rights to sue the county, possibly for millions, all in exchange to simply be left alone,” Charles claimed. Charles said “I’ve been sad having most of the families chased off. They are the most vulnerable to CEU pressure.”
The mutual settlement agreement also states, “The County shall process all of the Charles applications and/or requests for exemptions diligently and in good faith under all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations in effect as of the application date.”
In 2008, Charles said that he paid $350 to the Planning Department and submitted his application in person for an alternative owner builder permit to essentially grandfather in the homes using the Alternative Owner Builder (AOB) permit. A County inspector named Mikal Damian came to the property in 2008 and Charles claims he was so impressed by the teal three story yurt and he allegedly commented that it should be “featured in Architectural Digest.”
Charles said after the gun incident in 2007 the county came out for a couple inspections and he thought he appeased their requests to obtain permits on his structures and be in compliance under the AOB. Charles said the inspection was followed by, “A great ten years of peace.”
“The county did not follow through with their end of the bargain,” Charles claims. “They just sat on my permit application. My lawyer at the time said not to contact the County if they were not contacting me, but that turned out to be bad legal advice.”
Upstairs of the interior of the communal house
Director Ford said Charles did not hold up his end of the agreement, though he admitted that he had never seen the application submitted by Charles.
Ford explained, “[Charles Garth] was required to submit complete applications and that was never done. So in 2008 there was no resolution there…The information was not adequate for AOB permits and he was notified of that.”
After a certain amount of time applications and files are purged if they are inactive, so the county does not have access to Charles’s 2007/2008 AOB application in question.
Ford explained, “We purged our files so we have no way to prove what [Charles Garth] submitted.” Ford added, “The department’s recollection of those who were here at the time is that the plans were not adequate for AOB, they didn’t show enough detail or compliance.”
During the most recent abatement in 2018, Charles was offered a compliance agreement he says, but, “ The timelines were not possible for removing cars and people– It was undoable.” Charles recolects, “John Ford was standing over me as Bob Russell handed me the pen to sign the compliance agreement in that backroom.” Charles refused to sign it because he felt he would be, “giving up his right to sue again.” Something Charles felt didn’t work out so well the last time.
The county said Charles was not cooperative in the February Supervisors meeting, though he explained he wasn’t getting their letters. Charles said, “I wasn’t even notified about the Supervisors meeting in February. I wouldn’t have known if a friend didn’t happen to see it on the agenda…I was up against the county alone, and I still am.”
Charles noted he had a difficult time with maintaining legal representation during his appeal process. His original lawyer left the area abruptly in 2019 in the middle of his case due to health issues, leading to the next attorney who, Charles claims, “Dropped the ball and messed up my case by not filing the proper documents in time.”
The county offered Charles to leave two of the original structures, but were adamant that they cannot be occupied.
Another view of the interior of the communal house
When asked where Charles planned to go, he said “There’s tragedies of justice and tragedies in life, I know of plenty of places on the bluff I can sleep I guess.”
Ford said one of his primary concerns is the huge number of homeless people in our county. Ford stated, “I fully grasp the humanitarian side of this.”
Ford elaborates,
The struggle is how to help people. Not everybody can be helped in the same way, not everybody can be housed in the same way. There really is a need for a strategy that addresses the many ways people seek shelter….for those who do [have cars], having a safe parking place that is preferably managed, maybe with some degree of resources. That is something our department is working on right now… Another thing that was discussed when we did the housing element is tiny home villages… or using tough sheds, with a centralized kitchen, dining, restroom, shower facility. Some way to get people out of the elements but also give them good utilities with water and plumbing and give them a safe place to have hygiene and food. Those are things we have to change our thinking a little bit. It can’t be a traditional housing style that will never meet the needs represented….So we are trying to do that, to create opportunities to do that from a regulatory perspective.
For residents at Yeehaw the proposals sound a lot like what they have already, or pale in comparison. Some feel living in Charles’s old buses in the redwoods is better than car camping in a managed parking lot with other cars. Others feel a compost toilet is more sustainable and safe than a porta potty. Yeehaw, they say, has a communal kitchen, dining, restrooms, shower facilities and homes to keep people out of the elements.
This reporter spoke with Claire’s partner, Andy Terra during the “Save Yeehaw BBQ, blokade and Carnival on August 22. Andy spoke about how he just replaced the roof on their one bedroom garden home. He pointed at his approximately 10 x 12 tough shed sitting next to their much larger house. Andy asks, “Does the county really want my family to live in the tough shed instead of our home?”
Ford commented on the inherent tension between affordable housing and the cost of abiding by building codes and other land use ordinances, commenting, “There probably are ways to get there, but it does take time and there is a cost to rezoning, to change the general plan to land use and environmental studies needed to do that. Here we are talking about affordable housing and I’m talking about the cost of doing things, that’s the inherent tension in all of this.”
The property firetruck, set for removal
Moving Forward and The Bigger Picture
This is a much more expansive story than Yeehaw of course; we have all endured a year and a half of a global pandemic with no end in sight, lockdowns, an economic collapse, all amidst an existing housing crisis that’s only grown more troubling. We are coming up on the expiration of the rent moratorium on September 30 that once provided some relief to tenants during the pandemic and subsequent economic crisis and people are concerned that this will send millions of families to the streets for inability to pay back rent. Many community members are asking if there isn’t something more that can be done to address issues related to lack of affordable housing and poverty in Humboldt County that is more congruent for the times we are living in.
Another view of the communal kitchen.
Local Attorney Eugene Denson is an expert on land use matters and abatements. Denson offers advice to the county on this news site in August, saying,
There are two intertwined problems that local governments can solve, and both are related to land use ordinances. They are homelessness, and an acute housing shortage. Present County ordinances are responsible for most of the homeless people in our county being homeless. We need more housing, but the county is preventing it from being created by insistence on an outdated dream of universal suburbia, and making the housing shortage worse by code enforcement preventing rural people from living in RVs and similar vehicles on rural parcels. Starting Jan 1, 2022 look for a direct assault on “substandard’ housing which could destroy hundreds, perhaps thousands of homes. Tiny homes, trailers, RVs, MIL apartments – all potential ways to expand housing, lower rents and housing prices, and house the homeless. We need a major reconsideration of our land use and housing ordinances and we need it now.
Ford told this reporter that the County is working to extend the deadline for the Safe Homes Program now.
The question on many local residents’ minds is if their unpermitted homes could face demolition if YeeHaw’s residences are destroyed by the County. But, Ford clarified to the public that the County is not actively looking for unpermitted homes, Yeehaw’s demolition is code related but it was complaint driven.
Ford says,
We do not look for unpermitted homes… There’s three things that we are directed by the Board of Supervisors to do, 1. Illegal cannabis cultivation, 2. When we see abandoned vehicles to deal with those and 3. Parcels that are just filling up with junk, if we see that it’s a significant nuisance [our goal is] to be proactive about helping the property owner get it cleaned up… But everything else is complaint driven.
When asked about the specifics of the complaints and who made them, Ford explained, “The complaints are not public record.”
Ford could share that the original complaint was made in 2001, then subsequent complaints were made, with the most recent in 2017. Ford could say the complaints pertained to, “Illegal structures, septic, waste, junk and junk vehicles, building code violations which are safety issues in addition to electrical issues.”
