Can you help interpret this "legal" jargon?!?!

[ohiochickenmom]

This is what my city's codified ordinance states. I have in my mind what it sounds to me it says, but I don't want to taint other posts. Can you please tell me what it says to you?? What the girl who answers at the city zoning office says is TOTALLY different than what it sounds to me like it's saying!! Thanks!!

" (a) No person, being the owner or having charge or possession of any house, pen, yard, or lot in the City, shall keep or suffer to be kept therein any hogs, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, cattle, or other animal or fowl, in such manner as to become offensive or annoying or prejudicial to the health of any other citizen or the public; provided, that no hogs, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, or cattle shall be kept in any manner between April 1 and November 1 in each year, within less than 200 feet of any residence or business of any other person which now is or may be established in the City, without having first obtained the written consent of each person. (1979 Code 91.22)"

 

[Clackclack]

You need to get permission to keep livestock within 200 feet of other residences in writing; the animals can't become a nuisance.

 

[ohiochickenmom]

Which is exactly how I read it. The lady at the zoning office, however, states it means no chickens are allowed from April 1 through November 1 no matter what, and if you want to have chickens from November 1 thru April 1 you must have permission?!?

 

[ohiochickenmom]

I even asked her, "do you have that backwards?" She said no. I asked her why that would even be then, and she said "because of the smell." First off, the smell?!? Second, that is not how the ordinance reads!! I lieterally copy/pasted it from their site!!

 

[Wrooster]

Between April 1 & November 1 you need written consent of anyone whose residence or business is within 200 feet. The rest of the year it's OK as long as you comply with the other provisons (not offensive, etc.)

I'm not a lawyer but that's how I read it.

BTW, I'd take "within less than 200 feet of any residence,,,," to mean to the building, not the property. At least that's what I'd argue if I had to.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Between April 1 & November 1 you need written consent of anyone whose residence or business is within 200 feet. The rest of the year it's OK as long as you comply with the other provisons (not offensive, etc.)

I'm not a lawyer but that's how I read it.

BTW, I'd take "within less than 200 feet of any residence,,,," to mean to the building, not the property. At least that's what I'd argue if I had to.

X2. That's it in a nutshell.

 

[ohiochickenmom]

Thanks everybody for the replies!! I just wanted to make sure I was reading it correctly, and that I wasn't the crazy one!!

 

[Clackclack]

Agree with Wrooster's more detailed reading, too. At the end of the day, it will hinge much more on the neighbours not complaining than the zoning office.

 

[oldrooster]

And just in case mail a sealed letter to yourself saying you give yourself permission to keep a building in your yard and closer than your house than 200 feet in that time frame that way if you end up in court for it being too close to your own house in that time period produce to the judge the sealed mailed letter to yourself and have him open it and let him see your letter of permission and the code. that way you have them over a barrel....

 

[ohiochickenmom]

Lol...thanks!! I had just asked because they almost had me worried to even have chickens then, but according to this (and my neighbors' permission) I am legal!! My dad is looking over it also to be sure it follows ordinance, but I'm pretty sure I'm doing it!! I had only called to be sure there is no permit required or anything. I know from this ordinance it doesn't sound like it, but I have just been trying to be sure I am 100% within the law correctly!! I don't want anyone telling me in a couple of months or a couple of years that I have to get rid of my chickens because I missed something!!