Depending on where you live, and exactly what you decide to live in, the answer could be yes. In fact, a growing number of city and county zoning agencies around the world are implementing ordinances to crack down on off-grid living, in many cases making it a crime.
Over the years we’ve covered numerous examples of how government officials from around the world have been systematically targeting those who choose to live an off the grid lifestyle.
From targeting self-reliant homeowners with antiquated zoning laws and regulations to forming special zoning boards that are designed to force people back onto the grid, there seems to be a war against self-reliance, and sadly it seems like the government in many cases is winning.
Living off the grid Illegal in many areas of the United States
Throughout the United States, government agencies are forming so-called “nuisance abatement teams” designed to intimidate and force Off Grid homeowners into giving up their land or abandoning their lifestyle. Believe it or not, people are actually being fined and jailed for choosing to live an off-grid existence.
From Costilla County, Colorado trying to ban people from building off-grid homes or camping on their own land to the federal government actually trying to make it illegal to live in a tiny house or off-the-grid RV, there are a growing number of government agencies attempting to regulate this lifestyle out of existence.
While the mainstream media continues to ignore the problem, a couple of independent media organizations and a few reporters have taken notice, and over the years we’ve tried to shine a spotlight on the problem. One of the first cases we covered was the story of how Off Grid enthusiasts in California were being harassed and targeted by their local government officials.null
Off grid Homeowners intimidated into to hooking back into the grid.
There are literally thousands of examples of people who have been harassed, threatened and even fined and jailed for going off the grid. Here are some examples:
The Deserts of Los Angeles County, California
The deserts of Los Angeles County, California used to be a sort of mecca for those looking to live a more self-reliant lifestyle. But just like so many areas of the country, these Off-Grid residents are being targeted, arrested, and intimidated into to hooking back into the grid.
A couple of years back, Reason Magazine took a film crew out to one of these secluded desert towns in California and filmed some of the off-grid residents. From being threatened with jail time if they didn’t hook back into the grid, to actually being thrown in jail because the county didn’t like the look of their homes or land, the people in the deserts of Los Angeles County are being terrorized by their local government.
Instituted in 2006 by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors’ Nuisance Abatement Teams have been targeting and jailing residents for victimless misdemeanors and code violations.
Code enforcement teams have been hitting unincorporated areas of L.A. County hard, leaving local off-gridders unsure of what the future holds. Residents are scared that they may lose not only their homes but their freedom as well.
The case of Robin Speronis in Cape Coral City, Florida
Robin Speronis tried to go off the grid in Cape Coral City, Florida. She was cited by the city for using rainwater, using solar power, not being connected to an approved water supply, and being in violation of in violation of the International Property Maintenance code. She was eventually thrown in jail and evicted from her home.
Vet who fought for our country, Thrown in Jail for Living ‘Off The Grid’
In November 2016, Tyler Truitt, a veteran, was thrown in jail for violating a city zoning ordinance.
“We live out here off the grid, 100 percent self-sustaining,” Truitt said. “So I basically made all my utilities: I have my solar panels, I have my rainwater collection and stuff. ” took an oath that I would support and defend the constitution and the freedoms that entails, and I really feel like those are being trampled upon.”
Is it really your land? According to most zoning officials, you need to follow their rules!
On top of using size restrictions to limit what off-grid home owners can live in, towns throughout the U.S. are also targeting mobile homes. In many areas, houses are required to built on a foundation and hooked up to public utilities.
Unfortunately, that piece of freedom that you bought might not be so free. If your land is not zoned for recreational vehicle living, off grid living, or camping you may be in for some serious trouble.
It’s a sad day when living off your own land becomes a crime. Please spread the word because cases like this are increasing at an alarming rate.
I hope this is of some use to you and you will read carefully. Every time you have someone entering your property, it is a business transaction. You can accept their terms if you wish or you can set your own!! If you set terms and conditions on your entrances to your property (via SIGNS) and DECLARE them when people come on your property such as “All rights reserved” and “Any and each violation of my rights will incur financial penalties of (state your terms in $1m) and personal penalties of $1m. These terms and conditions are final and non negotiable. Entering the property deems acceptance of these terms.”