Close up of the computer wall house set for removal
Denson commented on the matter of anonymous complaints on his Rights Organization KMUD radio show, saying, “We had cannabis enforcement for some years and it turns out the complaints were made by the cops.”
Charles explains, “I don’t know who would complain, my only neighbor is Mercer Fraiser, I’m surrounded on three sides. My other neighbors love me.”
Dianne and Stan Rowland agreed with Charles and even offered to stand at his gate to prevent the demolition. The Rowland’s contacted Kym Kemp this week detailing their experience as a neighbor, writing,
We live near Yee Haw and haven’t had any problems from these folks. We’re friendly with one of the regular walkers from there. He told us how they counsel newcomers, have community meals, don’t allow drugs and generally help each other out. I know at least two other neighbors who also support Yee Haw’s existence.
I find it extremely troubling that the code enforcement people just want to wipe them out of existence rather than assist them. It sounds like they just want to grab their land and frankly we need a lawyer who can help stop this land grab. And for those who think the Yee Haw residents are lucky to live in expensive Trinidad well, check out their location, next to the quarry with two cell phone towers. I have WAY more problems with the quarry traffic, loud giant generators every few months from PG&E and the cell towers. It is NO picnic for the Yee Haw people living next to this crap!
YeeHaw’s fire truck- also abated and set for removal.
The former postmaster of Trinidad and neighbor of Yeehaw for 29 years, Larella Moore wrote in an email to District Five Supervisor Steve Madrone, saying,
[I] have never had a problem with anyone at the “commune” up the road. Over the years I’ve personally known 4 young families who stayed at Yee Haw long enough to gather their resources until they could graduate to better jobs and more conventional living arrangements. Without the low rent safety of Yee Haw, these families would most likely have been living in their cars or on the streets. Yee Haw is not a drug den, nor is it a cult and I have never known anyone to get sick from their composting toilets. It is a safe refuge for single parents with young children, elderly low income people and some folks whose philosophies don’t quite align with the mainstream… Go after Mercer Fraser for polluting the creek running from the Quarry if you want to pursue violations. Charles is a bit of an anarchist. His interest is in protecting people over gaining personal profit. One might call that anti-American. The residents of Yee Haw need a roof over their heads and Charles provides it. Remove Yee Haw and you’re putting at-risk peaceful people on the street. I’d rather my tax money be spent on eliminating corporate evil, not on screwing over poor folks. Leave Yee Haw be.
Negotiations Are Ongoing
The County originally said they would begin demolition late August/ early September. Though since then, Charles hired David Nicoletti, owner of DTN Engineering, who put a pause to the demolition at least temporarily as he negotiates with the County to come to a mutually acceptable agreement for all involved.
Nicoletti wrote to Director Ford to request a two month extension in order to “Address issues onsite and to bring Yeehaw into compliance.”
Nicoletti stated to Ford,
I would like to have enough time to develop a plan to present to the County for the demo of specific buildings, removal of old vehicles, improve others for permitting, present ideas for new construction, and address the wastewater issues on site… Yeehaw does provide a service for Humboldt County and with the housing crisis during COVID, I feel we can come to a win-win situation after speaking with Charles…[who] is very open to working with the County.
When Ford was considering solutions, he spoke about Ag exclusive zoning of the land, which he said was not ideal for communal living. Ford said, “He needs to rezone the property [which] takes six months to a year.”
As of publishing time all parties are at the table in negotiations. One option being considered is a rezoning of the parcel which requires a full CEQA analysis, possibly even an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) which requires approval from the neighbors.
Charles looking for a four leaf clover with stacks of documents related to his case resting on the ground nearby.
Charles invites everyone fleeing from fire and abatements to Yeehaw, adding,
We’re standing up for our basic rights here, we don’t have a choice about it. But it’s not just me, everyone is in trouble right now. If you haven’t received an abatement yet, your next. So this is an offer I’m making to the community…you can stand up too… we are going to be public here, we are going to be loud and proud and we are going to stand them down. We will show them our power, that’s what we did last time and we beat them before. It’s what we’ve got to do if we want to maintain our freedom. It’s time to do it. If the community backs us up then we’re all going to do a lot better. I know it’s cliche but I ask if not now, when? If not you, who?
Tonight, the human rights commission meets at 5 and Yeehaw is on the agenda.
Our apologies: The correct date for the Human Rights Commission is September 9. Here is the information on how to view.
KMUD’s ED Denson show this week is also on Yeehaw. Click below to listen.
Stay tuned here for updates on the Yeehaw story as it develops.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
The LEOs are pronouncing a Yeehawd on Yeehaw…
I so wish HSU would get more involved in local things like this. How about apply all of that technical know-how to help create something beautiful and sustainable at YeeHaw that the county can live with? God knows the students would enjoy it and learn more than they could sitting in a lecture hall.
Needs a new owner in order for that to happen
No it doesn’t. Yeehaw is a wonderful place. You just don’t understand because you maybe haven’t been there? It’s a very family place. Everyone is welcome and everyone is family at yeehaw. Its a place of love.
I’m 30 yrs old. Yeehaw has helped friends and family of mine and is a great place.
Good call.Kind of like homestead rescue
That would be so cool and I really wish would happen. Let’s build this place up not tear it down.
I am communicating with a dear friend, the ex director of HSU’s Campus Center for Appropriate Technology (CCAT) and his associates to get in touch with John Ford and David Nicoletti to sort out how to do just that. I know we cant build earthships to code in Humboldt yet, but Ford said straw-bale houses are permittable. Also check out ED Denson’s recent show on Yeehaw – https://soundcloud.com/user-36434842-595812560/the-rights-organization-show-on-kmud-radio-with-attorney-eugene-denson
It’s just a power trip.
Who is the injured party, here?
This is simply putting people into unhealthy situations.
Good work, kym, putting this information out.
The author is Nikki Norris.
The same thing is happening in Salmon Creek.
apparently, you gotta follow the law if ya want the law to help ya.
Not if you’re code enforcement.
Then the law follows code enforcement.
Even if code enforcement is lost and wrong.
It shouldn’t be that way. That’s not the way the law is supposed to work.
They have been following the law and trying to work with them to be within code for many years. They need a little more cooperation from those in charge. Let’s build this place up
Where exactly? Please email me [email protected]
Amy Goodman isn’t on PBS, she works for Free Speech TV. My favorite channel.
Thank you from the whole community for the platform kym!! You really are our local Amy Goodman as another commenter said 🙂
It’s a really awesome place. Everyone is family, everyone is welcome and everyone is loved and has a place here. Yeehaw should be promoted not destroyed
Code enforcement has no jurisdiction on private property. Also the U,S, government is bankrupt/dead and so is code enforcement. Post your no trespassing sign and arrest ANYONE you do not want there. Also check out http://www.annavonreitz.com for info about the American States Assemblies.
Section 22669 is a joke. If your car has been sitting still for 3 days you have to move it 1/10th of a mile or it’s considered abandoned and will be towed away after the third mark. I’m in San Francisco half the time getting chemo radiation treatments and have to deal with this stupid law. You don’t own things anymore you just pay for your privilege to use them
john ford is the scurge of Humboldt County. Just another Southern California parasite that has done so much damage in this community. How many local families will end up homeless before we run this piece of trash out of town?
Hopefully not even one more.
