# City puts the kabosh on yard haunt



## Sblanck (Sep 13, 2007)

puts the kabosh on yard hauntThe city of Fort Worth says code violations make a neighborhood's haunted house just too scary.

According to the city, the Domm family's haunted house on Wilkie Way is too big and is a hazard to the public.

"I'm not the grinch that stole Halloween here," said Brandon Bennett, of Fort Worth Code Compliance. "It's one of those things that you always have to concern yourself with -- particularly with children -- is their safety."

He said the city received a complaint about the haunted house this year. The structure violates fire, safety and other ordinances, the city said.

Cowtown Says Spook House Not Up to Code 

Hundreds of children pass through Jason and Donna Domm's homemade haunted house, a 12-year West Fort Worth tradition, every year.

"It keeps me young," Jason Domm said. "It keeps the child in me alive."

Domm has built theater sets for 30 years. This year's multiroom haunted house was planned to be the biggest and best yet.

"It is wonderful, and it's a neighborhood project," neighbor Pat Duncan said.

But Bennett said the haunted house is not up to code. He said the Domms should "see if they can find an architect or an engineer that could kind of put their stamp of approval on it, saying that it was structurally sound, no known collapse hazards, fire hazards, escape hazards."

Yolanda DuClos, a neighbor, said the city should give the haunted house a chance.

"It's all for the kids," she said. "I think they need to take that into consideration, and I'm a rule-follower, but look into it, check it. It's safe."

The Domms received a letter from the city Thursday that said the structure has to be either torn down or brought up to code by Tuesday or the couple will face a fine of several thousand dollars per day.

Earlier in the day, the couple said they thought they would be forced to take it down and may start tearing it down as soon as Friday.

"The hurt is pretty deep, and the excitement is gone out of my husband's eyes over it, so there won't be a next year," Donna Domm said. "This may be it for awhile."

Kids in the neighborhood said they had been looking forward to this year's haunted house.

"I thought it was going to be real cool, because I've been here a couple of years before, and it was pretty cool and stuff, so I was, like, really psyched about it," Mario Galaviz said.

The Domms bought 800 bags of candy to hand out to the children who visited their haunted house.

"The kids come by looking for it, and I don't know what we are going to do when it's not here," Donna Domm said. "They'll get their candy, but it won't be the same."


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

That just SUCKS!! I mean how many of us are even close to be "up to code" I understand being safe. But hell i got a letter from the city because we altered the exterior structure of our building without a permit and all i did was enclose the front porch in stryofoam. More than likely some neighbor complained in order to get the city out there cuz its not like Ft. Worth is small. Thats what happened with me, of course my neighbor was a member of the city council so he got action right away. What a shame for all of those kids and Im truely sorry for the Domm family. I think I might move if I was told I couldnt put up my display because some jerk might get hurt by leaning or standing on it.


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## Sananeko (Oct 17, 2009)

This is just crap... I understand that the kids need to be safe.. but they been at it for years.. I think they would know if its safe for kids (I mean they have to walk thru it more than once), cause they wouldn't let that happen. Some just don't understand halloween.


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## madmomma (Jul 1, 2009)

I wish the Domm's knew an architect who could quickly okay the structure to pacify the City Council. Hope the jerk who made the complaint gets his "due" on Halloween! So much time, effort and money goes into these haunts mainly for the CHILDREN. Who would want to deny children the right to have some good, clean fun rather than looking for trouble.


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## Dixie (Feb 18, 2009)

That really saddens me... especially coming out of Ft Worth... I wish we had more information re: the haunt, to know if the concerns were well founded. But none the less, it is really sad to hear all that work for naught.


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## The Bloodshed Brothers (Jan 25, 2009)

im all bummed out now too

my sister told me there was a lady driving by taking pictures yesterday and the first thing i though of was shes from the city and we will have to tear down before halloween..

im so sorry to hear that! your in my thoughts


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

"We received a complaint about it..."
Yeah no doubt.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

mactavishmanor - Please give credit to the web site you quoted from and provide a link.


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## Ysengrin (Feb 23, 2009)

Link to the story (with video): NBC DFW


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## remylass (Sep 18, 2008)

That's so sad. I got all misty eyed when the wife's voice started shaking at the end.


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## Aquayne (Sep 1, 2008)

Listen folks. I understand the emotions about this haunt, but I live in a part of WV with no building codes. We burried a family of 5 this summer because they did all the rewiring themselves on their home. Good intentions still burn as fast as bad. We have to be safe. If anyone got hurt at my haunt I would be very upset.


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## Creeper (Nov 7, 2008)

Seems like it's inevitable that if you get big enough, someone will complain because of the attention you're getting or the inconvenience of crowds descending on the neighborhood. Maybe the city will just decide they'd like you to pay for a permit. This is my 3rd year of putting on a haunt and this year will be bigger than ever and though I think I've got the approval from all the neighbors, I guess I wouldn't know until it's already a problem.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

_If anyone got hurt at my haunt I would be very upset._

I'm sure the Domms would too. He might not be an architect but he is a set designer, with tons of experience. Surely his haunt ought to be as safe as any home haunt. Is there any home haunter, I wonder, who requests approval from engineers and fire inspectors for their haunt?

