The clock is ticking for Harvey Blight to remove two large sheds in front of his home near Menlo Park that officials say give the property a blighted look.

San Mateo County Deputy County Counsel Eugene Whitlock filed an abatement warrant Friday ordering Blight to get rid of the sheds he never received permission to build, in 30 days.

If he doesn't, the county would find someone to do the work and charge Blight for it, Whitlock said Monday, estimating that the cost could run up to $10,000.

Blight couldn't be reached for comment, but he left a voicemail message Tuesday night calling the county's move a "misuse of judicial power."

He also went on to say: "The people without money who suffer the most are people who don't cater to the situation or political circumstances that exist today. When you challenge them and challenge their employment because of their conduct, they'll do anything in their power to retaliate. Not different from Nazi Germany, as far as I'm concerned."

Workers recently were sent to inspect the ramshackle structures but didn't get a close look, Whitlock said. "Harvey kind of chased them off."

According to the abatement warrant, the county first approached Blight in 2005 following complaints that his front yard contained overgrown vegetation, inoperable vehicles and large sheds.

With Blight "kicking and screaming," county officials prodded him to cut the vegetation and remove the vehicles, which included a dilapidated ice cream truck. But Blight drew the line with the two sheds, which Whitlock said he presumed were filled with junk.

The county had enlisted the help of nonprofit Rebuilding Together Peninsula to help Blight clean up and repair the inside of his home.

"Over time, we've been working with Harvey to get those things cleaned up," Whitlock said. "The sheds are still an issue. He wasn't responding to the letters. He was yelling at people."

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San Mateo County orders property owner to remove two big sheds in his front yard

The Home Design and Remodeling Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Aug. 30 - Sept. 3, 2013
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The Home Design and Remodeling Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Aug. 30 - Sept. 3, 2013 - Video

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LITTLE REMODELING - Minecraft Co-Op Modded Survival (1.5.1) Part 27 : with Jake

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Branchburg, NJ (PRWEB) August 08, 2013

With its new state-of-the-art, 15,000-square-foot showroom in Branchburg, NJ, Somerville Aluminum is taking home remodeling and design to a new level with the addition of the kitchen and bath design team duo of Mary Jane Iksic and Elizabeth Loree, enabling the company to better serve the remodeling and design needs of all customers. The team of professional designers can assist with any size and style of project from concept to completion.

Elizabeth Loree joins the design team with over 25 years as a licensed interior designer. Having run her own design studio for quite a number of years, the many talents of Elizabeth include kitchen and bath design, interior design and even the design of outside living areas. She also specializes in custom design, matching any style, budget and dcor a homeowner may have. Elizabeth is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and is certified by the National Council of Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), requiring she complete over six years of specialized education and experience before passing a rigorous exam for certification.

I focus on the lifestyle of the customer when putting a design together, while ensuring convenience, function and the right selection of products, states Elizabeth Loree.

Also joining the family owned and operated central NJ remodeling company is Mary Jane Iksic. Mary Jane joins Somerville Aluminum with over 25 years as a kitchen and bath designer, most recently running her own design/remodeling company in Pittsburgh, PA. Having relocated to central NJ because her path in life brought her to Somerville Aluminum, the self-described perfectionist got bit by the saw-dust bug upon remodeling her first kitchen many years ago. The long-time National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) member spent many years as a kitchen and bath designer, has remodeled homes and was the lead designer at her firm for close to 15 years. Somerville Aluminum customers will be wowed with Mary Janes very creative and keen visual ability to put together a design plan that is both functional and stylish.

I was so very impressed with the solid vision and dedication David Gropper and Gary Shiman have for their company and customers. I knew I had to come to work for them, states Mary Jane Iksic.

Go with the pro: Somerville Aluminum is the areas largest full-service home remodeling company and has built a reputation for reliability, expertise and trust with core family values lacing through three generations of service to Central Jersey homeowners.

To learn more about the Somerville Aluminum Home Remodeling and Design Team, please visit http://www.somervillealuminum.com or call 908-725-8401.

Contact: Jodi Mayo Alessandri MG Media, LLC 856 US Hwy 206, Suite B11 Hillsborough, NJ 08844 908-874-9200 x111

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Somerville Aluminum Adds Two Kitchen and Bath Designers to Its Central New Jersey Home Remodeling Team

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) August 08, 2013

Remodeling and replacement project activity was stronger in the first half of 2013 than previously forecasted, based on the latest release of the Residential Remodeling Index (RRI) by Metrostudy, a Hanley Wood company. The seasonally adjusted second quarter national composite of the RRI registered a score of 89.1, which was a 1.6 percent improvement over the upwardly revised first quarter result of 87.6.

The increase quarter-to-quarter was the sixth solid consecutive increase after the industry experienced declines in 2011 and reached the bottom of declines since peaking in 2007. As housing fundamentals began turning the corner in 2012, remodeling and replacement began to increase but this year the gains are far more substantial due to improving underlying demand. Metrostudy is forecasting the market to continue to improve at a strong pace over the next several years.

The year started stronger than we previously estimated once we received a full set of remodeling permit data and could also factor in home sale activity, remarked Jonathan Smoke, Chief Economist of Hanley Wood. And with our first read of activity in the second quarter of this year, we are seeing improvements in the remodeling market that should lead to this year being the best year for growth since 2005.

Smoke added, The quarterly RRI index values and forecast as well as our annual project estimates reinforce where we are in the recovery, which is solidly in the second year of a multi-year expansion period. In addition to high levels of home sales, rising home prices, and strengthening consumer confidence, we are seeing the investor share of existing home sales decline, and thats a key part of the reason that remodeling activity is much higher this year than last year.