I find it reprehensible and inhumane that the County would even consider demolishing homes, sheds, or caves for that matter considering the lack of affordable shelter and permanent housing in Humboldt County. This particular action by the County has gone too far. Write a letter or email to your County Supervisor and call in to the next BOS meeting when this item is on the agenda.
What is the goal here? Add to the homeless population? Take these families out of a communal setting with gardens and animals and place them in temporary housing in a shit-hole location in Eureka where they will have to step over needles in the parking lot and listen to drugged out and/or mentally ill folks yell, scream, and fight most of the day and night?
Kym please try to keep us posted on this. This is wrong and an example of government regulation gone too far. Director Ford considers this a priority? There is clearly a political priority behind the scenes.
You are missing the part of the story from the victims who have had terrible experiences while living at yeehaw. It’s not all sunshine there.
Versus the terrible experiences that victims have when they get kicked out of affordable housing and end up living in cars on the street? YeeHaw isn’t perfect but it’s hella better than the street.
Please send them my way- [email protected]. I was looking for someone to say something negative but I couldnt find anyone. Everyone I spoke with seemed super grateful about Yeehaw.
Yeah right don’t even bullshit. I’ve been to yeehaw and it is not an evil place. If something evil happened there you probably rode in with that person or it was some dumb relationship related bs. Nothing is perfect but this isn’t a bad place. Plz don’t project it as such.
Yeehaw is a very peaceful place. Always has been.
““We want to work with people. We want people to clean up their sites without us having to abate. Abatement for us is the last possible option…” and “There’s three things that we are directed by the Board of Supervisors to do, 1. Illegal cannabis cultivation, 2. When we see abandoned vehicles to deal with those and 3. Parcels that are just filling up with junk, if we see that it’s a significant nuisance [our goal is] to be proactive about helping the property owner get it cleaned up…
LOL! How many properties has the county “tried to work with” when they spot a greenhouse or small hoop on the property? Why do I drive past properties stuffed with junk cars, travel trailers and RVs that have never received a letter from the county, yet I personally know people who were abated over a small PVC hoop that Ford and the county ASSUMED was growing cannabis? Such bullshit coming from Ford and the county. Let us see the numbers Ford. Show us how many cannabis properties have been abated vs “abandoned vehicle”and “junk” parcels. Let a see the numbers. There are many and plenty of broken down car, junk parcels all over the county and lots of them right on the road that I’ll assume Ford and coworkers drive past all the time.
Unfortunately, I strongly believe the other multitude of properties considered nuisances remain unbothered because the owners are either friends or family members of the folks deciding who to “abate.” There also may be a tiny bit of bribery happening to keep code enforcement away from certain “eyesores.” I am more than certain the main issue driving this particular abatement is greed and a land grab by the county. Our government has a pretty long history of taking property they want from those with the least resources to fight back. I consider this elder abuse and am saddened and disgusted by the lack of the county’s ability to compromise and help this come to a peaceful end.
If the county is not being bribed to stay away from other “problem” properties, then other property owners in or around Trinidad are the ones doing the complaining. They probably feel this intentional community aka commune is bringing down their property values and care for the almighty dollar more than they care for their neighbors. The entire thing is bullcrap.
How many landlords are on the board and want to make sure ALL renters pay ridiculous prices for basic housing? How many of their homes or properties have been inspected for code violations? I am going to guess zero,which is the amount of compassion and heart these elected officials seem to have.I am hoping and praying Humboldt county folks will come to the rescue of Yeehaw and its multiple families and their kids and animals.
You are correct there are much less traditional abatements than cannabis abatements. I dont have the exact number for traditional abatements off the top of my head (maybe 100 approximately) but there are over 1k cannabis abatements not including ~500 warnings.
I covered cannabis abatements last year for Kym a bit, Im overdue for an update. Here’s an overview – https://kymkemp.com/2020/05/22/penalties-fines-and-fees-a-deep-look-at-the-humboldt-county-cannabis-abatement-process/
Here is an updated piece from EcoNews and Greenfuse also- https://issuu.com/econews/docs/june_2021_econews_web/s/12318395
Abatements Since 2017*
you nailed it! We have had squatters move in on rental property. They brought in campers, and started stripping cars, cutting trees etc. We called code enforcement several times for help. No response. Almost a year later, after a ridiculous eviction process, the Sheriff was able to remove the squatter, and many of the cars hauled off were stolen. No charges were filed on the thief. The garbage bill was several thousand. Unfortunately, this is why more landlords are hiring rental agency’s, and along with higher taxes, and rampant inflation, the costs of rentals is growing beyond the reach of most hard working middle class people. County code enforcement seems rather selective in who they target, and when you get in their crosshairs, it’s all about property confiscation, instead of trying to help the little guy. Mr. Denson is also spot on, and I commend him and the community for stepping up. Best of luck to Charles and Yeehaw, and thanks to Ms. Norris for a well written article.
I think a lot of people would tell you that John Ford is full of shit. Abatement is their favorite tactic and they will start with abatement before they even contact property owners or verify the complaints that they cook up based on satellite images of peoples homes and gardens. I was served a 10 day abatement notice on a property covered in 4 feet of snow with no cultivation taking place at the time. They based it on satellite images they pulled from a previous year. The fact that all of the cultivation activities had already been cleaned up didn’t stop them from proceeding with the abatement before the snow even melted. They also tried to hit us up or grading that as done legally and signed off by cal fire and for a building that was fully up to code and cleared building inspection on their first visit. Cost me 20,000 dollars to “abate” a site that was already good to go for RRR at the time we were served
We should collect as many abatement stories as possible. I know several where the county and John Ford have acted very poorly- lying and conniving to force money away from people. The satellite imagery is not foolproof-property lines are especially misread- and many have been cited and fined for problems on their neighbors’ properties. I have very little respect or trust in the abatement program and especially in John Ford. We have seen John Ford blatantly lie and change his story on many occasions. (At least when we voted out his fellow liar Estelle it slowed his roll for a little bit- but he is back!) I think if we collected abatement stories and the general town-dwelling public could see what is happening they would be shocked, embarrassed by what their county is doing and John Ford would be sent packing. He has no heart. Do not believe his bullshit about caring or compassion….I’m not even a big fan of Charles but if this is breaking down into a contest of integrity and decency than I for sure will stand with Charles. John Ford has never done anything for anybody but cause misery and grab the cash…he is a predator.
💯⬆️
“We purged our files of his 2007/2008 AOB permit applications, but we haven’t purged the complaints from 2001, those we will cling to forever”
Right?! We have purged all evidence from that period of time, so l guess you just have to believe us.
John Ford is literally sucking the life and soul out of this county.
Drive the east section of Chezem road. (Old highway 299 that goes through Redwood Valley – gorgeous drive.) You will find about 40-50 unlicensed vehicles (last count) just about filling one lane of the road.
Have no idea what the Sheriffs or CHP is doing about it.
They have driven past it many times. Anywhere else and they would have a ticket writing frenzy.
abandoned ?
It seems like Ford needs to go immediately, the future needs more stewards and less owners.
Ford is complicit. When they are quoted in the article as saying
“We don’t have a plan”
it really paints code enforcement as the villains. Well because they are.
sure
yeehaw looks rustic , but the proof is in the pudding . When your neighbors and community stand up for you public ally and loudly you know what you’re doing is for the greater good.
one of rhe tools of govt and taxation is to make laws where everything is illegal,
and you need permission for basic human freedoms to exist.
it’s sickening to think that I this time , code enforcement would be happy to see all these people ejected. Ripped from their homes and land and gardens and left to fend with nothing.
