City demanded on my property !!

[dewey]

City notices here have an inspection or reinspection date, the address and phone number of the city rep to contact, a date for compliance, financial assistance info if the case of hardship, and a statement of the city's right to correct it at the owner's expense if the owner doesn't and also put a lien on the property for payment. Any property inspections have to comply with federal and state law. Anything they see is fair game for more violations once they're on the property. They are required to show ID, and to wait until that ID can be verified (which is always recommended by our city and state because of all the fraud and scams out there).

A lot of people would have probably done the same thing and let them on the property.

A supposed electric company meter reader (same uniform, clipboard, truck color) once helped himself onto my property. My dogs "tree'd" him just out of reach and would have torn him to shreds if I hadn't heard their attack and his screams. Apologizing profusely while at some point asking him why he didn't follow the note on our file to honk at the gate to be escorted in, I called down the dogs and helped the guy get off my property, then called the electric company to apologize more...when they told me the meter was not due to be read and they had not sent a reader out, and to call the police. Which I did. Come to find out he was a rapist that was caught not too long after that, after attacking another woman at her house in our very rural community.

I hope by now that you've gotten to the bottom of who the people were that showed up.

 

[danielle82]

Talk about a close call! Thank goodness for your dogs!

 

[desertdarlene]

In our city, we have guys that wear official looking uniforms and drive trucks try to get into people's homes by saying that they're the water company and they need to check the sewer lines. They then come back and rob the homes or cause other problems.

When I was a census worker and while I am working as a city employee, I have to show my official ID and wear a name tag when I did business. I had to hold the badge up so that the person can see it. It has the government/city seal on it, too. If I didn't do this, I would get reprimanded if anyone saw me or complained about it.

It's very possible that they are poorly trained volunteers, but I stand by my first statement that something's not right. I hope you called your city and found out what the answer is.

 

[dewey]

Quote:
I know, huh?! They cornered him not far from my door. The last person he attacked didn't have dogs to warn her. She did eventually wing him, though, which led to his capture. Had he somehow made it into my house my dogs would have busted through windows to get to him.

 

[chickenzoo]

I would call your city zoning department, that who is usually running those things for complaints. If you are zoned for horses, then i wouldn't worry too much. they should have been in a city vehicle, but if it said volunteer... whatever, it could be a neighborhood thing instructed by the city. Zoning does take picutres of the animals and property. if their is water near by they sometimes try to make manure run off a ferderal issue, saying it pollutes creeks etc.. When we bought this house we were told it was AR zoning, meaning if you have more than an acre you can have as many animals as you want. 15 years later and a nasty neighbor we have zoning show up and say it is AR-1, 2 livestock animals per acre and 5 birds. They also was saying crap about our manure might make it down to a creek that's about 1000 ft somewhere, past the Mortuary, the church and a gun range..... geesh. Said it was a Federal issue... bla bla bla....... So we put the house up for sale and bought 16 acres. people keep wanting to move to the country but then they want it to be like a city...... But call your zoning and find out what's going on. take your own pics also.

 

[Avalon1984]

There is such a thing as the city running around making sure you pick up your poo? I live on a road with dozens more horse owners and we are the only ones that pick up poo. Even if we didn’t nobody would see it. What do you do with the poop? Wouldn’t it go on a manure pile? Sorry to sound so naïve but I have never heard of anything like that. Being native German as I am, I only know that manure piles are not supposed to be anywhere where they could drain into the ground water. We are zoned residential farmland.

 

[maple]

Quote:
You two need to band together and make a big stink - they have really violated your rights with their intimidation, no contact info, lack of id, taking pictures, etc. Get the word out to others about what is going on. Even though they act like they own the place, local govt officials know their jobs are at stake when people complain about their performance. You have every right to know who those people are and what are they doing with those picts, etc. You even have a right to know who your accuser is. Keep us posted.

No, you don't have that right. A person should be able to "complain or report" without fearing retribution.

Case in point, years ago I lived in an area that was rampant with drugs and crime. Two houses down I witnessed a dog being beaten with a thick leather belt and a board multiple times...and multiple times I made a complaint...later walking down the alley I heard the dog barking in the garage...after that I did not hear nor see the dog anymore. And I'm sure nothing happened although I know they came out to investigate because I saw Animal Services there. Soo sad.

But because I know they can not tell the guy who reported them...did I feel safe enough to report. If that protection was not in place, I would not have reported fearing retaliation from this guy.