Metrostudy produces the RRI to provide the industry visibility into local market remodeling activity, forecasted future activity, and potential demand. According to the companys first quarter report, there are 364 out of 366 Metropolitan Statistical Areas with forecasted growth in project activity for 2013, with the average growth in activity in these recovering markets of 6%.

Metrostudy ranks the best markets for remodeling based on market health, level of activity, extent of recovery, and potential demand. The current top ten best markets for remodeling are Charlotte, Buffalo, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Austin, Raleigh, Pittsburgh, Rochester (NY), and Oklahoma City. The largest remodeling markets based on forecasted projects in 2013 are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia, Houston, Boston, San Francisco, and Atlanta.

About the Residential Remodeling Index The RRI is a quarterly measure of the level of remodeling activity in 366 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) in the U.S., with the national composite reflecting the national level of activity. Activity includes home improvement and replacement projects, but does not include maintenance or projects of less than $500. The seasonally adjusted index shows the relative level of activity in the geography specified (MSA or national composite) compared to 2007 (the baseline year). A number above 100 indicates a level of remodeling activity higher than the level of activity at the beginning of 2007, which was the peak of remodeling activity in the prior decade.

The index is produced through a statistical model that leverages detailed data on remodeling activity, including household level remodeling permits, and consumer-reported remodeling and replacement projects. Quarterly historical results for the national composite and for each of the 366 Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the U.S. are available back to 2004. In addition, Metrostudy also produces annual estimates of project counts and expenditures as well as forecasts of the quarterly RRI and annual projects and expenditures.

About Metrostudy Metrostudy, a Hanley Wood company, is the largest provider of comprehensive research and insight for the real estate industry. Builders, developers, banks, manufacturers, retailers and many other industries all rely on Metrostudy's data and analytics to support strategic business decisions at the local, regional and national market level. http://www.Metrostudy.com

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Metrostudy Releases Q2 2013 Residential Remodeling Index (RRI) -- Remodeling and Replacement Activity Up Significantly

Tim Rue/Bloomberg

A worker stacks cut glass at a manufacturing facility in Tacoma, Washington.

Economist Russell Price decided to get a head start on work hed been putting off for more than 10 years at his own house as he began to see an improvement in home-renovation data.

I thought things would be picking up, so I started the process of remodeling what I thought was early, said Price, senior economist at Ameriprise Financial Inc. (AMP) in Detroit.

In a telling sign hes not the only homeowner considering such projects, he said many of the contractors he contacted in April already were too busy to squeeze in additional work this year. Thats because more Americans are renovating their homes, and many are choosing to hire outside help instead of doing the projects themselves.

This is shaping up to be a strong year for home-improvement spending, according to Mike Englund, chief economist at Action Economics LLC in Boulder, Colorado. Seasonally-adjusted annualized expenditures totaled about $136 billion in June and have bounced back from a recent trough of almost $105 billion in November 2012, Englund said, citing his own calculations using Census Bureau data.

Forty-three percent of U.S. homeowners surveyed last month by the website RemodelOrMove.com said they will renovate their residences this year, up from 41 percent in February and a five-year average of 33 percent. Among respondents, 74 percent plan to hire a general contractor for some or all of the work, compared with 73 percent in the previous survey.

The results show that activity is broadening, but its still more heavily skewed to people who were less impacted by the recession, said Dan Fritschen, the founder of the site, who has been tracking industry data since 2005. Thats in part because consumers who hire contractors tend to be wealthier than their do-it-yourself peers, so as their home values improved, they were able to pull the trigger more quickly on remodeling projects.

The median price of an existing house rose 13.5 percent to $214,200 in June from a year earlier, the biggest year-over-year increase since 2005 and seventh consecutive month that property values advanced more than 10 percent, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.

A continued improvement in home prices will add valuable equity to homeowners for future remodeling projects, James Metcalf, chief executive officer of USG Corp. (USG), said on a July 25 conference call. The Chicago-based manufacturer and distributor of building materials is forecasting low single-digit growth in its repair and remodeling business for the rest of the year as the residential recovery is intact, he said.

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Remodeling Rebounds in U.S. With Contractors: EcoPulse

An Oxnard plumber was is accused of elder abuse and working without a valid contractors license in Santa Barbara County, officials said.

Albert Solano, 46, was arrested by Oxnard police on July 26 after an investigation by the Contractors State License Board, the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office and he Santa Barbara County District Attorneys Office.

Solano, who worked as a plumber, was apparently using the names of businesses that did not have a valid contractors license and used the name of a business that was not his, officials said. The Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office is investigating multiple cases involving Solano, three of them involving senior residents. Sheriffs detectives are concerned there may be more victims.

During the monthslong investigation into Solano, investigators discovered a case involving a 68-year-old Santa Barbara resident and received another case involving a couple in their 70s. In both instances, Solano allegedly did not give an estimate, overcharged customers for his work and threatened to place a lien on the property if customers did not pay, officials said.

Solano is affiliated with several companies including Dr. Drain Sewer Repair and other similar names, Cleaning, American One Plumbing, Rooter Dr. Inc. and AR Construction.

Anyone with information about Solano and the companies he represented can call the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Criminal Investigations Bureau at 681-4150.

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Oxnard plumber accused of working without valid license in Santa Barbara

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Pest Control: Overview of AzaMax and Gnatrol WDG - Video

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