The Deco Lounge: A club for dieselpunk aficionados and personas

[J. Wilhelm]

So what finally happened to the house?
Did he raze it and start over?
Or did he sell it to some poor sap without disclosing the flooding problem?

I don't know. It was still there when I left Mexico in 1987. The average house price in that development was $2.5 million US Dollars in 2013, last time I checked , and that was an all-concrete brutalist project, so demolition would have been very expensive. The difference between US style and MX style of high end properties being that the plots of land are smaller (super fancy neighborhoods in the US usually have a lot of a space between houses, starting in the mid-1970s)

His property, like ours was twice as big as the average (two properties back to back, in his case, a mirror image of each other), so it's highly unlikely they'd demolished the house. It's more likely that the backyard space was dug up with a large underground system of pipes and canals above the ground to divert the flow to the street or drain. But this is what happens when you cut a giant slice of the hill, which almost every single neighbour did.

[J. Wilhelm]

Used to drive past a block of land with a gully running through the middle of it. One day they cleared the block and bulldozed all the topsoil into the gully to 'smooth' the block off. Then they put a concrete slab over the topsoil and built a house on it.

It was fine for two dry years, then we had a wet, wet year and the house cracked in the middle and slid down the hill while also sinking into the gully.

Great suing followed.

So no one thought of building a canal and a bridge over it to let the water flow?? *face-palm *

[Banfili]

I have a caveat on my block (fortunately a big one!) for floodplain that says the owner can't build any structure in which a person will live on the bottom 2.4384 metres (8 feet) of the block because it was on a 150 year floodplain. When I bought the house the Insurance was about $800 a year, payable by the month. Then, a few years later when the renewal was due, I got an account for $1,950 FOR ONE MONTH! After recovering from the shock of this I jumped on the phone to the insurance company for an explanation, which was that the postcode area in which the property was built was designated as a flood risk because it was on a floodplain, despite the fact that part of the town was built on the bottom slopes of a mountain! Everyone with this particular insurance company got the same letter with their policy renewal.

Back in the late 1970s the river was dammed upstream, so the river no longer floods, and hasn't since 1978, but the insurance company had not changed its actuarial data, and still hasn't changed the data. No-one in the area has house & contents insurance with that company any more! If the dam were to burst there wouldn't be any claims, either, as anyone who was home when it went wouldn't be making any claims - the only ones who would be able to do that would have been well away from the area and out of the valley!

I cancelled the policy on the spot, having already hunted up quotes online, and was immediately re-insured at a monthly cost of less than the original policy!

[Synistor 303]

I have a caveat on my block (fortunately a big one!) for floodplain that says the owner can't build any structure in which a person will live on the bottom 2.4384 metres (8 feet) of the block because it was on a 150 year floodplain. When I bought the house the Insurance was about $800 a year, payable by the month. Then, a few years later when the renewal was due, I got an account for $1,950 FOR ONE MONTH! After recovering from the shock of this I jumped on the phone to the insurance company for an explanation, which was that the postcode area in which the property was built was designated as a flood risk because it was on a floodplain, despite the fact that part of the town was built on the bottom slopes of a mountain! Everyone with this particular insurance company got the same letter with their policy renewal.

Back in the late 1970s the river was dammed upstream, so the river no longer floods, and hasn't since 1978, but the insurance company had not changed its actuarial data, and still hasn't changed the data. No-one in the area has house & contents insurance with that company any more! If the dam were to burst there wouldn't be any claims, either, as anyone who was home when it went wouldn't be making any claims - the only ones who would be able to do that would have been well away from the area and out of the valley!

I cancelled the policy on the spot, having already hunted up quotes online, and was immediately re-insured at a monthly cost of less than the original policy!

I check online every time we need to renew an insurance policy and usually end up changing policy due to the sudden rise in the price of the policy. (For everything - house, contents, cars etc). We usually save between $200 - $700 per year. Insurance companies will try to get you in with a first year low price, then raise the price upon renewal and hope you don't bother to shop around when it is time to renew. Always check and keep your money! Insurance companies have no loyalty to you, so don't feel you have to have loyalty to them.