Sounds like they only got one complaint; and who says the complainer is qualified to determine what is safe and what isn't? One busybody complained, and the city pussed out, bet you $5.


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## landrvr1 (Sep 25, 2005)

meh. Zero sympathy here. None.

I do a fairly elaborate haunt every year, but I've never understood the need to have some sort of 'walk thru' experience. If that's someone's thing, than they are flat out retarded to think they can get away with something like that in this day and age without city approval/permits/blah blah blah. That's just a reality of today's over legislated, over regulated USofA. To ignore it, get slapped by the officials, then act all butt-hurt is sillyness. This isn't 1956.

Every 'professional' haunt around here has a permit, and you can damn well bet they've got insurance as well. Good Lord. Even if you were going to wing it and not get approval, to go without insurance - in the Age of Lawsuits - is stupid. One minute you're the coolest Haunted House creator in the state, the next minute you've lost your home, life savings, and future income because some old lady got a scratch on the forehead. When that happens, let's hope it was all worth it.

This has nothing to do with how talented the creator was, or whether or not he's designed sets or built the world's tallest building. It's about doing things the right way the first time so that all your hard work doesn't go to waste.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

It has everything to do with that. It is not a professional haunt; it's a home haunt, done by a professional. If you take any game to the next level, or exceed your local competitors, or take it into a new direction, the voice of opposition is inevitable. 

Out of 12 years, this was the first complaint. One suspects the haunt grew and became more elaborate over time, and maybe he should have expected this at some point, it is not the same as adding onto your house and ignoring building statutes. If that is the case then to say he is flat out retarded or should have done it right the first time is too narrow a view.


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## dasjman (Sep 10, 2008)

*Sad day for a local haunter*

Not my haunt, but not far from me.

http://www.nbcdfw.com/around-town/e...ouse-is-Nightmare-on-Wilkie-Way-65697522.html


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## dasjman (Sep 10, 2008)

OOps, someone beat me to it!


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Were there no builders/architects in the neighborhood willing to give it a once-over to pacify the city? It looks like a sound build, they just needed a pro to say so. Even if they needed to make a few adjustments, it would likely have been worth it. Such a sad story. I feel for the family and the neighborhood kids. Bummer.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Well anyway their deadline was three days ago -- anybody know what happened?


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## Sblanck (Sep 13, 2007)

deadline no clue the story was just online today
When I did my walk through haunt I would call the city and have the fire chief come out (small town) He thought it was great for the kids.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

I read this a little while ago and got to thinking...if it were a Christmas display, what would the reaction be? If you say a structure can't be built....what about a manger scene? Isn't that a structure?

Obviously...I'm going a bit extreme. I happen to agree with the city on this issue. If your walk-through grows to the point where you have built a large building on the site....then it should be verified to be structurally sound. It is, afterall, about the kids and their safety. Fort Worth isn't telling them they can't decorate or create a yard haunt. They have said, you can't build a haunted house in your front yard without proper inspection.

I'm sure if they took down the building, put up a fence, set out their coffins, props, and even a FCG mausoleum, the city wouldn't protest.


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## Dr Morbius (Sep 21, 2004)

Here's another haunt that got shut down.

http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/64682097.html

Video link

http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/64682097.html?video=YHI&t=a


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

Here is the e-mail of the little prick that shut them down:

[email protected]

Flood this jackasses e-mail box and tell him we won't stand for this BS!!


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

I was wondering when/if someone was going to do that!

But they say written letters still have more impact than email, in cases such as these. Got any idea what his working address might be?


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Also, where is the line drawn? When does a few walls become a structure? When you add a ceiling? Number of square feet? Or just two boards nailed together? I saw a few walls in that video but no ceilings...not saying they don't have any, I'm just saying...when does a display become a haunted house? Can they shut down a walk-through trail with no walls?


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

I'm all for snail mail too, but enjoy the thought of hate mail flooding this little pricks inbox as fast as he can delete it.


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## Creeper (Nov 7, 2008)

I run a walk-through haunt through an existing structure with plastic sheeting for walls. No admission - it's a Halloween party and covered by homeowners.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

Can you get around this by calling it "Interactive Art" and therby protected under a free speech type thing? really.


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

Here ya go! Give him a call and wish him a happy Halloween!


Brandon Bennett
Director, Code Compliance
1000 Throckmorton Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(G) (817) 392-6322


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## Don of the Dead (Aug 17, 2005)

If any of you want to wish The Halloween Grinch Mr. Bennett a "Happy Halloween" feel free to do so.
Flood his e-mail, call his phone, send him mail, let him know Halloween fans will not be pushed around.

Brandon Bennett
Director, Code Compliance
1000 Throckmorton Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
(G) (817) 392-6322
[email protected]


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Sent him a lovely Halloween greeting, now I feel all warm and fuzzy!


