Does your local ordinance require Neighbor Permission?

[axelfoley]

Hi, I'm new to the group. I've been working with the city council to change our local ordinance. I was hoping some of the forum users here at Backyard Chickens might let me know if their city ordinance requires neighbor permission. Sort of an impromptu poll since this is one of the items being debated as we develop a new ordinance.

Please comment whether your city does or does not require neighbor permission to keep chickens.

Thank you!!

 

[salemguy]

We don't require it here in Salem, Massachusetts. But we do have our houses pretty close to one another so I did let my neighbors know and none of them objected. I have since gone around to my immediate neighbors and brought them some eggs too

 

[Leepercomm]

Hi, I'm new to the group. I've been working with the city council to change our local ordinance. I was hoping some of the forum users here at Backyard Chickens might let me know if their city ordinance requires neighbor permission. Sort of an impromptu poll since this is one of the items being debated as we develop a new ordinance.

Please comment whether your city does or does not require neighbor permission to keep chickens.

Thank you!!

In El Monte, California it depends on how your property is zoned. Zoning laws typically limit the type of animals allowed at a residence. Domestic pets such as dogs, birds, and cats are generally not regulated, but chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, horses, pigs, cows and the like are subject to certain requirements because there considered farm animals. Many laws prohibit keeping these farm animals in residential neighborhoods. Others limit the number of animals based on the size of the property. You need to check how your particular property is zoned. For example. In our neighborhood there was a person that had pot-bellied pigs. The city tried to say he couldn't keep the because they were farm animals. The city lost because of the size of the property made it originally zoned as "horse property" and was never changed. Because of that he was allowed to keep them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Generally, Ordinances regarding the keeping of livestock (such as poultry) are based on zoning - no permission needed. Your neighbors don't own your property, they don't pay your taxes. The only time their "permission" matters is if you seek a zoning variance.

IF, OTOH, your new neighbor from out of State bought a big chunk of land in RR (rural residential) or RA (rural/agricultural) or similar zoning, and wants to raise a fuss "to protect their property values", you should crush them with all haste - they bought into the zoning, they've no right to make your life miserable because they didn't know what they were buying, or seek to rezone it at the expense of their neighbor's use of their own property. No more than they can demand airplanes reroute after buying a chunk of property under a flight corridor... Humoring them, unfortunately, tends to end badly for all involved.