You might just see a change in them, because they are personally and the business is now liable for any violation of your rights. This is a simply stating a contract between you and the businesses, which is what they are trying to do with you.
Obviously LA county is planning to “develop” that land, probably by selling it to some corporation — possibly foreign. The obvious solution is for all the victims to band together, hire a good lawyer with a track record of beating govts. in court, and sue the county. It would help if they could hire a good investigator who could dig up the dirt on just whom the county is planning to sell to.
If you want to go off the grid these days, the one link you can’t afford to break is a cell-phone and the phone number of a good lawyer.
Other tricks I’d recommend include 1) building an underground house that the “inspectors” can’t find, 2) planting some of the ground with crops and declaring the land an “organic garden” — and hooking up with the local environmental-protection groups so you can howl “anti-environmental!” at the particular govt. office, 3) make anything that can be called “artwork”, sell the same at local arts-and-crafts fairs, link up with local artists’ groups, and then howl “anti-art!”. In any case, plan your defense in advance and keep tabs on current govt. trends through your lawyer.
Hi, i hope i don’t offend anyone, or get rude comments back. I am a firm believer that people who are suffering under the nations government need to come together. The goverment isn’t just torturing the people of California, it’s all over the country and it’s not just land or housing either, it’s families too. Since i was little i knew, i had a sense that the world wasn’t right, way before i even started school. As i got older my compassion and love for people grew. And now in my late 20’s i can’t begin to tell you the things I’ve seen or the traumas my family has faced. I am an old soul, returning time and time again until we fix this. In all this the encounter i had with the government and it’s hunger for my children really woke up something inside. I see the hurt in people, the fear, it comes in all shapes and sizes, but they all are equally traumatizing. A nightmare we op we wake up from while clenching our hands over our heart. A dark feeling. BUT we have a choice, minority? Everything once started as minority, it’s the courage that drives out the fear, it’s not the falling IT IS the getting back up. Come together,support and encourage eachother , wake up warriors and fight. The Government didn’t give you life, God( or what you call) did! I am young, but i have fight and i believe.
HEY BOYFRIEND….YOU ARE A OLD SOUL TO WRITE WHAT YOU JUST WROTE….RIGHT ON….I JUST SPENT 2 HOURS WRITING MY COMMENT AND LOST THE WHOLE THING….BUT IT WAS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SAID….HAVE YOU EVER SEEN RED DAWN?????or JACOB’S LADDER?????RED DAWN WITH PATRICK SWAYZE….THAT WAS FILMED IN 1982….JUST SAW THE NEW VERSION OF RED DAWN….BOTH ARE NOT TOO FAR FROM THE TRUTH….KEEP UP WITH THE RIGHT THOUGHTS…WE HAVE TO UNITE AS ONE AND TAKE BACK ARE RIGHTS…..BLING
I live completely off the grid and very comfortable with no problems at all from the government. I even sale my electricity to the municipality.
Some information about me. I am 20 years old, going to school and working. My parents more or less grow up in a substistence lifestyle where they took care of themselves, but now we live in the Dallas fort worth metroplex and there is no need to depend on yourself. My parents haven’t really been able to teach me these necessary skills so my question is…. how do I learn these off the grid skills? I’ve read books, watched shows, but is there any classes people know of where i can practice these? I have this gut feeling about september 2015… something is coming. I don’t know how huge of an impact this will be and I don’t really know what. If you look at the pattern though it will be coming in a year and a half from now. I’m anxious and I want to be prepared. So anyone have any tips or know of classes in the dallas/ FT worth area?
Any green communities out there that are in place? Looking to build my off the grid home in a peaceful place. Contact me plz. contact me only if you are serious plz.
the only reason these ppl are getting jail time is simply b/c they do not own the land in which they intend to live off grid.
