Darn they found the summer home

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**Frazzled**

Moral of the story
1. Dig at night
2. When a city inspector comes. Tell them to &(^( off and don't let them in the home.
http://www.statesman.com/news/local/multilevel-bunker-found-under-east-austin-home-683270.html

Multilevel bunker found under East Austin home
No charges filed, but the structural integrity of man's house is a concern, officials say.
By Claudia Grisales
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Updated: 1:50 a.m. Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Published: 11:05 p.m. Tuesday, May 11, 2010

City code enforcement officials are assessing what to do about an East Austin home after a man built an extensive bunker beneath it that drew emergency crews Saturday morning, city officials said Tuesday.

Jose Del Rio, a Vietnam War veteran, built a "multilevel" structure about 20 to 25 feet below the home, said Doug Matthews, director of communications for the City of Austin.

Matthews said code enforcement officials visited the home at 2006 Canterbury St. in East Austin early last week after receiving a complaint about possible excavation there. Del Rio, a retiree, showed the officials the underground structure, Matthews said.

"The code officers went out to investigate it, and the individual was fairly cooperative and showed them what he had been working on, which turned out to be a multilevel underground structure," Matthews said.

There were two levels, and a third hole below those levels, Matthews said.

The code officials "had some concerns about the structural integrity of the building and the contents of what was down there," he said.

The visit triggered a search warrant at the home. Austin police and fire personnel, including members of the police SWAT team, bomb squad and fire search and rescue team, did a full sweep of the home Saturday, Matthews said. The warrant was executed shortly after 7 a.m.; neighbors were asked to leave, and the home was searched for more than four hours, Matthews said. Nearby Metz Elementary School served as the emergency crews' staging area.

Among the items recovered from the home were several weapons, inert grenades and 55-gallon barrels, which turned out to be empty, Matthews said. No charges have been filed in the case, police officials said. It was not clear whether Del Rio will face code violations, which could result in fines, Matthews said.

He said officials are working with Del Rio to figure out whether the home is salvageable.

A neighbor, Mary Montoya, said her family had seen Del Rio take away barrels of dirt in trucks for the past year. One of the holes from the digging reaches into her yard.

"We knew something was going on, but I never thought it would be something like this," Montoya said.

Matthews said that Del Rio might have hired some assistants for the excavation, but that could not be verified. It was also unclear how long Del Rio had been working on the bunker, Matthews said.

Melissa Martinez, a spokeswoman for the Code Compliance Department for the City of Austin, said "this is the first time we've dealt with this kind of excavation." She said the deepest part of the bunker was 35 feet below the surface.

Martinez said that finding out why the bunker was built was not a priority during the search of the home. She said a motive might be determined Thursday, when several city departments are scheduled to meet to decide what will happen next.

For the time being, she said, the home has been boarded up and the utilities turned off, and an 8-foot-tall fence has been placed around the house.

Travis County property records show a 586-square-foot home was built at the address in 1927. Public records show a Joe R. Del Rio, 70, living at the address. Attempts to reach Del Rio or listed relatives were unsuccessful Tuesday.

Del Rio is now living with family, Martinez said. "He won't be coming home for a while."

cgrisales@stateman.com; 445-5933

Additional material from staff writer Isadora Vail.

**filbert**

I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

**Frazzled**

This is central Austin. Its an oasis of nanny state birkenstock hippy tree huggers in a sea of rabid red staters.

Actually, other than not getting a building permit (city ordnance) I can't figure out what the freakout was. He has property rights down to the center of the earth except for mineral rights (unless he has fee simple which is relatively rare).

**filbert**

They may been upset by the neighbour - the article did mention that a hole extended under the neighbour's property.

**Hordini**

It's probably more of a city thing. If he lived outside of city limits I don't think there would be any problems (at least not like this, as long as it was all on his own property), although it's likely that it varies somewhat from state to state and city to city.

**Miguelsan**

Spoilsports! I always wanted to have a secret bunker under my home.

M.

**gorgon**

filbert wrote:They may been upset by the neighbour - the article did mention that a hole extended under the neighbour's property.

Crazy dude digging tunnels into my property would have me more than a little perturbed.

