WFAA-TV

Josh Weiss spent thousands of dollars to prove that his new house was in compliance with city regulations.

DALLAS – Josh Weiss admits he was warned.

"Everybody told me: 'Don't build in Dallas,'" he said with a chuckle while in his front yard Wednesday afternoon.

He didn't listen.

Weiss built a red and brown brick home that is 2,500 square feet and on a treed lot in Southwest Dallas.

The City of Dallas approved it every step of the way, until an inspector discovered a worrisome mistake.

Eight city planners told him his home had to be 10 feet off the property line, which it is. But once his home was complete, another inspector said his colleagues in the Building Inspections Department made a mistake. Weiss’ home had to be 30 feet off the property line, which it's not.

"They basically said from here on over I can tear that part of the house down or I can tear the whole house down,” Weiss said, showing where the house allegedly went afoul of regulations.

The imaginary line slices right through his study, part of his kitchen and a back stairwell.

Weiss was forced to either tear it down or pay to have his lot resurveyed. He chose the latter and spent more than $4,300 fixing the city's mistake.

What’s worse, he was dismayed to learn the city of Dallas will not reimburse him.

"I don't have landscape," he said. "I don't have a fence in the back.”

It was also a costly change.

"Four thousand dollars means a lot to a guy like me," Weiss said. "That's more than I make in a month."

At least one city council member believes its something the city should step up and fix.

"Although I very much believe in the professional nature of our city staff, I think this particular gentleman and his family got caught up,” said Dallas City Council member David Neumann. “I think the city needs to step up and make it whole, make it right."

Neumann said he is working with the Planning Department to get Weiss' $4,300 back, an sum he paid for a planning mistake eight building officials approved and the city has yet to accept responsibility for.

E-mail jwhitely@wfaa.com