”it’s for your own safety”
Ford is an Edsel in disguise!!!
Your right.This is a prime example of out of control in your face not being addressed.Iam all for yeehaw but this,not.Really makes you wonder where code enc.Law enc. priorities are
Have you ever looked over the bank, across the street from the old Redwood valley dump???
Yes I’ve seen that blight with my own eyes, it is real, and the vehicles are clearly within the right of way of a county-maintained road.
Guess it’s more profitable for the county to bulldoze a few hippie homes in Trinidad than it is to send 40 vehicles and a dozen pieces of heavy equipment to the recycler. Because the County will turn a profit when they condemn Charlie’s land but they’ll probably lose money if they condemn the Chezem Road land. So it’s all about the $$$ and that’s where I lose all respect for Code Enforcement.
Just looking on Craigslist rent is nuts now 1000 a month for a one bedroom place 2200 to 2400 even more for a family size home
here is a bit of perspective for us:
pack of cigs-$5
6-pak of beer-$5
blended coffee-$5
cell phone service-$4 average per day
1 bdrm house to rent-$33 per day
These figures are only approximate, but not far off from reality.
What this speaks to me is that we all choose our priorities.
Not sure if you are assuming the folks at Yeehaw (or the folks who currently have no place to live) have a cigarette, alcohol, caffeine, and cellphone habit. Not really sure what your point is at all because plenty of Humboldt county folks struggle paying an enormous amount for housing without any of those habits/expenses. I know in the article it states no drugs are allowed at this property, but the article makes no mention of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, or cellphones also being prohibited at Yeehaw. As a side note, anyone paying $120 a month for cellphone service should really do some shopping for a better deal. Pretty obtuse to think everyone unhoused or under housed is just frivolous with their money and that is what is negatively impacting their housing situation. More blame the suffering rhetoric by folks who have never wondered if they would find a safe place to sleep that night. Ugh. Use your heart and brain together and see what happens.
R Newby I would like to rent that $33 per day 1 bedroom HOUSE…please.
Forgot the meth expense.
I seem to believe that most government people that make decisions that effect other peoples lives have never had a real job nor have ever had any financial difficulty. In other words they don’t have a clue about what life is really like.
State thugs doing what State thugs do.
GOOD RIDDANCE!
I am a long-term resident of the Trinidad area I have plenty of money to have a code house modern car insurance all the amenities of the American dream… yes I also went to college and work full-time most of my life.
Here’s the truth about Yeehaw it’s decent people decent families yes generally poor there are some wing nuts up there but truth is they don’t hurt anybody they have basic values of honesty and community they’re living on private land and the only problem They have ever caused is the reaction of suburbanites in Trinidad town proper who don’t like them walking into town to buy groceries.
I myself as my land has improved through the years I have given several items to Charles that would’ve otherwise gone to the dump; Charles and his group have rebuilt things recycle things reuse things repurpose things that I didn’t have time to deal with probably because I’m working full-time but what harm are they causing?
I agree with the comment that said John Ford has an idealistic view that everyone should live in suburbia but really but really acknowledge reality.- reality is once you are born you need a place to be…even in medieval times kings provided land to the poor referred to as “ the commons”
I allowed my own young children to play with the kids up at yeehaw without any fear Or problem at all they were always in good hands good parents lots of kids to play with animals to Hang out with, music, art, what is so threatening to the county? too many junk cars and old crap indeed but if that’s the only problem seems like $62,000 that Charles is willing to pay the county in fines could be used to clean the place up to the county satisfaction and let the peaceful human critters live there. Human bodies need a place to be…
If the county can just take the land for trumped up reasons, the land alone would be a windfall in comparison to the$62,000 Mr. Garth offered to live at the property he owns. This is all about the almighty dollar. That is the driving force behind this chaos and heartlessness. Yuck.
I hope and pray that the county leaves this beautiful land to stay as it is. It is obviously the gravel pit and county with a vendetta against Charles and they are going to steal his life if the community surrounding them doesn’t stand for them !!!
That isn’t a village, it’s a shanty
Time to get a haircut and get a real job hippies 💯
I get your viewpoint and have been guilty of seeing things that way myself in my younger days.
However, may I implore you to really read the Constitution and Declaration of Independence? This country was founded on free spirited thinking and a group of proud people, flawed maybe, thumbing their noses at the status quo.
When a group of people find a way to live peacefully and communally, bothering no one… don’t you think it may be best to live and let live?
The best example of fierce independence I’ve seen personally are the fine people on the Mattole. Those folks have community figured out.
Good for thought on “code violations”:
Anyone who has built a structure has a good idea of loads, spans, etc.
Sanitation is common sense.
Electrical should be done professionally, but a professional won’t need a permit or an inspector to tell him/her that they did it correctly.
In other words, in my opinion, codes are unnecessary. These people work for us. Live off of our taxes. We can order them to eliminate the building department. Only thing that needs to be adhered to is best practices and common sense. Things that today’s government officials seem to sorely lack.
Nah. It’s time for the hippies to take back Humboldt. Back to socal with all the parasites and real estate tycoons. U.S. out of Humboldt County!
This guys place is pretty clean. Anybody been up Murder Mtn ever? Rancho is a cesspit. Not all locations, but most.
How about the new community dump in Salmon Creek?
There are places that are way worse! Most are an eye sore and leaking hazardous materials. Atleast this guys place is relatively clean.
I’ve seen people with million $ properties who didn’t have the stewardship this guy has. I’d bet this guy has never leaked 1k gallons of diesel on his property, or drained his generator oil on the ground.
I’d bet a pretty penny good ole Mercer Frasier is behind this.
Should we allow our county to take this man’s property? Has he done something so horrible to have it taken away?
I’d bet the county has enough $ in Marijuana tax to help this guy out. We got Grant’s to help growers. Why dont we have Grant’s to help out people like this man. I’d rather our tax $ help someone like this, than too buy needles for the homeless! Atleast it sounds like this guy is trying himself.
I think the county is crossing the line on this one. Good luck to whomever you are sir!
Could not have said it
better myself.. Charles isn’t bothering no one.. damage to the Land Lmfao look next door . You got a Quarry mining operation going on..
.
I wonder how deep the Quarry’s hands are in Fords, uh, pockets.
Let’s see, are the powers that be after the timber, the stone, access to other properties, commercial development, their water, a reduced buffer for the quarry, or is Ford just flexing his muscles?
He is not worried in the least about litigation towards the county, we’d pay for that, too.
For us it’s a lose, lose. What’s in it for him? He should pick on someone his own size.
He should have to provide an appropriate alternative before he can start removing anything.
The sheriff said nothing could be done about vehicles along the road because there was no designated shelter.
These people on private property need to be left alone.
I will continue to pray as I have for years, that somehow Ford and his sidekicks are reigned in until they cease and desist.
Behaving as they are during a pandemic, and the associated economic disaster is shameful.
How is it that the Humboldt County Please and Building Director and Deputy Director are so Hell-bent on destruction when they should be more totally focused on construction?
Seems backwards.
That ain’t progress.
This is a glaring example of government gone corrupt and are overreaching their powers. The only enforcement that should be imposed is nuisance to neighbors, if such a nuisance truly exists.