**generalgrog**

He's just getting himself ready for the soon to be made "Hobbit" film.

GG

**Frazzled**

gorgon wrote:
filbert wrote:They may been upset by the neighbour - the article did mention that a hole extended under the neighbour's property.

Crazy dude digging tunnels into my property would have me more than a little perturbed.

Ayah thats trespass, but you don't send in SWAT, and the fire department for a potential civil dispute/code violation. Well, its Austin. They might have thought he was a tea party member or one of those republicans they keep hearing about.

**The Dreadnote**

Man, I would so love to have a bunker under my house. Don't think the terrain's right for it though.

**Kanluwen**

filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

**filbert**

Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

**Kanluwen**

Well, it's more safety concerned than common sense concerned.

I could hire somebody to build a huge bunker complex in my backyard--but it'd have to be inspected to make sure everything's up to code during the construction

**Frazzled**

filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

Thats in the big city. Its very region specific. Smaler towns/rural don't know what code is.

Thats where you have to build your bunker!

**Dastardly Dave**

It sounds like he was building himself a bunker for 2012... It would provide a reason for the weapons as well: he was stockpiling. I bet he thought the inspector would be really impressed and give him an award for saving humanity.

That's awesome. I want one.

I do wonder how he managed to shore it up over two levels though.

**Kanluwen**

Frazzled wrote:
filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

That's in the big city. Its very region specific. Smaller towns/rural don't know what code is. Thats where you have to build your bunker!

I live in the middle of nowhere, and I have to get permits from the city for installing a small plastic pond.

It all depends on the amount of land you've got and what is abutting it.

**filbert**

Hmm, I can understand the consternation when you live in a cramped, grade 1 listed medieval town and your next door neighbour's property is 4 feet away but when I think of America, I think of huge urban plots, rolling prairie and massive house footprints - you get much more bang for your buck in the States than we do over here. I wouldn't have thought the planning regs would be so harsh especially as America is a nation founded on the right to do what you damn well please.

**Kanluwen**

It's really dependent on where you're at, if you're renting/own the home, etc.

**dogma**

Kanluwen wrote:
It all depends on the amount of land you've got and what is abutting it.

Yep. In the city center structural integrity is a major concern as many buildings directly abut one another. Similarly, fire hazards are serious business in these parts.

In the suburbs the issue is more closely connected to maintaining a target property value, than issues of accidental property damage.

Both of these tend to be present in communities regardless of political lean. They're just basic elements of city administration, and the more closely placed community structures happen to be, the more restrictive the regulations are.

**Kanluwen**

Sidenote:
"Abut" is my favorite word that I rarely get to use.

**ShumaGorath**

filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

I don't know if being concerned about the construction of a 35 foot deep bunker under some ones home in secret in the middle of a residential neighborhood is being anal. Especially when it's filled with grenades and oil drums.

**Orlanth**

The authorities concern is justified.

Building a bunker is not a problem, while uncommon now. You can even buy one frfom companies, you could even do so in the UK where construction is very heavily legislated.

Normally this is done under the remit of nuclear shelters. While still legal companies building shelters were a relic of the cold war.

In the US with the freedom to bear arms, fortifying a home is not unreasonable step, in fact if you own a gun for the reasons given under the Constitution it is in fact logical to also find ways of securing a refuge within you own home.

The problems start with telling noone about it. The authorites had to come and look, you build underground mainly for privacy, once you rule out general nuclear war all other threats to your home can be countered with surface construction.

Why do you need an underground bunker that is not on any legal blueprints for the building?

Not trust guv'ment is not enough of an excuse sorry to say. You might be paranoid, or you might need the room to run a Josef Fritzl type dungeon, or to manufacture or stockpile WMD. Not good.

There are other serious concerns, though they pale compared to the above, but these are reasons to schedule an inspector, not to make a dawn raid.

Amaeteur excavatgions can seriously damage the foundations of the parent structure, or even adjoining structures. Can damage or steal resources from electric, gas and water piping, plus cause serious health concerns in doing so.

The authorities were not heavy handed.

