Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
  • Video
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • The Reason Rundown With Peter Suderman
    • The Soho Forum Debates
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Crypto
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Print/Digital Subscriptions
    • Gift Subscriptions

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

Building codes

Josefine Lozano and Dorice Pierce

Warrants

Illinois City Agrees To Stop Fining People for Resisting Warrantless Home Inspections

Zion’s attempts to push out unwanted renters collides with Fourth Amendment protections.

Scott Shackford | 1.4.2023 2:35 PM

minissimnimby

Video Games

Review: Try and Fail To Build a Virtual City in Sim Nimby

Eventually the player realizes nothing is getting built and quits.

Christian Britschgi | 12.2.2022 6:00 AM

glass of pale ale

Brickbats

Brickbat: A Failure To Communicate

Charles Oliver | 9.20.2022 4:00 AM

Serafim Katergaris

Excessive Fines

He Didn't Break Any Rules. New York City Is Demanding He Pay a Fine Anyway

The Big Apple's building regulations are almost impossible to navigate, and officials like it that way.

J.D. Tuccille | 9.19.2022 7:00 AM

Woman sitting at a table with two small children who are coloring.

School Choice

School Choice Faces a New Threat: Local Code Enforcers

Enemies of educational freedom are using inane regulations to target learning pods.

Suranjan Sen and Daryl James | 8.12.2022 2:45 PM

topicsideas

Architecture

Christopher Alexander's Utopian Blueprint

There is telling people how to live, and there is maximizing people's ability to live the lives they want.

Jesse Walker | 6.30.2022 6:00 AM

reason-codeenforcement

Florida

Florida Lawmakers Are Cracking Down on Secret Snitches

Two state bills would generally prohibit local code enforcement officials from acting on anonymously reported violations.

Christian Britschgi | 4.7.2021 3:05 PM

sipaphotoseleven255306

Reason Roundup

Trump Outlaws Ugly Federal Buildings

Plus: House OKs bloated $1.4 trillion spending package, new Amash bills aim to protect asylum seekers and immigrant detainees, and more...

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 12.22.2020 9:33 AM

tent_1161x653

Brickbats

Brickbat: That's Cold

Charles Oliver | 12.16.2020 4:00 AM

crowbar_1161x653

Brickbats

Brickbat: Artsy Fartsy

Charles Oliver | 7.3.2019 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: Cutting Them Down to Size

Charles Oliver | 3.18.2019 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Warrants

Mandatory Warrantless Rental Inspections Inspire Seattle Lawsuit

Institute for Justice to city: Show probable cause, guys.

Scott Shackford | 12.5.2018 3:00 PM

Large image on homepages

Reasontv

Policing for Profit? California Towns Bill Residents Thousands for Nuisance Violations

Citizens of Coachella and Indio are fighting back against the private law firm that charged them for their own prosecutions.

Zach Weissmueller | 10.29.2018 12:00 PM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: Fool Me Twice

Charles Oliver | 10.5.2018 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: Easy Access

Charles Oliver | 10.4.2018 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

New Jersey

A New Jersey Family Wanted Local Kids to Read More. Then a Neighbor Called the Cops.

The family set up a mini-library-and got a visit from the police.

Joe Setyon | 8.7.2018 4:10 PM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: Handicapped Accessible

Charles Oliver | 8.1.2018 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Art

Florida Couple Gets to Keep Home's 'Starry' Paint Job; Mayor Must Publicly Apologize for $10,000 Fine

In a settlement reached Tuesday night, two residents of Mount Dora, Florida, will receive $15,000 and permission to keep their Van Gogh-inspired paint job.

Eric Boehm | 7.18.2018 10:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Police Abuse

Atlanta Suburb Brags About Fines for Chipped Paint and Incorrectly Stacked Wood

Victims of stealth taxes are suing Doraville, Georgia, for violating their due process rights.

Christian Britschgi | 5.24.2018 4:20 PM

Large image on homepages

Fines

St. Louis Town Agrees to Stop Bankrolling Itself by Fining Its Residents into the Poorhouse

Pagedale, Missouri, will stop trying to fine you for having mismatched curtains or saggy pants.

