Memo Dennis Ocha AppealDate: November 12, 1991
To: City Council
From: Tom Anderson
Subject: Dennis Ochs Appeal
Recommendation
Background
MEMORANDUM
The staff recommends approval of the following motion: Adopt
Resolution #91 -119 denying Mr. Ochs appeal under section 450 of the
City Code and order Mr. Ochs to comply with the orders issued to him
on July 2, 1991 by December ]S 1991.
At the end of June 1991, inspection personnel observed the
manufactured home at 2012 Mainstreet lot #528 with a large bulge in
one wall. An inspection revealed one wall of the room was not plumb
due to probable damage to the interior structure of the wall.
Repair orders were written to Mr. Dennis Ochs in July 1991, under the
authority of the City Code Chapter 400, Manufactured Home Parks. The
orders required that the necessary repairs be made to the wall by
September 1, 1991.
Mr. Ochs appealed these orders and a public hearing was scheduled
before the City Council on October 2, 1991. At the hearing, Mr. Ochs
questioned whether the damage was structural and the City Council
continued the matter until October 15, 1991, in order to give the
staff and Mr. Ochs an opportunity to try to resolve the issue.
On October 8, 1991, the department was able to locate a Mr. Frank
Kitterman, a prominent experienced manufactured home repair
contractor from the Twin Cities area who met with inspection
personnel and Mr. Ochs at his dwelling.
In the opinion of Mr. Kitterman, the wall bulge is a structural
failure of the exterior wall. This wall does, in Mr. Kitterman's
opinion, support the roof of the structure.
Page 2
November 12, 1991
It was agreed by those present, including Mr. Ochs, that the wall
must be corrected and in a timely fashion. Mr. Ochs stated that he
had obtained the lumber to make the necessary corrections and that he
had lined up several friends who were willing to help him. Mr.
Kitterman offered Mr. Ochs the free use of his equipment and a day's
labor from one of his men to help him correct the problem. Mr. Ochs
refused the help stating that he felt he could handle it himself.
The City staff and Mr. Ochs requested a further continuation of the
issue until the November 19, 1991 meeting in order to give Mr. Ochs
an opportunity to make the corrections. Mr. Ochs agreed that he could
have the bulge corrected within a couple of weeks. On or about
October 15th, Mr. Ochs requested and was issued a building permit to
make the correction on his structure.
'As City staff had received no further response from Mr. Ochs, an
inspection was done on November 8th to see if correction had been
completed. The bulge was still visible from the outside of the
trailer.
Inspection personnel attempted to contact Mr. Ochs. Mrs. Ochs was at
home and she indicated that Mr. Ochs had received the permit and that
he had purchased the wood, but that no work had been started. She
did not give inspection personnel an estimate on when the work will
be completed.
The city staff has redrafted the resolution giving Mr. Ochs until
December 15th to make the corrections or the city will abate the
problem in accordance with the city code.
Supporting Information
o Letter from Frank Kitterman
o Resolution
o Council Report #91 -211
CADVANCE
OMPANIES, INC.
6400 Central Avenue N.E., Minneapolis, MN 55432
October 8, 1991
City of Hopkins
1010 First Street South
Hopkins, Minnesota 55343
Attn: Mr. Pat Graham
Building Inspector
Re:
Dennis Ochs
Pines Mobile Home Community
Hopkins, Minnesota
Dear fir. Graham,
(612) 572 -2000
FAX (612) 572 -9933
This letter will further confirm our inspection of the aforementioned
persons home on the morning of October 8, 1991.
41k was determined that the home was manufactured with a two by two wall
studs installed vertically without a belt rail design. It appeared that
the studing was primarily placed 24" on center. There existed some areas
where the studing had been moved as far apart as 32" to accommodate the
installation of windows.
The offdoor side has a placement of three window lites placed within three
inches of each other with a horizontal spanning of approximately six and
one -half feet.
The roof on the structure seemed very sound. The roof trusses had been
installed 16" on center. The roof top was metal and has a center line
ridge which allows approporiate drainage from the roof. The roof has been
manufactured at two levels. The area in question supported the higher
level of the roof.
It appears that the home, due to its age, and perhaps moisture within the
inner wall has deteriorated to the extent that the weight of the roof
system has created a bow to the exterior and in all probability is
continually loosing support.
The home is manufactured with a solid frame and longitudinal floor joist
to accommodate .a center line duct installation. It would appear that the
exterior walls rely solely upon frame outriggers to support the rim joist
of the home.
EXPERIENCED RECONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS
It would appear that repairs could be made utilizing materials of equal or
larger size and quality to resupport the roof system from the interior of
the home. This can be accomplished as suggested by the homeowner by
jacking the roof system carefully upward while pulling the exterior
offdoor wall inward into a vertical position at the same time Timing is
critical in this application to avoid pulling the roof assembly away from
the wall assembly.
Since no additional load has been placed on the roof panel it would appear
that once both the roof and the wall are in position, it can be
appropriately held utilizing any material that exceeds the original
vertical strength of the two by two studs.
It would appear that it would unnecessary to use perimeter support .
blocking since it appears the outriggers are not deteriorating.
Should you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to
contact this writer personally.
Enclosed is a statement for our services.
incerely.
Frank Kitter an
FK:lk
Enclosure
CITY OF HOPKINS
Hennepin County, Minnesota
RESOLUTION NO 91 -119
RESOLUTION TO DENY THE APPEAL OF MR. OCHS TO THE BUILDING
DEPARTMENT ORDERS
WHEREAS, an inspection was conducted toward the end of June,
1991, by the Hopkins Building Inspector, Pat Graham at
2012 Mainstreet, Unit #528, and
WHEREAS, as a result of the inspection, Inspector Graham
found the property to have a structural defect, and
WHEREAS, orders were written on July 2, 1991 to. Mr. Ochs
requiring him to repair said damage, and
WHEREAS, under Section 450 of the Hopkins City Code, Mr.
Ochs has appealed those orders, and
WHEREAS, the Hopkins City Council conducted a public
hearing regarding this matter on October 1, 1991, and
WHEREAS, Mr. Frank Kitterman of Advance Companies, an
experienced Manufactured Home Repair Contractor inspected
Mr. Ochs home and in his opinion, the wall has deteriorated
to the extent that the weight of the roof system has created
the bow to the exterior wall, and
WHEREAS, members of walls, partitions, or other vertical
supports, that buckle due to defective materials or
deterioration are considered structural hazards requiring
abatement by Chapter 450 of the Hopkins City Code, and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the City Council of the City of
Hopkins that the City Council finds the condition of the
subject property to require repair and that the City Council
orders Mr. Ochs to abate said problem by December 15, 1991
and that if said problem is not corrected by December 15,
1991, the City of Hopkins will abate the problem at 2012
Mainstreet as provided in accordance with Chapter 450 of the
Hopkins City. Code.
Adopted by the City Council of the City of Hopkins this 19th day
of November, 1991.
ATTEST:
James A. Genellie, City Clerk
Nelson W. Berg, Mayor