Our founding fathers didn’t need permits to build most of the grandfathered buildings that currently house our federal government branches. They just built it.
If Mr. Garth and the fine folks living at Yeehaw have complied with the “violations” imposed by the county, leave ‘em alone.
Last thing we need is more people homeless on the streets.
If the county wants to solve a problem, fix that, assholes!
Does this make sense ?Recently the supervisors voted to give a $400,000 dollar grant for street outreach. Then they vote to actually put people directly on the street, okaying the abatement/ demolition at yeehaw . I actually grew up in home that had no permits whatsoever ( it was better than being homeless) ,just glad I survived 😉.
________
https://kymkemp.com/2021/08/31/cooperation-humboldt-receives-404000-grant-for-street-outreach/
This has been happening to property owners since code enforcement began. Where was their representation/defence?
Code enforcement and the abatement process is the new Jim Crow
Soooo I get it is not up to code etc. I get it is illegal and I get that codes need to be enforced for safety. Building codes exist to minimize damage during earthquakes, prevent fires etc etc.
However with all the homeless camps they allow on public lands around the parks where kids could otherwise play, who gives a fuck? Should he clean it up specifically if raw sewage etc is there but with homeless druggies shitting on the sidewalk where everyone walks, what is the priority here? Get the illegal growers dumping poison in the forest and pulling much needed water from the streams.
While there may be more to the story since the author is biased I still see other problems that are bigger in the county hint hint slum lords, homeless camps, illegal grows the list goes on….
Ford acting like “my hands are tied here”. What a POS.
They ought to be. For real.
So Universal Life Church online offers Minister licences free. Join the “church” and then its tax free…your structures are for cerimonial purposes and their whole approach must change. Let me know if you need help doing this. Nolo press has cheap books on how to make it a non profit animal shelter as well.
[email protected]
The liberal bureaucracy you hippies vote into office vicariously through idiots in the Democrat party are responsible for the war on private property/obsession with certification and licensing/ micromanagement of your life. When it comes back to bite your ass you attack individuals who work for the machine rather than dismantling the machine itself. Now we can’t even build a veg garden or a small dwelling without some pedantic throbber showing up with a notepad,beer gut and a pair of ever so soft and supple hands to tell us to bend over. We have satellites performing overwatch 24/7 and a host of state paid minions to break our financial backs and deny us our right to a natural and free existence. The Right and the Left should be able to agree on these important issues, hold hands and sing kumbaya. This will only get worse, folks. Time to push our bellies around. Leave Charles and the rest of us ALONE.
I think you have Democrats confused with “Rethuglicans”!!!
I am not going to argue about the axiomatic. To he fair, I loathe the modern Republicuck party as much as I am embarrassed of the modern left. The left needs to consider common ground that includes protecting our property, currency and natural born freedoms; this our prosperity for posterity.This includes the 2nd ammendment as well as protecting for our children that which is being given away like cheap candy on Halloween. This common ground was more of a thing in old Humboldt. I think your average “far right” guy has more in common with the Left than is being acknowledged,and the rich/powerful are here fomenting distrust and anger between us. We should all be able to stand together on property, freedom, machine guns, and leaving Charles and the rest of us to live our lives without state and federal molestation. What is going on is truly outrageous. They don’t care about us.These policies are not for our care and enrichment. Let it be known:There is a metric ton more money and power moving here daily to escape cities. They will try and do with us as they please. They came for Charles. They will come for your offgrid homestead. They will come for anyone not toeing line for HOA. They will come for anyone threatening their desires.. I will not live in their pod.
Yes- The wealthy are fleeing the cities and coming here. It is happening now and they are about to price all locals out of housing. But that’s not enough! The county itself through the “Safe Homes” program and John Ford’s enforcement are poised to fine your rural property away from you. This is not a conspiracy theory but a real threat we need to disarm. I don’t approve of Charles’ way up there at YeeHa but I am forced to support him. Because it is our best strategy to send John Ford packing- standing together and blockading the bulldozers. This will be national news and another black scandal on Humboldt County’s face resulting in massive lawsuits for years to come. I commend Steve Madrone for being the only supervisor to realize this. The other 4 should be replaced if they do not change course. It’s not just Yeehaw- if they succeed here they are ready to sell us all out to the yuppie invasion. It’s coming/here!!
It’s high time we all take action before we are dispossessed of our homes and land- a central tenet of freedom. I don’t like the idea of having Charles next door to me either. But I got his back, like you.
I see more and more Teslas and other Richie Richard machines in town. They are here to put their big rich dingus in our bouillabaisse. They can go to hell.
No no he is not confused you are. D[edit] have run CA for 30 + years and high taxes high cost of living and homelenss aboud.
Lets look at San Franciso as a prime example of liberal leadrship. Homess abound highest cost of housing low end jobs and rich folks no middle class.
Pedantic throbber-hilarious phrase!
I would look at the dates of when this mans property began to be threatened, very valuable land as we all know-2007, 2008… property values at that time were at all time highs… then the crash and he was no longer a concern. Where are we right now… property values and especially locations are like gold right now….help him clean up, every one can use a helping hand as they age, and let the people continue their affordable living… he sounds like a legend to me, a way of life that is disappearing too often.
The state does this to enforce their agenda to force everyone into multi family dwellings
Problem is that the county received a lot of complaints from residents there. The right hand man of Charles Garth , Ben would ride around yeehaw on a quad with a gun on his back. He threatened people to not complain about yeehaw by force according to one man who had 3 small children on the property with no hot running water or privacy from sex offenders with in 10 yards . Another woman reported Garth made her sleep with him for free rent there… the owners of the property are not offering an opportunity but a chance to run there own community with out law enforcement or regular housing standards like hot water or insulation. These buildings are dangerous, I’ve been there before. It’s not all sunshine like these news articles suggest. They are missing huge details about what goes on there. I want this place sold to someone who can take care of it.
We would appreciate you putting us in contact with someone who has first hand experience of these issues.
How old are those complaints?
From 2001?
Yes please get me in touch with anyone who had experiences like you describe. When I began covering this topic, I found out that I know a lot of folks who lived there at one point, but Ive only been there a few times. [email protected]
May not be your cup of tea, or mine…but it’s 5 steps up from the homeless living in our local cities.
Long live yeehaw and other back to the land humboldt pioneers!
wear a mask and social distance, if your attending the 5 pm meeting
Inoperable RV without engine and filled with trash dumped one and one half days ago in the dead of night on turnout along North Westhaven Drive, 200 feet east of the intersection of Quarry Road. Wasn’t there night before, was there at 6 am. Coincidence? Maybe or maybe not. Interesting timing to say the least. Occums Razor may be in play here or it may not, and I guess we will never know because the dumpers will never take responsibility for their lame actions. One thing I do know is that the dumping of vehicles along north westhaven drive is a very rare occurrence and I have seen only one vehicle in twenty five years dumped in this manner at this particular turnout along this stretch of road.
Hmmm… that is VERY INTERESTING!🤔
An excellent article by Nichole Norris. I want to say a word for John Ford, who is getting roasted in the comments. He is the head of the Planning and Building Department and rightfully should get some heat for the actions of the department. However, I have dealt with him on a number of occasions, and found him sympathetic to the injustice of the situations Code Enforcement has put some people in. He has acted to help those people. The problem is that the county codes themselves are not just, and the Department’s decision to go after property owners rather than the people who actually violated the code amplifies the injustice. Director Ford may be held responsible for the decision but not the codes. I find him to be a good man in a bad situation. The codes are systemically unjust, his interventions are one case at a time. Quite possibly he should resign rather than preside over the Abatement program, but that alone would not cure the problem. The blame more rightfully should at least me shared by the Board of Supervisors for not making the codes just.