Scott Shackford | 5.21.2018 4:05 PM

Large image on homepages

Texas

City of Dallas Sues Nightclub Over Mural Honoring Fallen Officers

The tribute to five slain officers is allegedly a code violation.

Christian Britschgi | 3.27.2018 12:40 PM

Large image on homepages

Institute for Justice

City Demands $6,000 from Woman over Illegal Chickens

A municipal scheme with a private prosecution firm leads to outrageous fines in the California desert.

Scott Shackford | 2.14.2018 11:55 AM

Large image on homepages

Hurricanes

Hours After Hurricane Irma, Miami-Dade County Tickets Residents for Code Violations [Updated]

Thanks, government!

Christian Britschgi | 9.19.2017 2:10 PM

Large image on homepages

Chicago

Chicago to Businesses: Did Licensed Contractors Hang Those Window Signs?

Classic protection racket enforced by city fines.

Allie Howell | 8.3.2017 4:39 PM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: Better Offer

Charles Oliver | 7.31.2017 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: Without Government Who Would Make Sure Buildings Aren't Fire Hazards?

Charles Oliver | 7.27.2017 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Brickbats

Brickbat: This Land Is My Land

Charles Oliver | 7.20.2017 4:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Property Rights

This Indiana Town Wants to Fine a Community Out of Existence on Behalf of Private Developers

Charlestown can't seize the properties, so it's citing them to force them to sell.

Scott Shackford | 2.13.2017 12:45 PM

Large image on homepages

Building codes

Richmond Strangles the Poor With Red Tape

Mayor says he wants to "promote economic parity and social justice," then sends code enforcers to evict the poor from their homes.

A. Barton Hinkle | 8.26.2015 10:30 AM

Large image on homepages

Politics

Nepal's Earthquake: How Not to Rebuild a Nation

In an environment of poverty and corruption, rigorous building codes do more harm than good

Todd Krainin | 4.28.2015 12:15 PM

Large image on homepages

Local Government

Mow Your Yard or Go to Jail

Scott Shackford | 10.16.2014 11:30 AM

Large image on homepages

Building codes

This Land Is My Land

Charles Oliver | 7.28.2014 6:00 AM

Large image on homepages

Building codes

Brickbat: This Land Is My Land

Charles Oliver | 7.28.2014 6:00 AM

Policy

Why We Need Government: To Prevent 9-Year-Olds From Running Free Little Lending Libraries

Brian Doherty | 6.19.2014 11:27 AM

Large image on homepages

Policy

The Biggest Obstacle to Gender Neutral Bathrooms? Building Codes.

Government went beyond mandating that employers give workers a place to do their business to specifying exactly how and in what ratios this must occur.

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | 4.11.2014 1:30 PM

Nanny State

That's Sick

Charles Oliver | 11.29.2013 6:00 AM

Policy

Government Tells Couple To Uproot Their Garden or Face Fines

Zenon Evans | 11.20.2013 2:03 PM

Detroit

Operation Compliance: Detroit's War on Small Business

Zach Weissmueller | 9.17.2013 12:30 PM

Regulation

Vid: Operation Compliance—Detroit's War on Small Business

Zach Weissmueller | 9.17.2013 12:30 PM

Politics

Denver Neighborhood Rescued from 3-Year-Old Chalk Artist

Tim Cavanaugh | 6.21.2012 11:04 PM

Politics

Phonehenge Architect Sentenced to Pay For Demolition, "See Dead People"

Zach Weissmueller | 5.18.2012 4:50 PM

Politics

Phonehenge West: So Quirky It's Criminal

Jacob Sullum | 6.16.2011 12:00 PM

Culture

Resilient Japan

Three lessons from the week's disasters

Jesse Walker | 3.16.2011 4:30 PM

TSA

Brickbats

Charles Oliver | 1.23.2011 1:09 PM

Politics

Plumbers Unions vs. Waterless Urinals

Brian Doherty | 6.24.2010 4:01 PM

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason FacebookReason TwitterReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeReason ItunesReason on FlipboardReason RSS

© 2022 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use