I realize there are different points of view, and victors are usually the most persuasive rather than the most correct. That said, I totally adored the argument made by Buncombe County Attorney Bob Deutsch against further county involvement in repairing a particular landslide.
In the Black Oak community, abundant rainfall last year caused a house to start sloughing down a hill. Neighbors demanded county government take action. County government was able to demolish the house by declaring it a public hazard under the Unsafe Building Ordinance. Following that, the neighbors asked the county to stabilize the slope.
Deutsch argued that to do so, the county would have to place a lien on the property, and that would require the purchase thereof. The county, of course, had no intention of blowing taxpayer dollars on liability lawsuits incurred from the ownership of a pile of fill on the run.
Another solution would be to declare Black Oak Drive a disaster area and call in an Emergency Management Team. That would require the evacuation of the neighbors. Now, if the neighbors wanted to get out, they would have by now. Worse, if this course of action were to be pursued, the property owners would still be responsible for the cost of stabilization.
Can somebody come up with a counterargument of greater or equal eloquence?
