TRAFFIC STOPPER Tiny homes may be all the rage for budget- conscious house hunters these days. But none has as engaging a history as the diminutive Alexandria Spite House in Virginia. A Historic Tiny Home Built on Spite
in so tightly that its neighbors’ exterior walls serve as its interior. Its 25-by-7-foot area is spread over two floors, producing a total floor space of 325 square feet. The little home is comfy enough that one couple lived there for 25 years. Its most recent owner bought it in 1990 for $130,000 and used it occasionally. The Spite House at 523 Queen St. is Alexandria’s best-known tiny home, but it isn’t the only one. Three other tiny houses, all 1–3 feet wider, were also built in alleys during the 19th century. This may seem like a cheap way to build since all that is needed is a roof and rear and front walls. Nevertheless, based on the latest available sales data from 2014, one of these alley houses sold for a cool $424,000!
Brickmaker John Hollensbury built this 7-foot- wide rowhouse nearly 200 years ago — not to live in, but to fill up the alley next to his splendid two-story brick home in what is now the Old Town district of Alexandria. Hollensbury was bothered by horse-drawn carriages trying to squeeze through the alley, scraping against the brick walls of his and his neighbor’s houses, and loiterers gathering in the area. Hollensbury decided to close the alley forever by building a house in it — not to create living space, but to block the alley — thus its name, the Spite House. The little dwelling is squeezed
A Risky Bet Kids like to challenge each other to balance on one foot playing hopscotch, or to walk heel-to-toe on a balance beam without falling. IS A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST A GAMBLE YOU SHOULD TAKE?
A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t had anything to drink for more than 24 hours, and if you are confident you will do well, take the test. But if you think you might fail, refuse. Even if you take the test and fail, a skilled, experienced DUI lawyer may be able to get the results thrown out. Perhaps the officer made procedural errors or has a history of administering the test poorly. Perhaps you were asked to perform on uneven ground or cracked pavement. Or perhaps other circumstances prevented you from passing, such as fatigue, age, or anxiety.
Could you pull off those physical feats? What if a police officer was watching you intently after a traffic stop, considering whether to charge you with DUI? Both skills — balancing on one foot for 30 seconds and walking a straight line heel-to-toe — are part of a field sobriety test, a procedure developed by federal officials in 1981 to help police officers assess whether a driver is drunk. A third part of the test, the horizontal gaze nystagmus, measures involuntary jerking of the eye caused by alcohol, and requires the suspect to watch the officer’s finger as it moves from side to side. The information gathered in a field sobriety test can be used as evidence against you. But unlike Breathalyzer tests, drivers are not legally required in New Jersey to take it when asked. For a driver, therein lies a risky gamble: If you take the test and do poorly, the results can be used against you. But if you take the test and do well, the officer might decide not to cite you for DUI.
If you are facing a DUI charge, we will be happy to investigate all those questions and more to help you mount the strongest possible defense. Call or email us today!
2 | StevenEllmanLaw.com
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