Against the odds hatching thread (with pictures and questions)

[K0k0shka]

I think his wife talked him into complaining, because he was okay with it himself until she got involved. They bought the house recently, so I don’t know them, and don’t have a relationship to work from and draw on for sympathy. I started building before they moved in, and the previous occupant was fine with it. The wife is pissed because nobody asked HER before all this began. I’m gonna call the town tomorrow and see exactly what my rights are, and if I end up having to move it, I’m gonna drag her through the full legal process and ask her to file a formal complaint, justify why she wants it moved, wait for the claim to be processed who knows how long, and then wait for me to slowly disassemble everything. She wants me to start this weekend. I’m thinking this might take half a year if I can really stretch it out. And she won’t be able to complain because it will be by the book! This is WAR!!!

(yes, it’s on my property but we’re having a numbers dispute over the exact setback requirements and I think she’s wrong - she’s saying 150 feet, but plot sizes in this neighborhood are 50 feet so that’s BS).

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I think his wife talked him into complaining, because he was okay with it himself until she got involved. They bought the house recently, so I don’t know them, and don’t have a relationship to work from and draw on for sympathy. I started building before they moved in, and the previous occupant was fine with it. The wife is pissed because nobody asked HER before all this began. I’m gonna call the town tomorrow and see exactly what my rights are, and if I end up having to move it, I’m gonna drag her through the full legal process and ask her to file a formal complaint, justify why she wants it moved, wait for the claim to be processed who knows how long, and then wait for me to slowly disassemble everything. She wants me to start this weekend. I’m thinking this might take half a year if I can really stretch it out. And she won’t be able to complain because it will be by the book! This is WAR!!!

(yes, it’s on my property but we’re having a numbers dispute over the exact setback requirements and I think she’s wrong - she’s saying 150 feet, but plot sizes in this neighborhood are 50 feet so that’s BS).

Stick to your guns. You got this.

Also remember to write down the names, and job titles, of the people you speak with at the city. Especially those that dispense any advice. This is very helpful should anything come of this.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this. Maybe when they start laying you can have your adorable kiddos run some eggs over. I imagine that'll go far to smooth over anything that's still simmering.

 

[aart]

Right now I just want to cry because the neighbor next to the coop, who used to be okay with it, is suddenly not okay with it and wants it moved, or else.

They bought the house recently

OhCrap!!!
The new guy, who said it was great, and (I think) is building a deck?

 

[K0k0shka]

Yes, the very nice guy who said he was okay with it, and accepted my offer for eggs when they start laying. He's been watching me build all this time and never said a thing against it. And now this. It's the wife though, she's sort of a b**** and is fuming over this, and he just nods his head when the two of them are together. Now he says he wants no eggs, no nothing, just get rid of all of it... What a pushover.

I just spoke with the town's animal control officer, who oversees chicken matters in the town. I'm so glad she's answering emails late because I wasn't gonna sleep tonight, I was so furious and sad. She confirmed that the 150 feet thing is BS. The chicken run does not fall under any regulations and can be anywhere I want within the property line. The coop, on the other hand, needs to move back by 7 feet from where it currently is, so that sucks. But the neighbor b**** was complaining about the run in particular, about rainwater draining onto her property from the roof (no, it would drain in the gap I left between our properties, and I was gonna put gutters on it for her, but she'd have none of that), or the smell (told her about litter management, composting, etc. etc. - nope, fell on deaf ears), or looking at it... she wants to enjoy a nice sunny day without looking at chickens (told her I'd put a faux ivy privacy screen on the wall facing her... nope, deaf ears). She was not willing to accept any problem solving and good will efforts on my part and stomped her foot that the run just has to go.

But in addition to animal control, I have previously talked to the town's building inspector (it's a small suburban town, not a lot of town officials so there's THE animal controls officer and THE building inspector, and that's that). I described it to him and he said the same thing - that kind of structure is not regulated, I can put it wherever I want within the property limits, chickens or not.

So, now I have the official town word coming from both people who have a legal say in this. Both of them say the run stays. I just texted the neighbors outlining the official word of the town. I asked them, given that the run stays, how much do they really want me to move the coop 7 feet. Given that they wanted 150 and to "not smell and not hear and not see any of it", 7 feet is not going to make a difference. It will, however, require ripping up months' worth of hard labor and will effectively put us at war. And I'll ask them to file a formal complaint and wait for that whole process, which will take half a year. So now it's up to them to decide just how much they want those 7 feet.

At least I'll sleep tonight knowing that I didn't dig 3-foot holes into the ground with a f-ing auger for nothing. If they want to look outside and see nothing for 150 feet, they should've bought a house in the woods.

 

[K0k0shka]

P.S. Neighbor says he knows nothing about the deck building... I'll call the town tomorrow and see if I can find out more information on that building permit and see if anybody is building anything on that property. Because if they are, and it's going to violate zoning regulations like the letter said it would, I'm gonna give them hell for it.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I would not give them any concessions after what the way they behaved. If you have the letter of the law on your side, then you can keep the coop wherever you want on your property, even right up on the property line. I would not move anything if I were you. Good luck and stay strong .

 

[K0k0shka]

I would not give them any concessions after what the way they behaved. If you have the letter of the law on your side, then you can keep the coop wherever you want on your property, even right up on the property line. I would not move anything if I were you. Good luck and stay strong .

Thank you! The run stays, for sure. The law technically says the coop needs to move by 7 feet, but that won’t solve her issue of not wanting to see, hear or smell it. 7 feet is less than the length of my couch. If she presses me for the 7 feet, it will be entirely just to be a petty B about it, and she’ll get the same sentiment back. I’ll put the tallest, ugliest privacy screen I can legally put between us and she’ll have that nice view to look at instead of what would’ve been ivy

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Thank you! The run stays, for sure. The law technically says the coop needs to move by 7 feet, but that won’t solve her issue of not wanting to see, hear or smell it. 7 feet is less than the length of my couch. If she presses me for the 7 feet, it will be entirely just to be a petty B about it, and she’ll get the same sentiment back. I’ll put the tallest, ugliest privacy screen I can legally put between us and she’ll have that nice view to look at instead of what would’ve been ivy

And she won’t get any lovely eggs either!
Her loss...

 

[em_dawson]

Thank you! The run stays, for sure. The law technically says the coop needs to move by 7 feet, but that won’t solve her issue of not wanting to see, hear or smell it. 7 feet is less than the length of my couch. If she presses me for the 7 feet, it will be entirely just to be a petty B about it, and she’ll get the same sentiment back. I’ll put the tallest, ugliest privacy screen I can legally put between us and she’ll have that nice view to look at instead of what would’ve been ivy

Chain mail fencing, security cameras, barbed wire... make her feel like she's in jail. lol

 

[aart]

P.S. Neighbor says he knows nothing about the deck building... I'll call the town tomorrow and see if I can find out more information on that building permit and see if anybody is building anything on that property. Because if they are, and it's going to violate zoning regulations like the letter said it would, I'm gonna give them hell for it.

I may have misremembered the deck thing...thought you mentioned it after your first convo with the 'nice guy'.