Well said. I also have dealt with John and highly respect him.
And the right hand man, what say you of him?
I would have more respect for him if he would make the actual planning department ADA accessible. Not by calling some phone number to be helped, but fully accessible. It would mean John might have to move his parking place to provide handicapped parking. So far he has been here many years and this still hasn’t happened. He can’t abate his own entry but forces changes on others who do not have the county Treasury to spend.
I would have more respect if it felt like that department was working with and not against citizens.
Dumping paperwork that isn’t done is stupid. They make scanners. Also why dump it without follow through? Kids got guns in their faces and Ford’s people can’t be bothered to finish the job.
I would like to have more respect for Mr. Ford, but I have watched him try to sell Tsakiyuwit to a lousy low bidder, ramming corporate desire instead of working with locals. This Yeehaw is the same. Someone wants that land and Ford is happily playing along.
Someone should see if all the rumors about him and spare cash are true. They are certainly believable.
I agree John Ford had a very difficult job , and pretty much answers to the board of supes…He is also tasked with enforcing code ( he didn’t make code) and responding to complaints. It is a tough situation all around and I sincerely hope Ford can work with Garth for a win-win to the degree that’s possible
He may be a “good man in a bad situation” but he is also clearly a leader with a very limited and outdated vision of what housing in Humboldt should look like. I’m willing to entertain the idea that his hands are tied in terms what he can do within law and regulation, but that’s all we hear from him. Even the DAs assign enforcement priorities because they are elected by the people, and we need John Ford to assign enforcement priorities which will take into account the overal housing picture in Humboldt. We need people at County level who will advocate for a new housing paradigm in Humboldt and he is not capable of that.
This is the same John Ford who has secret meetings in the back office and accepts large stacks of cash in brown paper bags to check off a negotiated list of “violations”? Just checking. Because the shaking down of citizens sure seems shady to me and many others
I always gave my cash bags to individual Supes to get what I wanted. Course, you had to “donate” to the peace officer’s association” or to the family or friends of the Sheriff to be on the “leave em alone” list”. It’s way harder to do business today, They’re getting much more scrutiny.
Well said ED, and thank you kindly. Im trying to figure out how we can go about making the codes more appropriate for the times we are living in. When speaking with Ford he mentioned a lot of the codes are at the state level such as electrical, sewage, building, etc. What perplexes me is that other CA counties dont always do these things to property owners, ex. Trinity County, where they are much more forgiving to owner-builders I am told. So the question for me is- who decides whether or not to enforce these codes and so harshly? Was it the Supervisors? Can Ford even stop this?
In all honesty, its not easy to hear these stories and not wonder how someone could allow such things to happen without speaking up at least. BUT I had a wonderful conversation with Ford for this article and concur with Kym and ED. I am so grateful for his openness to listen to the issues our community is facing today, I feel change in the air. He seemed compassionate, more aware of the circumstance and willing to make necessary changes that are, again congruent with the times we are living in. I have hope. Dont let me down please Director Ford 🙂
Unfortunately, what we have found over the years is that John Ford tells people what they want to hear when they are in front of him, then does not follow thru and nothing changes.
I agree with this. Do not trust John Ford. Do not turn your back on him. He says whatever he can to calm you down and de-escalate the situation…and then he does what he was always gong to do. He knows how to work the hopeful hippies. Do not fall for his empty words. Get it in writing!!!
Another one of the problems is that he WONT put it in writing, unless it is in the form of a coerced “compliance agreement” which takes away your rights and holds the county harmless. I’m fact, the Board of Supervisors gave John Ford SOLE discretion to enter into abatement compliance agreements which used to go before the BOS to be approved. John Ford is power hungry and wields this power negligently, whereas the average citizens get bent over while the lawyers up corporate “citizens” get what they want. It is truly a fucked up world we are living in. Shame on you John Ford and the BOS for turning your backs on our Community in the name of “safety”. Maybe you all should spend some time on the streets and let us know how “safe” it is out there.
I absolutely understand where you are coming from, I have been an observer of this as well. But I try to give people opportunities to change. I really do have hope with this case , I’m realistic but optimistic. But hey let’s see how negotiations go and See if I say the same in the part 2 comment section.
I lived a couple houses down from the Yeehaw on Quarry RD for the better part of a decade. I remember the day Code enforcement raided the land and pulled families out of their homes at gun point, women children and men. Charles and extended family were always kind and courteous and maybe a little eccentric. We are living in times where we all need to be kind to each other. The homeless issue is now dominating every city I’ve been to recently from LA to Seattle, people making homes out of pallets, tarps, tents or whatever material they can use to shelter from the elements. Most of these homeless people are on drugs and have given up on society. Why would the county code enforcement want to make more homelessness? It seems like a better solution instead of abating and fining the county should pay to have more structures put in.
There is a big difference in what’s going on there its families that take pride in there surroundings. Lol real families that had it all cant live that close together.sounds like a fun place.
This is so ridiculous! How many rag tag redneck residential properties are in a similar state in Humboldt? I would say MANY and yet they aren’t targeted. This is just a stab at discriminating for lifestyle preferences.
What’s next? Code enforcement telling you what color your blinds should be.. or that you can’t have a veggie garden in your front yard? Oh wait those things have already happened and are happening in America on the regular.
Especially in states of more authoritarian and racially discriminatory rule..
This kind of enforcement can easy come back to haunt any regular hard working family in America.. Where the government can step in and steel your private property and kill your individuality for their gain. If regular folks don’t stand up to this kind of enforcement, it may be your house on the chopping block next.
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/vegetable-garden-brings-criminal-charges-oak-park-michigan/story?id=14047214
Fined for mismatched blinds
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S8P-l8_dTsI
There needs to be applicable and stronger owner builder protections. People don’t know how to do much of anything anymore. Owner builder regs keep hands on approach’s and keeps people capable by learning needed skills..
Also some sort of “Right to Garden” ordinance are needed to protect small farmer, and gardners.. even when it pertains to cannabis. Like this couple who fought for their small Marketable garden and way of life in an urban environment..
“Right to Garden”
https://civileats.com/2020/10/16/without-a-right-to-garden-law-it-may-be-illegal-to-grow-your-own-food/amp/
Best of luck to the Yeehaw community. Our little patch of earth is also a target for the same ridiculous policies that have no benefit to the greater good, and instead cause much of the problems they say they are addressing.
Always a great solution to have a reporter with serious bias.
GJ, I was Nikki’s editor and I don’t have a bias about the situation. BUT when you read small news media in small communities its hard to get information on situations without utilizing people who have an opinion. Our solution is to clearly state that as the first thing the reader looks at so that hopefully they know they are seeing the situation through a lens that may have been colored. If that bothers you, I do apologize. But we’ll probably be repeating the situation frequently because the other option is not to cover the situation at all.
To be fair to Ms. Norris, she repeats many times in her article and comments, she is actively seeking opposing viewpoints. I would say that makes her much less bias than most major news affiliates.
