4-H provides exemption for homeowner's agreement restrictions?

[MamaDoula]

The neighbor who owns the empty lot next door to us stormed over last week and very forcefully threatened to take us to court, because our chickens apparently violate the homeowner's agreement/code for our subdivision. Our whole family is heartbroken at the thought of parting with our pets, and we're trying desperately to work out a deal. Of all the people with chickens in our neighborhood, we would be the ones to live next to the empty lot owned by the grouchy people.

We live in the county, and chickens are really not a rare thing here.

A friend of mine suggested that if our daughter was a member of the local 4-H, we might be able to be exempted from that code. Has anyone had any experience with this? **hopes and prays**

 

[illegal avian]

Quote:
Make sure.

 

[saddina]

Sometimes there's an exception for "educational purposes" which 4H falls under. However don't do a thing untill they produce exactly what code it violates.

 

[MamaDoula]

It's the community covenant (I have NO idea how we missed that intially:/). We do have a hard copy now. ::sigh::

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The CITY or COUNTY zoning or ordinances MAY have a provision that allows exceptions for 4H members. HOA covenants are private contracts and while it is POSSIBLE that there is an exemption, I highly doubt it. Most are boilerplate written by an attorney to limit anything that could possibly be a nuisance, and have no reality based upon the neighborhood and its surroundings. (Got a long story there.)

Sorry

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Are there other folks in your community that have chickens? Has the covenant forbidding them been enforced? If not, how long have they had chickens and not had the code enforced? By not being enforced, it is possible that the provision has been invalidated.

 

[illegal avian]

Quote:
Excellent point!

 

[Chickaholic]

This is all just insane to me!!!!

why have our rights to being able to provide food for our families been taken away from us!!!!!????

A good friend of mine just told me the other day that we will also, in the near future, be taxed by the GOV to even grow a garden in our backyards!! Seriously!!! I thought that when we "bought" our homes and land that it was our free will to do with it what we want!!!! What is happening to this country??!! We should be able to have chickens ANYWHERE!!! I hope it was ok for me to post this, sorry if I mad anyone upset at me

 

[illegal avian]

Quote:
I was with you all the way...

right up until the part...

where you climbed under the chair and apologized.

We, the people! ah, who am I kidding... move over!

 

[Chickaholic]

Quote:
I was with you all the way...

right up until the part...

where you climbed under the chair and apologized.

We, the people! ah, who am I kidding... move over!

HAHAHAHHAAHHA!! You made me laugh, Thanks for that

I have been bulldozed in a forum before so I thought it was appropriate, just in case I did make someone have the ill feeling about me!! Ah but what the heck, who cares right?? I won't jump under the chair this time!!