[Banfili]

I have a caveat on my block (fortunately a big one!) for floodplain that says the owner can't build any structure in which a person will live on the bottom 2.4384 metres (8 feet) of the block because it was on a 150 year floodplain. When I bought the house the Insurance was about $800 a year, payable by the month. Then, a few years later when the renewal was due, I got an account for $1,950 FOR ONE MONTH! After recovering from the shock of this I jumped on the phone to the insurance company for an explanation, which was that the postcode area in which the property was built was designated as a flood risk because it was on a floodplain, despite the fact that part of the town was built on the bottom slopes of a mountain! Everyone with this particular insurance company got the same letter with their policy renewal.

Back in the late 1970s the river was dammed upstream, so the river no longer floods, and hasn't since 1978, but the insurance company had not changed its actuarial data, and still hasn't changed the data. No-one in the area has house & contents insurance with that company any more! If the dam were to burst there wouldn't be any claims, either, as anyone who was home when it went wouldn't be making any claims - the only ones who would be able to do that would have been well away from the area and out of the valley!

I cancelled the policy on the spot, having already hunted up quotes online, and was immediately re-insured at a monthly cost of less than the original policy!

I check online every time we need to renew an insurance policy and usually end up changing policy due to the sudden rise in the price of the policy. (For everything - house, contents, cars etc). We usually save between $200 - $700 per year. Insurance companies will try to get you in with a first year low price, then raise the price upon renewal and hope you don't bother to shop around when it is time to renew. Always check and keep your money! Insurance companies have no loyalty to you, so don't feel you have to have loyalty to them.

I now insure through my bank. Saves me money, and I can always review and change if I find a better offer!

[Prof Marvel]

SNIP ...Btw I also hate tommy edison

Yhs
Prof marvel

OK...why do you hate Edison?  (This I'm dying to know.... )  

To begin, Edison was a lier and a cheat, refusing to pay Tesla on design work Tesla had done for Edison.
Next, he refused to admit that long transmission of Direct Current was not only impractical, but virtually impossible, leading to the mudslinging DC vs AC wars. Third, Despite claiming to be against capital punishment, he got involved in experimenting and demonstrating electrocutions apparently to discredit Tesla and Westinghouse and their AC current system. Edison systematically paid neighborhood ragamuffins to bring him "stray" dogs that he used in electrocution experiments.

Edison later participated in the killing of an elephant named Topsy, providing technicians, power lines, and other equipment, and filmed the murder as well. The Edison company later used the footage to try to demonstrate how dangerous AC was.

Edison used numerous underhanded tactics to promote his Direct Current with business and govt leaders, including further lies and slander and bribery. He seemed to think that the era of Corporate Robber Barons was going to continue and he wanted desperately to be one, no matter what the cost in money or destruction of other people.

Edison was also an unapologetic sympathizer and collaborator and doing business with the German Nazi Party right up until war was declared (he and Henry Ford hosted many meetings with German Industrialists and senior Nazi Party members, often at one of Ford's country properties).

The elephant incident led me down the path of Edison's many failings , and his hatred of and war with Tesla and Westinghouse.

[Deimos]

OK...why do you hate Edison?  (This I'm dying to know.... )  

To begin, Edison was a lier and a cheat, refusing to pay Tesla on design work Tesla had done for Edison.
Next, he refused to admit that long transmission of Direct Current was not only impractical, but virtually impossible, leading to the mudslinging DC vs AC wars. Third, Despite claiming to be against capital punishment, he got involved in experimenting and demonstrating electrocutions apparently to discredit Tesla and Westinghouse and their AC current system. Edison systematically paid neighborhood ragamuffins to bring him "stray" dogs that he used in electrocution experiments.

Edison later participated in the killing of an elephant named Topsy, providing technicians, power lines, and other equipment, and filmed the murder as well. The Edison company later used the footage to try to demonstrate how dangerous AC was.

Edison used numerous underhanded tactics to promote his Direct Current with business and govt leaders, including further lies and slander and bribery. He seemed to think that the era of Corporate Robber Barons was going to continue and he wanted desperately to be one, no matter what the cost in money or destruction of other people.

Edison was also an unapologetic sympathizer and collaborator and doing business with the German Nazi Party right up until war was declared (he and Henry Ford hosted many meetings with German Industrialists and senior Nazi Party members, often at one of Ford's country properties).