**KingCracker**

ShumaGorath wrote:
filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

I don't know if being concerned about the construction of a 35 foot deep bunker under some ones home in secret in the middle of a residential neighborhood is being anal. Especially when it's filled with grenades and oil drums.

Uh they didnt say it was FILLED with grenades, it said some inert grenades and EMPTY oil drums. Last I checked neither of those are illegal. Im sure the grenades caused an oh gak moment for sure, but Im still curious why they called in so many resources and freaked out about a guy making a bunker. I could understand if the bunker was that deep, under a major structure point of his home, and he used Popsicle sticks for bracing.

I mean hell Ive got some oil barrels I use for burn barrels, never seena cop so much as bat an eye from that

**Kanluwen**

Again:
He had no permits to do it, no professional training(seemingly) in building things, and was building it not just under his house but the neighbor's.

**ShumaGorath**

KingCracker wrote:
ShumaGorath wrote:
filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

I don't know if being concerned about the construction of a 35 foot deep bunker under some ones home in secret in the middle of a residential neighborhood is being anal. Especially when it's filled with grenades and oil drums.

Uh they didnt say it was FILLED with grenades, it said some inert grenades and EMPTY oil drums. Last I checked neither of those are illegal. Im sure the grenades caused an oh gak moment for sure, but Im still curious why they called in so many resources and freaked out about a guy making a bunker. I could understand if the bunker was that deep, under a major structure point of his home, and he used Popsicle sticks for bracing.

I mean hell Ive got some oil barrels I use for burn barrels, never seena cop so much as bat an eye from that

Do you keep them in your secret bunker next to your inert grenades? Every day items can be cause for concern given circumstances of craziness, and this guy sounds a bit touched in the head.

**Miguelsan**

Orlanth wrote:
There are other serious concerns, though they pale compared to the above, but these are reasons to schedule an inspector, not to make a dawn raid.

The authorities were not heavy handed.

I beg to disagree, the authorities were heavy handed. In a sane world you send an inspector to check a building code violation and a couple of cops in case the guy turns up a loonie, not the whole circus.
After all a guy carting of detritus from his house sounds like somebody doing some unauthoriced house renovation work not building WMD. Apparently the only thing missing was Bauer torturing somebody in a ticking clock scenario

M.

**sebster**

It makes sense that local officials would get involved. It's generally an element of government to ensure houses are sound and won't fall down on their occupants, even when the occupants are the ones who made the house structurally unsound in the first place.

SWAT and bomb squad teams operating to sweep the house on such a scale that they used a nearby school as a base of operations - that was pretty ridiculous.

**filbert**

ShumaGorath wrote:
filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

I don't know if being concerned about the construction of a 35 foot deep bunker under some ones home in secret in the middle of a residential neighborhood is being anal. Especially when it's filled with grenades and oil drums.

Just to clarify - I never mentioned anything about the US planners involved being 'anal'. I did say that the planning regs over here in the UK were so. I make no comment or judgement on whether the US authorities were right or wrong to come down on this chap - as has already been pointed out, things are done differently over in the US to my preconceptions.

**Dreadwinter**

ShumaGorath wrote:
filbert wrote:
Kanluwen wrote:
filbert wrote:I thought Americans were a lot more lax on what you could / couldn't do in your own home? I was under the impression that you didn't really have obtrusive planning laws like we do over here in the UK for example and you could build whatever the hell you want as long as it's your property?

You need permits for pretty much everything. It also needs to be inspected by the city and checked to see if it's up to code. The work also has to be "professionally done".

So much for the pioneer spirit eh? I know that we here in the UK suffer from extremely anal retentive planning laws - didn't think you would have the same attitude. You learn something new every day!

I don't know if being concerned about the construction of a 35 foot deep bunker under some ones home in secret in the middle of a residential neighborhood is being anal. Especially when it's filled with grenades and oil drums.

Holy crap, lets take stuff way out of context. Inert Grenades from I am guessing when he was in Vietnam and Oil Drums that he used to take the dirt that he dug out away from his home.

**olympia**

The problem with people who undertake such projects is that they are often social pariahs by their own choosing. If you want to succeed in a project like this you should do your best to keep up social interactions with the neighbors and try to appear 'normal.'