Ask Me Help Desk - Yavapai Co AZ road maintenance responsibility

Long after we bought an acreage and had a manufactured home moved onto it we were told by the Board of Supervisor's Yavapai Co, AZ they do not maintain all of the roads in the county. They may own the road but unless it was built to their specifications they will not accept it for maintenance. They also told us the property owns in the are would need to form a road maintenance organization and fund it to maintain the road which is in such bad condition in one location everyone drives off the road to avoid the mud and holes due to run off at the low spot. Is there anything that could be done to force any county or state body to fix and maintain the road? All that is needed is a culvert system put in but no one wants to take charge or get involved. We listed our place for sale 4 years ago and so far no takers. One concern is that water has to hauled out to the houses from town and the delivery people threaten to stop once the road reaches a point leaving the residents out there without a means to get water. Thanks

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Is there anything that could be done to force any county or state body to fix and maintain the road?

Seems that they gave you two possible options:

re-build it to their specifications; or
form the road maintenance organization they suggested
.

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Originally Posted by AK lawyer

Seems that they gave you two possible options:

re-build it to their specifications; or
form the road maintenance organization they suggested
.

If you had bought an empty lot and discovered it had no house on it, would you then seek a way to force the government to build a house for you? If so, I bet I can guess who you voted for.

Thanks but after contacting a recreation group with a membership and contacts concerning the formation of an organization that doesn't seem likely to happen. Too many people that want to be left alone or don't care. Not the most social people. Re-building that section of road is possible but I'd have to accept the full cost estimated to be $20,000 if a contractor was hired. We bought the 3.66 acres first and a year later the manufactured home and five years after that found out the county and the developer weren't legally responsible for the maintenance. My question is what kind of government allows this, OH, it's one that's somehow on the take. I even contacted Senator John McCain's office about how to file for a grant and never got a response. I'm sure his road is taken care of. I just would like to get a system of culverts put in and the road bed raised about the surrounding land.

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... My question is what kind of government allows this, OH, it's one that's somehow on the take. I even contacted Senator John McCain's office about how to file for a grant and never got a response...

A government that doesn't have as it's prime objective the redistribution of wealth?

Why, as a Federal taxpayer, should I pay for a grant to give you, and you alone, an improved road to your double-wide? And where exactly in the Constitution does it say that Congress can spend money to build your road?

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Originally Posted by AK lawyer

A government that doesn't have as it's prime objective the redistribution of wealth?

Why, as a Federal taxpayer, should I pay for a grant to give you, and you alone, an improved road to your double-wide? And where exactly in the Constitution does it say that Congress can spend money to build your road?

That would be because I pay income tax, property tax, sales tax, gas tax, and I'm sure a bunch of taxes I'm not aware of. So if I shouldn't get some of my years of paying all those taxes back along with the other 150+ households who live out there who paid all those taxes then who? Every third world dictator or government we the people support or bridge to no where. If our government isn't willing to support and take care of the needs of we the people then who I ask... I'm not sure there is a provision in the Constitution you mentioned that even allows the collection of taxes not that it matters. My goal is the my and the other 150+ households pursuit of happiness which includes not having to drive on a road that will take out a tire a trip along with struts and at some point stopping the delivery of water which is a basic need to survive.

Could you compose a list of homeowners for whom this water delivery is vital? Are there enough of them to form a landowners association and, with the dues, make some improvements, or even have an assessment? I own land near Kingman, and this is what we did.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

Could you compose a list of homeowners for whom this water delivery is vital? Are there enough of them to form a landowners association and, with the dues, make some improvements, or even have an assessment? I own land near Kingman, and this is what we did.

That was my initial thought but this is our vacation place and we don't know any of the other residents. I did contact the Recreation Committee thinking since they are an organization with members they could set up and run an association but they didn't want any part of it. It's really the best way to deal with it. We live in IA most of the year and that year away from AZ is getting longer and longer which is in part why we've listed our place out there. Oh, everyone out there either has water delivered or hauls their own but either way that heavy water truck or trailer travels the one way in and one way out. It seems ridiculous to me that no one is interested in putting this together because it benefits everyone. Putting together a list of people that live out there is possible but would take considerable time using county mapping online but the result would be the same, no one is interested - except me it seems. I guess lots of people out there like driving on crappy dirt roads that ruin your truck or car. Me, I prefer something a lot smoother which is what the road was when we bought out there.