The elephant incident led me down the path of Edison's many failings , and his hatred of and war with Tesla and Westinghouse.

I knew about the early AC-DC war(s) and him not paying Tesla.
Didn't know about the dogs.
Did know about the elephant.
Didn't know about the slander, bribes, etc.
Did know that he was a Nazi sympathizer but not about the parties at the Ford place...also didn't know Ford was one.

Thanks for the clarifications.

[J. Wilhelm]

OK...why do you hate Edison?  (This I'm dying to know.... )  

To begin, Edison was a lier and a cheat, refusing to pay Tesla on design work Tesla had done for Edison.
Next, he refused to admit that long transmission of Direct Current was not only impractical, but virtually impossible, leading to the mudslinging DC vs AC wars. Third, Despite claiming to be against capital punishment, he got involved in experimenting and demonstrating electrocutions apparently to discredit Tesla and Westinghouse and their AC current system. Edison systematically paid neighborhood ragamuffins to bring him "stray" dogs that he used in electrocution experiments.

Edison later participated in the killing of an elephant named Topsy, providing technicians, power lines, and other equipment, and filmed the murder as well. The Edison company later used the footage to try to demonstrate how dangerous AC was.

Edison used numerous underhanded tactics to promote his Direct Current with business and govt leaders, including further lies and slander and bribery. He seemed to think that the era of Corporate Robber Barons was going to continue and he wanted desperately to be one, no matter what the cost in money or destruction of other people.

Edison was also an unapologetic sympathizer and collaborator and doing business with the German Nazi Party right up until war was declared (he and Henry Ford hosted many meetings with German Industrialists and senior Nazi Party members, often at one of Ford's country properties).

The elephant incident led me down the path of Edison's many failings , and his hatred of and war with Tesla and Westinghouse.

I knew about the early AC-DC war(s) and him not paying Tesla.
Didn't know about the dogs.
Did know about the elephant.
Didn't know about the slander, bribes, etc.
Did know that he was a Nazi sympathizer but not about the parties at the Ford place...also didn't know Ford was one.

Thanks for the clarifications.

But Tesla has become a bit of an idol too. Elevated to sainthood almost, particularly in the tin foil hat/conspiracy theory crowd. I agree. Edison was a horrible human being. He stood on the chests of others and pounded his chest like he did it all himself.

[Prof Marvel]

But Tesla has become a bit of an idol too. Elevated to sainthood almost, particularly in the tin foil hat/conspiracy theory crowd. I agree. Edison was a horrible human being. He stood on the chests of others and pounded his chest like he did it all himself.

Oh My, yes, Tesla was no saint or magician. I detest the Tesla fanboys as much as I detest the followers of St Steve the Job ( aka the asshat who got everyone else to do his work).

I LOVE the image "He stood on the chests of others" !!!!

yhs
prof grumble guy, who hates fanboys.

ps: I recently discovered some of the failings of Theodore Roosevelt, to my dismay.  Damn these humans with failings!
      next soemone will find out that Mother Theresa took bribes or something....

[Synistor 303]

But Tesla has become a bit of an idol too. Elevated to sainthood almost, particularly in the tin foil hat/conspiracy theory crowd. I agree. Edison was a horrible human being. He stood on the chests of others and pounded his chest like he did it all himself.

Oh My, yes, Tesla was no saint or magician. I detest the Tesla fanboys as much as I detest the followers of St Steve the Job ( aka the asshat who got everyone else to do his work).

I LOVE the image "He stood on the chests of others" !!!!

yhs
prof grumble guy, who hates fanboys.

ps: I recently discovered some of the failings of Theodore Roosevelt, to my dismay.  Damn these humans with failings!
      next soemone will find out that Mother Theresa took bribes or something....

Mother Theresa didn't take bribes per se, but she did do a LOT of questionable things... She was a very strict Catholic and if you wanted help from her you had to abide by her very strict Catholic rules in a predominantly Hindu country. She would refuse to treat any woman she knew to have used birth control or who had their tubes tied, but fawned over Princess Di who obviously did use birth control. All my strict Catholic Aunts thought she was a huge hypocrite. She also was known to use a stick to whack the nuns who worked for her.