Handicapped guy 'actively' ADA'ing his RV...
...is told by the City of Muenster that the RV is a "Junked Vehicle" and will soon be towed and crushed, and I'll be charged $500 a day for the violation!
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Backstory: After 25 years in a wheelchair, I could not lift myself and my chair in and out of my Z28, so I decided that it was time to graduate to a vehicle with a lift or ramp. The other problem I have is increasingly less bladder control. This world simply does not guarantee me a bathroom I can fit into, so I decided that an RV with a bathroom and shower made the most sense. This way I'd always have a bathroom and if not, a shower, and change of clothes.
I found a 1979 Class C with only 67,000 miles and no visible exterior damage. The owner said "it has a little water damage behind the passenger seat. All I would need to do is remove the carpet, cut out the bad spot, and replace part of the plywood. So, I bought "Peaches"...
I took all of my money and invested in the engine, brakes, and transmission. I saved a few hundred for minimal materials.
After spending close to $5,000 on repairs, new fuel tanks, wires, and hoses, she purrs like a kitten. Before bringing her back to my trailer house, I phoned the park manager and the city manager, to make sure my planned activities would not break any rules or codes. At this time, I had no idea how bad the water damage really was and I received the okay to begin my work.
I drove "Peaches" home and began demolition only to find Titanic water damage. EVERY board along every seam was rotten, from the front to the back... My project that was going to take a few months, turned into two years, as COVID price hikes slowed my progress. One piece of Red Cedar (chosen for water and bug resistance) is almost $100! While I am very paralyzed, I can still do some work, and every day I'm either buying materials and equipment, or installing it, but $937 a month does not go far.
Medicaid covers necessary patient lifts, so long as your Doctor signs off. However, under managed care, my medically necessary lift was determined to actually be a convenience elevator, which isn't covered. So, I found a used one for $1250, AND the Knights of Columbus even donated $500 to help me buy it, but I still owe $250. Even if I had the lift, I still need another $200 in wood, so I have something to mount it to.
Meanwhile ONE neighbor thinks I should be STOPPED and that I should NOT be allowed to continue to build...
Here's my question, "How is this not an inspirational story?"
Hey, look at that quadriplegic, he's not sitting there doing nothing with his life, watching TV...he is building his dream, with his own hands!!!
How do we live in a country where that is illegal??
Dumbfounded by Recent Events,
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*That guy clearly needs help accomplishing his dream, in a reasonable amount of time...Let's HELP him...NOPE, CRUSH IT, ...and his dreams, Oh, AND charge him $500 a day...??? Really?
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