Thank you cid. Jim, Just because I hope to help realize solutions for our codes and to making families homeless doesn’t mean I am incapable of seeing ford and the planning and building depts viewpoint. There’s always two sides to a story. I am a different sort of reporter though that is true, and it takes all kinds. I don’t just report on problems people in our county face, but I try to help fix them too if I can.
I imagine it’s hard to find someone who isn’t bias about families being made homeless though. I hope my interest in the matter only helped make the story more enjoyable for the readers.
Yeehaw is a great place. Yeehaw is open to be in compliance in anyway they need but the people in charge don’t want to work with them. This is definitely a community worth saving.
Places like this are what we need more of to help us end homelessness and to bring people and communities back together. This is how we change the world for the better.
Let’s not let this place just disappear to abatement dominance. Let’s work with them
If our laws somehow actually require treating these people this way, then those laws are an absolute disgrace, should never be enforced, and should be immediately revised or abolished. Because what the County is threatening is not justice. It’s not even close to justice. It’s a complete travesty of justice.
Does anyone really think forcing these folks out of their modest but cozy habitations in the woods and putting them on the street, or sticking them in some homeless shelter, cheap motel or designated car-camping lot or whatever, would somehow be an improvement in their Health and Safety compared to the clear air, leafy surroundings, safety and neighborly mutual support they currently enjoy at Yee-Haw?
I used to know some of the residents who lived there some years back — all of them decent, kind-hearted, community-minded people, including several young families who had been in need of an affordable, safe place to live, with a supportive community around them, and that’s exactly what they found at Yee-haw.
Some of the dwellings were more rustic than others, some had recently been “spruced up” and were quite charming little homes, while others looked a bit more “run-down,” but I would not describe any of them as looking even remotely “unsafe.” I don’t doubt that a building inspector could find plenty of technical “violations” — as they could at any of thousands of residences in the county, if they went looking for them.
Which brings me to the next point: The fact that the County can claim they are being forced into this action due to an *anonymous* complaint that the landowner and residents supposedly have no right to know the source of strikes me as extremely objectionable, and ripe for abuse. I realize the concept of the “right to face your accuser” is only mandatory in criminal cases, but really it ought to be applied to any major enforcment action, criminal or civil.
I mean imagine being told that your whole world is being upended due to an anonymous complaint, you have no right to know by who — and you just have to take the County’s word on it that it’s all on the up and up! Sheer madness.
Whether there’s some kind of corruption behind the whole thing or not, this fundamental lack of transparency only increases the appearance that whoever is behind this is angling for something…with the most obvious possibilities being that someone has some kind of personal grudge against Charles and is using this process to harrass him, or someone wants to get their hands on his land and his using this process to shake it loose from him. And who knows, maybe there’s nothing especially nefarious behind this, just some initial busybody followed by a slow-motion bureaucratic train wreck…but given the complete lack of transparency about the original complaint, the public is left to wonder.
But whatever the original source of this travesty, I very much hope a solution can be found that will allow Charles and the remaining residents to stay on this land. And while I’m sure there are plenty of bureaucratic hurdles that can be held up as excuses, frankly it seems to me that the main thing that needs to happen is that the County needs to undergo a major attitude adjustment.
Step One ought to be to adopt from the world of medicine, the principle of “first, do no harm.” Because right now, the County seems poised to do harm. Profound harm. So the first thing is to stop, and not do that.
I will just close by saying that in my experience and opinion, Charles Garth is an exceptionally generous, kind-hearted human being. No, he’s not some saint, I’m sure he’s got plenty of flaws just like the rest of us — but based on my interactions with him, my observations of his stewardship of this little community over the years, what I see is a decent, down-to-earth guy who, in his own (admittedly unconventional) way, is simply trying to continue doing a very useful thing that has clearly helped many, many people, a thing he has done for many, many years with, to the best of my knowledge, no actual substantial harm to anyone.
Unfortunately for Charles, he’s trying to doing this decent, kindhearted, generous thing in a world that seems increasingly designed to punish decency, kindness and generosity, while enforcing a needless and deadening conformity, and actively rewarding greed and inhumanity.
In that sense, I suppose it’s really no surprise that there would be conflict.
But if there is really no longer any room in Humboldt County for people like Charles and the good folks at Yee-Haw — really no way to accommodate this little village that has peacefully existed at the end of a road for decades — well all I can say is that’s a very sad indictment of what this county (and country) has become.
Surely we can do better. We could hardly do worse
Because let’s be honest: Just about any outcome, including the county walking away and doing absolutely nothing, would be far better than the current plan of throwing these people out of their homes and needlessly destroying this unique little community.
First, do no harm.
Well written and thoughtful comment. We need more people like yourself and other contributors with the ability to reason to step up and run for the Board of Supervisors, and other public office. You have my vote.
Who is the injured party and does the abatement fit the “crime “?
Can the county show injury?
Compliance has been weaponized, and by extension, can be abused by individuals representing “the people.”
Who is claiming liability for the structures? Why does the county take such a combative attitude?
They need to held to account for drawing weapons on a compliance visit.
Must we all live in moldy boxes?
Is this the new normal?
Is there the political will to push back the egos in local governments who prey on those who just want to live in peace?
Seems you didnt approve/ blocked my anonymous post about how I was served 10 day abatement for cannabis on a property under 4 ft of snow. Was this because I posted anonymously to avoid further persecution? Or was it because I used a 4 letter ‘s’ word to describe the credibility of a certain planning director whose shady statements you are happy to reprint uncritically?
Would appreciate the explanation as I generally appreciate your reporting and honestly believe most of my posts are positive in tone and intent
I went back two days and don’t see anything that matches that comment that has been deleted. Either there was a glitch in the site or an error on your part.
Thanks for checking, perhaps a glitch. Youre reputation remains unblemished in my book
I saw that comment, and I’m relatively sure that it was up longer than someone could have self deleted it. I read it more than once. I am not suggesting that you deleted it Kym, only that it was up for some time, if that means anything as far as what might have occurred.
o.k check it out ….
everyone dig this here story of mine ….
Way back in the day , I knew Charles before he bought the land. Our mutual friend Sky Hardy was about to die . Sky was a sculptor and jeweler and he built a wonderful magical bus into something
very unique and one of a kind. Charles came to me and asked ” What doyouthink of Skys Bus ? I said its great , that you couldn’t build a space as cool as that for anywhere near the price hes asking. Then I said it’d be great if you could drive it into a field behind some bushes somewhere and park it permanently .
Next thing i know is that exactly what he did ! Up on Quarry road . Thus began the great social networking experiment ( in real time ) . This was mid 80s .
Since then till Now i have personally known and befriended either before or after they moved to the land, almost all of the folks who have lived there. Not so much in recent years although i do still know and love at least one young family who are there now. During the last two decades of the last century id say i knew all of the original homesteaders real well. The list is very long but i can name and recall 2-3 dozen of the top of my head right NOW w/o even trying and a dozen more of the children many of whom were born there!
The good joyous times were many ! Music all the while. In fact it was” a Laugh a minute” so much so that it inspired the intrepid moniker- Yee Haw .
The experiment kept going …people got on there feet and were able to get into houses in Mck and Arcata and Trinidad . Some bought home on first time home buyers deals. It was always a great steppingstone and a hearthspace for positive people to get a chance to do what everyone wants to have a chance to try … to become more fully experienced in howto live caring and sharing together
with Love expressed in every way possible. To expand their awareness toward a self sustaining
integral part of something more than the Husband and Wife nuclear family w/ 2.2 children and two 9 to 5 jobs and a white picket fence around et al.
