Definition of "Single Family"

Dave,

Of course these kids are his adopted grandchildren. I'd call the town or you fire department; give them the number of bedrooms and approximate size of each bedroom and ask what the maximum occupancy is?

In this case, the ‘single family occupancy’ restriction may not even apply, since these kids are only ‘guests’, right? But the maximum occupancy does apply.

Otherwise, the term ‘single family occupancy’ has caused a lot of bad blood. A number of court cases on this issue were filed. In one case, a unit was occupied by a group of students and the Association lost. The judge ruled that the single family was too ambiguous and since the students shared all expenses they lived like a single family. Or something to that effect. We are faced with a similar problem and need to define 'the single family occupancy’ in our covenants more accurately as well.

What would Octomom say in this case, 14 kids and a mom, but still, a single family!

Can you enforce what?

That a single-family premises not be used as a boarding house?

It's not yours to enforce.

It's the local zoning board's responsibility.

The home that was built is in compliance. That's all the docs address. That the home that is built is a single-family residence.

If someone's loading it up, it's the zoning board's jurisdiction, not yours.

I would thing that's a slippery slope there with dictating occupancy per bedroom.

living as one housekeeping unit using one kitchen,
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I do not wish to argue the ‘one kitchen provision’. Many of my friends have two kitchens in their homes. In fact in my previous house I installed a second kitchen on the lower level and cooked there when we entertained a larger group of people.
So, having two kitchens in my house would disqualify me and my husband as being a single family? May be I am missing something?

Mary,

not sure about the Polish tradition but let me say that I’d rather have people contained in an informal family room than running all over the house and cleaning that. But I know what you mean. Also, many family homes are advertised with so called ‘mother-in-law-suite.’ That usually implies a room with a kitchen in a single family home. Does such home qualify as a single family residence?

NO, it is no longer a single family residence .... and probably no CofO either.

Unless you got a building permit and installed the second kitchen in a code compliant fashion it is probably a MAJOR violation and may even void your C of O.

Kitchens are EXTREMELY dificult to add to an existing structure as they require safety and framing issues re: ventilation, egress, fireproofing, location, utilities, plumbing, lighting, smoke detection, etc, etc, etc............................

The second kitchen does not disqualify you and you husband from being a 'single family' it merely disqualifies you structure from being a single family home.

Why don't you notify the building dept. and your insurance co. of the existance of the second kitchen???!!!......................................

John,
I no longer live in that house but yes we got all the permits and the kitchen was installed by a licensed contractor. It was a small kitchen to serve a specific purpose. I have read the following and I quote:
‘ 2 kitchens are pretty common on the east coast. Jews who keep Kosher will often have a dairy kitchen and a meat kitchen. don't think you'll find anywhere in the Code that prohibits it..’
But, again, some states – or cities - may prohibit two kitchens. I simply don’t know.

Yes, you are missing something.

Certificate of Occupancy (signed off/approved building permit stating structure is minimally safe for human occupancy)

http://ecodes.citation.com/cgi-exe/cpage.dll?pg=x&rp=/nonindx/ST/fl/st/b400v07/index.htm&sid=2009060710020028268&aph=0&cid=iccf&ref=/nonindx/ST/fl/index.htm&uid=icsc0418&clrA=005596&clrV=005596&clrX=005596&aph=0&qy=joint+reinforcement&hlc=FFFF00&srchm=1

I hope this works... if not, here is part of the main page:

http://www.floridabuilding.org/BCISOld/bc/default.asp

I was reviewing occupancy and definitions of single family residence a while back, I had only gotten square footage definitions, but the building code was the only thing to mention a number of people.

Kevin,

thanks. I will chek with the town and the fire dept next week as well.

Michelle,

I guess these defintions are regulated by counties in Kentucky not a state? Well here is one interesting definition and the link as well. I did not look if adopted or not..

http://www.bgky.org/releases_detail.php?id=1080

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Bowling Green, KY-- While the Planning Commission approved more than eighty text amendments to the Warren County Zoning Ordinance at its regular meeting last night, an amendment redefining the word “family” was not among them. Four options were presented as alternatives to the current language, but ultimately, the Planning Commission opted to leave the definition untouched.

The ordinance defines “family” as follows:
“a person living alone, or any of the following groups living together as a single non-profit housekeeping unit sharing common living, sleeping, cooking and eating facilities:

a. any number of people related by blood, marriage, adoption, guardianship or other duly-authorized custodial relationship;

b. two unrelated people;

c. two unrelated people and any children related to either of them;

d. not more than eight people living in a residential care facility.”

On short notice, residents from four different neighborhoods attended the meeting to inquire about the proposed changes and offer testimony.

The current language specifying no more than two unrelated people was originally included at the urging of Cedar Ridge Area Neighborhood Association and other neighborhoods experiencing loud parties, noise and parking problems they attribute to conversion of single family residences to rental property for college students and other communal living type arrangements.

That's my point, exactly, Eva.

The zoning jurisdiction is about as local as it gets.

So each zoning district will be able to tell you what a single-family residence is.

The point is that it's about the DWELLING more than it is about the value-laden relationship between the individuals who live there.