Page 8 - Hawaii Island MidWeek - Nov 16, 2022

8 HAWAI‘I ISLAND MIDWEEK NOVEMBER 16, 2022
Amou Haji, 94, of Dezhgah, Iran, also known as the World’s Dirtiest Man, refused to bathe for more than 60 years because he was afraid doing so would make him sick, Fox News re- ported.
‘World’s Dirtiest Man’ Dies After Taking A Bath M
For the first time, “villagers had recently taken him to a bathroom to wash,” the Islam- ic Republic News Agency re- ported. “Not long after, he fell ill and finally ... he gave up his life.”
der-block dwelling for shelter on the outskirts of town.
sid from work; while searching for
In other Weird reports:
for her, he found her sandals, it headscarf, jacket and tools. ed
Authorities caught a
that had been spotted nearby aw and found Jahrah’s body in Do the snake’s stomach, the local mi police chief said. Ly
Robber Pulls A Fast One
python De ac
Apparently, he was right:
Haji had no family, but villagers had built him a cin-
In Seminole, Florida, 56-year-old Paul James Sin- clair summoned his inner 8-year-old on Oct. 10 as he attempted a bank robbery.
Oh, The Vanity
According to The Smoking Gun, Sinclair entered a Chase branch with his hand under his shirt making “the shape of a gun with his finger,” arrest records said. He advised teller Desiree Stefanik not to “push any buttons” as he waited for her to hand over the loot.
The state of Maine is walk- are ing back a 2015 decision to D eliminate its review process for vanity license plates, the Do Associated Press reported on Oct. 27. Secretary of State nia Shenna Bellows has called gu the resulting vulgarities the arr “wild Wild West,” with about ca 400 offensive plates being tha subject to recall. the
Home for the Holidays! Scan the QR code to
Sinclair got away with only $120 and was arrested shortly after the incident.
Stick To Your “Gun”
ILLUSTRATION BY MARK GALACGAC
“What I would say to those who want to engage in ob-is jectionable or questionable ho speech: Get a bumper stick- ed er,” she said.
Because the plates are technically the property of the state, new rules to stifle the nasty messages can be en- forced, she said. Recall letters began hitting mailboxes this month.
SEE PAGE 11
start today.
Solo Rises
Remember the scene in The Empire Strikes Back when Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite? Well Catherine Pervan and her daughter, Hanalee, owners of One House Bakery in Benicia, California, certainly do. In fact, they have brought Solo back to life — as bread, The New York Times reported.
The two worked together for more than a month to cre- ate the 6-foot-tall “Pan Solo” a sculpture made from bread dough; now he stands outside their store as part of downtown Benicia’s scarecrow contest.
Gruesome End
A woman known as Jahrah, 54, who worked at a rubber plantation on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, lost her life at work on Oct. 23 after being swallowed by a 22-foot-long python, The Guardian reported. Her hus- band reported her missing when she didn’t return home
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“People are just super inter- ested in it, and you see people smelling it and poking it,” said Hanalee.
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Sellers naturally become concerned when they perceive their bottom line is shrinking. Whether prices rise or fall, the issue of an owner-builder exemption presents itself in very interesting ways. It’s an issue that could potentially affect sellers, buyers, agents, landlords and tenants alike. Remember, the State provides an exemption for an owner-occupant who wants to be their own contractor. Briefly, HRS 444-9.1
providesthatahomebuiltwithanowner- builder exemption/permit may not be sold or leasedforayearfollowingthefinalinspection
(orfromaverifiabledatewhenthehome
was completed). Multiple owner-builder permits should not be issued concurrently. Selling prior to the one-year statutory
requirement may result in a fine of $5000 or 40% of the value of the home for the first offense and up to $10,000 or 50% of the market value for subsequent offenses.Finesmaybeassessedagainstthesellerand any REALTORS® involved. The law is very clear on this point. If sold prior one year, REALTORS® could be
fined for aiding and abetting an unlicensed contractor. We could even face license revocation. Although not specifically stated, a buyer might also find themselves included in an investigation by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Prior to 2010, the law was silent about situations where a hardship or mitigating circumstances forced early sale. It was also not specific as to property sold prior to the final inspectionorpropertieswithoutpermits.Anyproperty sold prior to the one-year anniversary with an owner- builderexemption(exemptfromusingacontractor)falls undertheprovisionsofthestatute.Inabusymarket, it’s not uncommon to find non-compliant homes for sale. The intent of the law is to avoid unlicensed work but without exceptions built into the law, an already unfortunate situation (illness or death for instance) could be easily exacerbated. DCCA is required to investigate every complaint but the statute now providesavehicleforadistressedownertorequest an exemption prior to selling. Permit amounts under $10,000 are automatically exempt. Sellers should keep
in mind that listing an owner-builder property without an exemption (if you can find an agent brave enough to do so) will result in extremely diminished showing interest. Issues related to un-permitted structures or areas are always foggy. Because permitting problems are so common, it is best to keep in mind that the intent of the statute is to deter unlicensed activity. It would certainly not be a stretch to assume the provisions ofthestatuteapply.Theowner-builderstatuteisnot meant to be a vehicle to generate a complaint about every permit inconsistency. There are numerous reasonsapermitrecordmightbeincorrect.Ifyou need a permit correction in order to facilitate a sale, remember, owner-builder provisions apply. Ask your agent for advice in this matter. Most do a good job in helping explain the requirements but sadly, some are still unaware of the 2010 change. Feel free to share the reference when an agent tells you otherwise. Verifying andcorrectingpermitsaheadoftimeprovideseveryone involved with peace of mind. Happy Permitting! . Blog forward at www.hawaiianrealtyhomes.com
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