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Hey Everyone!

Couple questions we need serious help with....

We just got a letter today from a neighborhood association at our house in (editing to remove city) demanding that we get rid of all of our birds within the next two weeks. Please help. Tell me what steps we need to take or where to start to fight this. We bought this house a couple years ago and never have heard anything from the home owner's association other than a newsletter every once or twice a year. When we bought the house, the only thing we could find on the covenants was that there were 30 year covenants created when the community was built in 1971, so we have always been perplexed as to why they apparently still have some sort of group that meets (we don't pay any sort of home owner's association fees and the original covenants would be expired).

Where do I begin? I have tried to find the (editing to remove city) regs. as well and can't. Does anyone know the "official" laws? Our neighbors across the street have a HUGE pasture with horses, so it is not like we are in the middle of the city. We also do not have any roos here at this house. It just seems like this is pure meanness. We only have 7 bantam hens here and some of our ducks in raised cages. We are also on an almost .5 acre lot (not sure if that matters).

Anyway, please help. I just don't have any fight in me right now and of course, it is finals week at school!
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Ugly news . . . so sorry. Did they provide the details of EXACTLY what city ordinance or local neighborhood covenant they believe you are in violation of? You can't fight anything until you know EXACLY what you are up against. Let us know as soon as you can find that out, and hopefully we can put our collective heads together and help.
 
They did. It was a very threatening letter, including threatening us with legal fees. The only thing they cited in the letter though are the community covenants for the home owner's association. Even if we find these are not legally binding, they could still I'm sure potentially involve the city or county too, so I would love to find a copy of those laws if anyone has any idea where to find them.
 
Of course, now that I am calmed down and reading the letter again....they want us to attend the HOA meeting the first Tuesday of the month, which is TODAY. The letter itself is dated the 3rd, so they just mailed it yesterday.
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Sorry to hear that! We live inside the Dacono city limits but since our acreage is unincorporated weld county (which is a right to farm county) we could have as many roo's as we wanted and not be an issue. As far as having livestock in Lakewood goes, it depends on what your area is zoned as. If you follow this link, and then go to article 5, it talks about what is allowed in which zoned area.
http://ci.lakewood.co.us/index.cfm?&include=/CPD/zoning.cfm
Furthermore, Article 16 talks about getting a nonconformity certificate. However, if you are living in an area that has an HOA, and you signed a contract placing you in that HOA, the rules are binding and they can, and will, hold you to them. From what I've been able to figure, HOA's are mean, vicious, hateful groups that do not allow for non-conformity. There are probably exceptions to that, but thats near as I can figure them :) Hope that link helps and I hope you get things sorted out ok! Good luck on finals!
Matthew
 
I want to start making my own chicken feed. Does anyone know where I can buy bulk grains in the Denver area? The feed stores near my house don't have everything I need, and I need to find a way to cut back on the cost of feed.
Thanks, Sonja
 
I'mACountryGirl :

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Where are you...how far southeast? I'm east of Parker. I'd be interested, but I'm guessing you're too far away to make it feasible?...

Let me put it this way...... we are closer to OK then Parker.
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i think you are about 4 hours from us. We are down towards Lamar.​
 
Quote:
Sorry to hear that! We live inside the Dacono city limits but since our acreage is unincorporated weld county (which is a right to farm county) we could have as many roo's as we wanted and not be an issue. As far as having livestock in Lakewood goes, it depends on what your area is zoned as. If you follow this link, and then go to article 5, it talks about what is allowed in which zoned area.
http://ci.lakewood.co.us/index.cfm?&include=/CPD/zoning.cfm
Furthermore, Article 16 talks about getting a nonconformity certificate. However, if you are living in an area that has an HOA, and you signed a contract placing you in that HOA, the rules are binding and they can, and will, hold you to them. From what I've been able to figure, HOA's are mean, vicious, hateful groups that do not allow for non-conformity. There are probably exceptions to that, but thats near as I can figure them :) Hope that link helps and I hope you get things sorted out ok! Good luck on finals!
Matthew

Thank you, Matthew. That is the thing with the HOA though, we didn't sign a thing when we bought this house. The community had 30 year covenants filed in 1971, which would have expired 9 years ago. As far as we knew and were told, there was no "official" HOA or covenants still in place. We didn't sign anything. We don't pay fees. Nothing.

We did find out from speaking to one person that we are in an unincorporated area of the county and supposedly that there is nothing we can do to have birds here. I would bet though that there is something that can be done like applying for a variance. Has anybody here ever done that?
 
Ususally unincorporated means that there are fewer rules and regs that you have to worry about. I would maybe go to the meeting armed with the knowledge and with some questions regarding the facts that you didn't sign anything and it's been 30 years since convenants were filed. Probably another case of control freaks wanting to tell you how they want you to live. Good luck with all this.
 
If the home owners association "lapsed" you are no longer bound by their rules. They would have to prove they followed the bylaws for the association, proper meetings, minutes, notifications, etc....

Not sure how to go about that. What about giving Tom Martino a call (www.khow.com)? He hates overbearing HOAs!
 

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