To the OP.... time to fight. Time to do your research to find out about these claims and since they had been out had they noticed anything that you could improve? That shows you are willing to make necesarry improvements IF needed and then they'll give you to such and such a date to fix. End of story. And then grow a pair and don't let anyone intimidate you and fear not the person who is complaining but rather have thick skin and know it's a pest and ignore it and live your life as you have.


One day Animal Services came out to inspect claims that someone said I tie my dog up with no water for long periods of time. I had the dog under a huge shaded maple, with a dog igloo, a kiddie pool of fresh water, and 2 water bowls. At the time of the visit the dog was inside with me...only for short periods was the dog tied out...during times I'm stepping out for a couple of hours or when I would be working outside and she was a new pup and didn't want her to wonder out of the yard when my back was turned. The guy came out and looked and saw the set up and said this was a waste of time and appologized for disturbing me for something unwarranted and said he wasn't taking any further action. We talked and I figured I knew it had to be a neighbor's x-girlfriend whom I had called the cops on the day before because she was on his property with a friend trying to take stuff like his snowmobile onto a trailer. She was feeling spiteful toward him and since I called to protect his property and had the deputys come out and stop her...then her anger was directed at me. It's the only logical explanation for the animal service visit...all my other neighbors adore me and my animals and the one on the side with the dog area...would come home from work and bring my dogs biscuits...she bought just for my dog...she didn't have a dog, just a cat. Nice neighbors to have.

 

[rufus]

It would help to know in what city the original poster lives. Most municipal codes are on line now days.

Rufus

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Actually, a game warden is a law enforcement officer, and game wardens can inspect all the public lands they want without a warrant. They do not have the right to step foot on private property without the owner's consent, and it has to be specifically related to a WILD GAME/WILD FISH complaint, not domesticated horses. Perhaps people commonly believe that they can do something (such as come onto private property) that they actually cannot legally do, but they've been getting away with it forever and ever so everybody thinks it's legal. It is never legal for ANYONE to search your property without your consent unless they have a warrant. Unfortunately, these "officials" intimated the OP to the point that she consented. She also consented because she has nothing to hide, but this whooooole thing smells fishy.

Oh, and when it comes to health codes, etc., and an inspector comes out, you have the RIGHT to have a police officer present for the inspection to protect YOU. You also have the right to take their pictures and include their faces. Tell them straight up, "No offense, but because I don't know you, I will have to verify that you are who you say you are with the city, so I need to see your face. Smile big for the camera now!"

I also would NEVER (as a woman) let an inspector or ANYONE in my house without an appointment, without a warrant, and without a cop present if I was home alone.

I remember the story Wolftracks is referring to, about the folks that went out pretending to be city or county officials, took pictures, then stole everybody's horses! It DOES happen, and your story sounds just so eerily similar.

If you were given notices without requests for a response, I would contact the city to find out if they actually give out those notices, or if somebody is playing fast-and-loose with their computer printer.

If it is all legitimate, I do know that here in California, you have the right to refuse to let ANY official on your property without a police officer present for YOUR protection. If such a thing happens again, ask to see their badges, then call the city while they're on your porch and BEFORE you allow them onto your property. If they are legitimate city inspectors, you have the right to see their official documentation. Not just their identification, but you have the right to see their paperwork that tells them to go out there and why.

If you're anywhere in northern California, PLEASE call McGeorge Law School in Sacramento and talk to someone there (they have a free or low-cost legal clinic). I know someone who went through something similar with "officials" harassing her on her property, and there are similarities to her situation and yours.

Don't get rid of your animals. Talk to someone and find out what you can do, legally, about this. If they ARE city or county officials, they had to have filed an official report as to their findings, and you have a right to see and have a copy of that report.

I fear, however, that you are being targeted for horse thievery. At the very least, you have a neighbor who is causing you some harrassment.

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LOT depend on the State,. here in Ohio game warden , can come on private land anytime....to look for those illegal hunting, out of season, even to check your pens if you raise any gamebirds.....Animal control can even enter your home ,if they think you have animals ,being mistreated. They entry my brother home , when he was out of states on vacation , to check on his parakeets, neighbors call them. I was going over after dark to feed and water them, so neighbors didn't see anyone feeding them. found they had put clear tape on the door , to see if anyone was going in to feed them. Also

Here game wardens and animal control have more power than the police.

 

[maple]

why do your game wardens have powder? deerman, uh, are you medicated right now?