Another one of your rights is the right to confront your accuser
there is another option to completely cut yourself off from relying on government. The good old fashioned barter system among neighbors. I see it all the time in the UP of Michigan. One neighbor needs a few potatoes and another is short on milk so they trade and everyone benefits. Neighbor looking out for neighbor…we need to get back to that.
I guess all of this is good if you want to go back to living without modern conveniences. the problem i see is that we can think and speak freely, but not act freely or live freely. the best, most feasible solution is first to get politicians use of 501c charities banned or made public information. stripping government bodies of the power they have accumulated. Instituting true democracy wirh available technology and reducing the roles of elected representatives. finally i believe consolidation of departments and cost reductions will be necessary.
I think of this every time I am researching candidates looking for the one with the most logic and the least amount of BS:
After the 1787 Constitutional Convention, as the delegates emerged from Independence Hall, a Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin, “Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, “A republic, if you can keep it.”
In my opinion, people are too scared to fight back against the gov, There are more of us than there are of them. Yet, people have become so dependant,they are scared.If only they knew.
I agree, that if you break the law, you should not complain about the consequences. But I also know that, not all laws are enforcemed e we equally. And being that the people breaking the law are human and therefore imperfect, so are the people making the laws, and the officers enforcing them. So to blanket every situation with the same reply, without knowing, is short sited, and closed minded. This world has and is changing. This change maybe good, but not without a lot of pain, death, and destitude first!
what happened? I just read the posts now and it’s been 3 years, were you able to hold your lands?
I just read the posts now. What happened do you still have your lands and are you still living on it as you were before? any more intimidation tactics?
I would love to get every poster to this thread to commit to banding together to pioneer a Resistance Survivalist Town somewhere where we choose to live in defiance of local, state, and federal edicts together, barter for everything, supply own needs for survival, live off-grid, and take care of our own. I know there are many people who want the govt off their backs and have lamented the downfall of independent living but few ever do anything about it, or they settle for what they can do for their own family. Why not be the spark to start the movement to take the country back? Do it well, and others will follow and as the old adage goes…there is strength in numbers.
When are the “PEOPLE” of this country going to wake up? We are sitting on our hands and letting the government “DICTATE” to us, every move we make! This is not a dictatorship, YET, but if we don”t do something instead of talking and complaining about it, it won”t be long before it will be!
Let’s start it not any more talk
I am about to be evicted from a house I lived in for 21 yrs.My parents had it built and they are selling it asap. They don’t give a crap about me.SSD is planning on giving me 600 a month to live. Whee. Live in my car is about all I can do with that. But no they will need an address. LOL I have wanted to live in a cabin in the woods for 30 yrs now.I raised 2 great kids and am now on my own about to be homeless. My stuff is packed and there is no where to go. I was always against government and bs society. Now I have to find out where the hell I am supposed to live. I don’t and never have gave a crap about technology and phones and all that crap. I just want to wake up in a cabin,go out cut firewood,shoot my dinner,and live. I LOVE building firepits and handy things. I have to find a spot NOW.Like right NOW.
I live off grid no power no water no gas. It impossible to be self sufficient without money at the beginning. You need solar panels and batteries enough to run your functions of life. You still need some form of currency to get you go just not as much as common society. I make gift baskets live comfortably for about 300 month I grow some vegetables and because of the weather I have propane on hand mostly use wood stove. I also have Internet wi fi and that is st I’ll a bill that cost money. So until there are some major changes in the economics of the world were still going to be looking at dollar bill for survival. Just try to take some gold to the store for groceries. B.t.w our community has a bartering system for homemade items fruits vegetables soap e.t.c.
What aspects of off grid living are illegal in Madison County, TN? Is off grid living illegal in Mexico? How can we fight the government? If people want to go off grid, there shouldn’t be any laws against it. The government has NO right to do that!
The gov.wants your tax money,the utilty companys want your money,they give the gov.big,big donations to make laws to keep you paying.we all know that!freedom whats that?communism,,,,yep.need to put a stop to it,i think im voting for trump!