''We Are Called To Be Architects Of The Future, Not It's Victims''- Buckminster Fuller
The Battle With ICC Looks Daunting But Together We Can Change The Destiny Of The Direction That ICC Is Heading With The Small Residential Unit Takeover Of Tiny Houses.
The power is in our hands- but we must raise awareness and get the word out. Please continue to sign and share the petition.
A consensus standard requires that significant agreement has been reached by parties directly and materially affected by the standard.
We still have time to turn the standard around but the tiny house industry has to wake up and take control of the wheels- literally - to avoid the Small Residential Unit takeover to squeeze out small artisan tiny house builders.
The International Code Council ( ICC) is not developing the ICC 1215 standard in an open consensus process as required by ANSI and federal laws and they have not had a firewall between their identity as a standard developer, the standards they develop and will profit from, and the profitable services from their subsidiaries.
ICC is exercising their dominant authority, superior strength, and are leveraging the direction of the standard toward their own benefit and agenda with the complete support of the ‘Vote Stacked’ committee that are complicit in the plan that was discussed behind closed doors, including THIA trade association meetings with competitors that created the strategy with ICC of the Small Residential Unit.
The Small Residential Unit Is The Agenda Of ICC And THIA
The Small Residential Unit ( SRU) is the agenda of both ICC and THIA and ICC is taking advantage of their position as a standard developer to create and maintain a monopoly on the tiny house market, compounded with the strategic move of placing tiny houses, an IRC codified term, as a subcategory under a non enforceable made up term called the Small Residential Unit.
Adding the Small Residential Unit to the title and scope, after the occurrence of 20 meetings, is a back tracking move to be in compliance with ANSI, which is too late, because the noncompliance is well documented.
Definition Of Small Residential Unit ( SRU)
SMALL RESIDENTIAL UNIT (SRU). A dwelling that is 1200 square feet (111 m2) or less excluding lofts and is constructed as a permanent residential structure with or without a permanent chassis.
Justifications For Use Of Small Residential Unit In OSMTH 1215 Given By The Stacked Committee
Note: Vote stacking, in the context of a standards committee, typically refers
to the act of manipulating the voting process or membership to favor a particular outcome or interest group. It involves tactics used by a specific party or group to influence the decision-making process within the committee, often to gain a competitive advantage or push through a particular standard. This can raise antitrust concerns if it distorts the standards development process and hinders competition.
- The tiny house term is inflammatory.
- The tiny house term has a stigma.
- It is better not to use the term tiny house because building officials associate them as recreational vehicles.
- They have mentioned that they want to be able to add 2 or 3 tiny houses on wheels together on the same lot.
Everything Is Deferred To David Tompos Sr.
David Tompos Sr. has misled the committee to justify the use of the term Small Residential Unit. He is the VP of sales for ICCNTA, a for profit subsidiary of ICC, he is a voting committee member of OSMTH 1215 and was on the board of the Tiny Home Industry Association ( THIA) for almost five years and has had undue influence in the standard development. ICC and THIA are co-branding OSMTH 1215 together after they jointly fought the approval of an ASTM Tiny House committee.
ICCNTA’s services include, testing, inspection, and certification for building product manufacturers, services for off-site construction that include design review, and evaluation of modular and panelized systems for code compliance, and HUD services that include plan review and inspection services.
Tiny Homes Were First Excluded, Included, And Then Deleted From ICC/MBI 1200 and 1205 Standards
Later With The Notion That Tiny Homes Were 'Inclusive' Without Mentioning Them.
Note: Not Mentioning Tiny Homes In A Standard Will Really Fly Open The Doors For Tiny Homes -NOT- Do You Have Whip Lash Yet?
When ICC/MBI 1200 and 1205 were developed, David Tompos Sr. was the chair of the committee and he made the decision ( MISTAKE) along with the committee to present the proposal to the 2024 IBC hearing in 2021 and has misled this committee to believe that the disapproval was because of tiny house terms when in actuality, it was proposed to the IBC, instead of the IRC as one reason, along with other multiple reasons that had nothing to do with tiny houses.
The IBC code applies to all buildings ( including commercial) EXCEPT detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses up to three stories.
The IRC code applies to single and two-family dwellings and townhouses using prescriptive provisions.
Appendix AQ Tiny Houses ( 2021 IRC) And Appendix BB Tiny House ( 2024 IRC) applies to tiny houses used as single family houses.
Because everyone refers everything to David Tompos Sr., the committee has EXPANDED the myth that the tiny house terms were responsible for the disapproval of the ICC/MBI 1200 and 1205 and is the reason they feel the committee MUST use the term small residential unit( SRU). It is a complete fabrication - an agenda of David himself.
No one stated at the G102-1 hearing that they thought tiny houses were RVs- but is what David Tompos Sr. has continued to say.
Back Story: Tiny House Terms Deleted From ICC Standards
The Small Residential Unit Will Throw The Industry Into More Chaos
What is disturbing is Instead of the OSMTH 1215 committee focusing on the misconceptions surrounding tiny houses, and taking this opportunity to clear up the misconceptions, they are choosing to throw the tiny house industry into more chaos, which will add more to the misconceptions with the complete takeover of the tiny house standard with the Small Residential Unit.
Please Continue To Sign And Share This Petition. Thank You In Advance.
Janet Thome President
Tiny House Alliance USA
Petition