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

I'm sure lots of haunts are ignored by the local authorities, but if a complaint is made they have to check it out. It would be nice for them to try to work with the haunt owner to be within local codes, but they can't ignore violations during an inspection. The inspectors are between a rock and a hard place. If they ignore code violations and someone gets hurt they'd be blamed. If they write up or close the haunt, they're the bad guy.


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## SilentScream (Oct 13, 2009)

I completely understand the frustration and sadness of the homeowners involved, I would be devastated....

But, at the same time, is it really appropriate to post all the inspector's personal information in some mean-spirited attempt at retaliation?? The man has a responsibility to uphold the rules and regulations established by the city for which he is employed, so don't shoot the messenger. The community here is too polite for misguided attempts at internet vigilantism.


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## RandalB (Jun 8, 2009)

I for one will not be sending any code compliance people nastygrams. While I appreciate the amount of dedication and work that goes into these large elaborate walk-thru haunts, I agree that they should comply with fire codes. What's the difference between a store front haunted house and a 1200 square foot walkthrough built out of plastic and 2x4's on the front lawn?

If these folks took the time out to check the local fire codes and work with the local FD and Code compliance people they could have their cake and eat it too. I know, I designed, built, and ran an 1100 square foot "Haunted Gym" at the local elementary school over the weekend. We built it out of the same poly plastic as that one guy is using on his lawn, masonry string and duct tape. All we had to do is comply with the specific "Haunted House" regulations and have it inspected prior to operation. The local code compliance/Fire department was very cooperative and met with me several times during the planning stages, pointing out areas that would have been difficult or in violation (no fog machines due to ionization type smoke detectors for example). End Result: No fire code violations, An Approved Special Use/Temporary structure permit and over 2000 guests with no problems. 

I'd much rather read about someone's inability to have a walkthrough than a dozen kids going up in smoke. Especially when they could have had their haunted house if they had contacted their local code folks prior to the build. 

Sorry for the rant and I do sympathize with the work and effort that goes into this type of attraction, but it is on the same scale as an attraction.

RandalB


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

While my heart goes out to these people for not being able to have their haunt, I think it is quite childish to plot to flood the City Code Enforcer's email with angry messages, or flood his snail mail address with nastygrams. The man has a job to do, and probably doesn't like doing it at times, but you do what you must to support your family. Like everyone has said, he could have contacted the local fire department and they would have inspected it for him. Then, he fixes the problems they find, the re-inspect, and boom, his haunt is running again.


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## arcuhtek (Oct 5, 2007)

As an Architect, I will chime in on a few things on this subject:

1. I would think it might be difficult or impossible to find an Architect or Engineer to sign off on a home made haunted house. Sure, you could, but just taking a peek at electrical stuff (the most dangerous component of all) is quite a task. It is not like looking at a wood beam to determine if it is rotten. If i were to be called in to so this, I would have to get the specifications for EVERY electrical device putting a load onto the main panel(s) then do the math to find the loads (and risk) That could take a while. Yes, yes I know....that tall work order is all because of codes and regulations (and lawsuits and liability). But the truth is....safety DOES need to come first. Did he make a home made prop....OH....big no no when it comes to commercial stuff. United Labortories (UL) must approve EVERY electrical component in a commercial building. So an Architect or Engineer who signed off on this house, which surely has home made props (using electricity) would be a lawsuit waiting to happen if an accident occurred. Yes I know the house is not a commercialy structure, but when you are looking at liability for electrical stuff, you have to look to UL for safety.

2. There is a huge difference between a home haunt and a professional (lets call it commercial) haunt. First, the sheer quantity of people going through a commercial haunt poses a much larger risk. Sure, one life is too many to lose, but one has to take into consideration just how many people are expected to tour the Domme house. Then you look at the pathways, ability to turn lights on if an emergency DOES happen (so people ca see to get out). Commercial structures (in general) require emergency power back up systems to light egress pathways during emergency. Especially where "assemblies" are expected (meaning large crowds). It is ridiculous to expect a residence to comply with such sophistication. So, if I were the City, I would (concerning head count only) give them a maximum number of people who coudl be inside at one time. That would reduce the risk greatly. How you patrol that is another thing.

3. Someone asked about the difference between a storefront haunt and yard haunt. Well, for me this is where I see the threshold. If your haunt is a yard haunt, the risk of you getting hurt is VERY low. IF something does happen, emergency workers can get to you quickly, etc. My haunt is a yard only haunt and i can tell you I stretch the boundaries of my electrical panels each year, but I have never had so much as a breaker trip. The Dommes should save the season by doing something outside...being in a structure makes ALL the difference. If nothing else, during a fire, you cannot get oxygen and there is lots of fuel around you to burn. Outside....not as big of a deal.

4. As a general citizen, I have to say I think to patrol this house is a little silly (in the scope of things). I think it is okay to ask them to come get a permit or do not open. But to make the news and do penalties, drama, drama...sheesh.

I would love to help them out and I could be registered in Texas in 10 days....but that is too late.


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