How the HARC hearing went

Pietro Perugino, St. Sebastian, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Then again, I don't think Sebastiano had a lawyer.

I hate to engage in that sort of thing -- in my entire life, I have never been in court, for anything at any time, except as the subject of a case when my parents adopted me -- but within moments of the end of the hearing, I called the local lawyer with the best batting average for HARC appeals. After all, the commissioners had encouraged me to pursue my case. So we'll take our plea before the Special Master -- a magistrate who handles HARC appeals and zoning disputes.

I asked our architect, Dennis, to estimate the cost of replacing the seven windows in question. I doubled the figure he gave me, and that's my tentative budget for that hearing, as well as an appeal to the Board of Adjustment or the Circuit Court, if they're needed. I might as well use up my lifetime litigation budget all at once.

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Here's a question: FEMA, the State of Florida, Monroe County and my insurers all tell me I need to armor my homestead against hurricanes. What role do non-storm-safe wooden windows take in that?