This was real life with real people doing real REALITY! The wealth of the kind Brother Jesus spoke of in his teachings ……. the kind that is easier for the camel to fit through the eye of a needle than a ( so called ) rich man to be able to get through- ya dig me ?
Over half of you ” Frequent serial commenters ” have no clue what it means to live for others and share what little you have together with you homegrown extended Family. Living and loving on the land together ! Living simple so others can simply live . Picking berries with the little ones . Teaching them
to care and share from day one. This is quintessential to creating a society of openhearted well adjusted healthy people. We all want to belong and have a sense of place – right ?
i helped build some of these places and i painted that old bus a.k.a. Yaffa s bus from orange to purple .i knew everyone who ever lived in there and were Born in there.
This place is a integral part of the weft and weave of Trinidad / Westhaven .
It needs to be recognized and preserved of Historical Designation . Let all chip in energy w/ Almighty dollars and people power to go in and RESTORE YEE HAW to a model of self sufficiency .
pitch in People . Rise up and help save the social experiment . Take apart the old structures and clear out the detritus and debris. Make it all new and fresh . with a stand alone birthing center, a cancer patient house name it after the late great poet and teacher BOOTS ( R.I.P. ) Put up a Tipi or two for Wendsday night music sessions named after Mountian. Have a childcare center named after our Beloved Penny. Have a newly wed space and a wedding meadow after Mark and Patti . Have a stage and music mini festivals named for Francine and Nymia and a bicycle workshop for Charles and a glass blowing work space foe Steve O a beautiful garden between all these areas and a place to lay upon the mother earth full of little yellow flowers – camomile to cry for all those who have come before and
all the pain and suffering in the world and for all of the ignorance that has run amok and those of us right here on this blog who just don t get it . Those of us with there heads so far ” up their asses ” that they will never see the light in the eyes of those who care – really really CARE .
Lets re store this precious spot to a real fine microcosm of what could be . Expand the vision .
Lets be “Island strong” like the Haitians and Hawaiians. Treat the occasion like we would after a earthquake, or a firenato, or a class five hurricane . Treat it with the love and respect that the landspace deserves . Continue the Vision , the social experiment. With professional builders and architects and social scientists , Doctors and Doulas and Midwives. Teachers and craftspeople and artisans and a school for home crafting ,cooking , canning, baking and even candelstick Making.
Lets pull together as one caring and sharing COMMUNITY.
We need to show the world how to get along. Build it together , they will come.
in the words of Tiny Tim ” God Bless Us – EVERYONE ” peace owt
What a beautiful vision! Yeehaw could be such a place, it is in so many ways. Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I bet you could make all that happen for under 100k, certainly less than 400k.
Yes indeed Nichole.
Its not money thats that main ingredient , its VISION.
The ability to see it in your mindseye, to dream the vision awake.
This is a fantastic moment in time . As Rosie the riveter says ” We Can Do This ” lets make it a school and a church w/ non prophet status . Get grants , funnel some pot revenue from the ” Big Boys” . We Canna do this.
what else we got ?
The real estate situation is in full on land grab mode ! The people with a
whole lot of dollars , but no sense ( cents ) ( haha) Are among us NOW .
They ll want to bring where they came from Here ! They ALL WAYS do.
New comers will have no sense of where they actually are. We need to show these recent transplants what real community is . Everyone here in our friendly out of the fire zone, coastal neighborhood of like minded people.
One big concern is we will loose the flavor of our essence of who we are.
( quietthe sentence -that ) Ya git me ?
If we can show our new residents to Northern Humboldt County aka the mighty Redwood region who we are and what we stand for , then it s possible some of those who are buying up every available parcel will
bring their city ways and be part of a evolution away from land based reality.
Perhaps some of these folks have skils and means a wherewithal to want to
be a big help a part of something different and new to there way of thinking. Maybe they have to ” spend Down ” and have loot to throw around.
The stories iam hearing from some realtors is astonishing . People bidding
over the asking price of a property $ 100,000 to $ 500,000 in cash to secure themselves a spot in Mck !
So it ain’t no wonder someone wants Yee Haw . I say HELL NO WE WON’T GO! ( reminiscent of anything ? ) But let us all say it with love in our hearts and The goodness and grace we all have w/in our hearts to do the right thing and upcycle reduce ( risky buildings) and repurpose this precious
commodity into long term functional community .
Can I get a Hell Ya ? How bout A YEE HAAAAWW
These are the zoning laws democrats want and all these people voted for them.Go figure. I remember humboldt county when it was full of tar paper shack villages.
interesting how a landlord with substandard rentals in Eureka is called a slumlord and another in Trinidad is called a victim of code enforcement…..
I love the school or church idea. I don’t do organized religion, don’t think this church would qualify! I am in! If you need a pastor there are LOTS of free websites online. You could be “Church of Bob” certified, “Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster” certified, “Church of Satan” (who do not worship a make believe red man with a pitch fork btw) or a million more…Let me know, I will join your church! Good Luck Yeehaw, from a black bear ranch sister.
This is stupid. The county is known for spending well over 3 million, years ago, on just 8 or so low income housing units but still can’t leave well enough alone and needs to create more homeless people. People who are not bothering anyone. Sure looks like someone wants that land.
Land of the free isn’t so free anymore, tax cattle line up to empty your pockets.if you’re poor like these folks and cant pay the extortion machine youll be thrown into the streets and your land confiscated.
But hay come election day vote for the same politicians and your on your way to being a genius
For the folks in the back, this is a land grab of grand proportions. How much does just one quarter of an acre go for in Trinidad? Do the math and watch the powers that be steal from their fellow humans again and again. If it can’t be forfeited, and the county wants the land/$$$, it will be taken another way.
History repeats itself. Land “ownership” in the United States has a tragic past. All the land now “owned” was stolen from the original inhabitants by force and with many
lives lost. A side note, my birth state, Georgia, also birthed the Trail of Tears. How many reservations does Georgia have? Zero. People can be as awful as they can be good. Choose the light and fight back against this please. I am immune compromised or I would be there protesting and protecting this gem myself. Love and light.
I love it….”Ford has not been to Yeehaw yet, but he said he may go out soon.” What a crock…. the director of Trinidad Code enforcement can’t find the time to show his face and meet with the people who are going to lose their homes. I can’t keep shaking my head at how out to lunch and just morally empty these “stewards” of Trinidad are. To take a peaceful community of people and kick them out of their homes in a time like this is beyond … beyond.. I have no words. Why are towns in CA dragging their feet with rezoning? There are other towns on the CA coast mulling over these changes….. Well…. Fucking get off the couch and change the rules!
The mafia has taken over humboldt. They come in all colors shapes and sizes. Some are native others italian, some mormon, some irish traveller. They have one thing in common greed and perversion of justice. It would be good to leave now. The AB 12 will exterminate even the natives once the federal walls crumble. The state of rhodesia has very few oppositions in nor cal southern oregon except the survivors of injustice reporting names and addresses of the offenders. A hacked dod fbi infragard leads to extreme details of everyones movement and location.
Bless,
The least is the most and most the least. The pagoda will be built of teak amd understanding. Not of freudian insecurities.
The Ballad of Johhny B Good
Patron saint of everything cool.