I live out in the country on a gravel road surrounded by soybean and rice fields. I thought I did my homework, and had checked all ordinances with the county about keeping poultry. Asked if there were any restrictions on keeping chickens and was told no there were none on the property. I talked with my close neighbors. Other neighbors had chickens and no one seemed to mind. I ordered my chicks 3 months ago. I really happy to finally have my dream of a little hobby farm. I went to work on the coop about 3 weekends ago.
Yesterday morning I got the call that my chickens were shipped and on their way. Woo! Hoo! I got the brooder set up. Everything was ready to go.
A few hours later as I was putting the finishing touches on my coop, a guy at the end of the street came by to tell me that I can't keep chickens due to a covenant restriction on the property. Seems he brought a lawsuit on one of two other neighbors that are keeping chickens. I had never even heard of such a thing but sure enough, buried in the title insurance was a one line reference to restrictions on the deed in book…page… I called the county and there it was, a
blasted list of restricted covenants that I never knew existed. Guess the clerks office didn’t bother to look anything up the first time I asked them. Only animals I can keep are dogs, cats and pet birds, excluding fowl.
Apparently I’m a member in homeowner’s association set up by the original landowner which has never met.
This isn’t some posh gated community, its bare 1 acre lots surrounded by farmland with doublewide trailers on them for Pete’s sake. In spring half the lots are flooded, in summer the mosquitoes are so bad you can’t hardly go outside and all winter the wind howls like a banshee. Not exactly a prime subdivision next to the golf course in La Jolla.
Anyway my chicks arrived this morning. Beautiful healthy little birds I now have to sell.
I don’t know whether to be angry or sad.
Mostly I just feel sick.
Yesterday morning I got the call that my chickens were shipped and on their way. Woo! Hoo! I got the brooder set up. Everything was ready to go.
A few hours later as I was putting the finishing touches on my coop, a guy at the end of the street came by to tell me that I can't keep chickens due to a covenant restriction on the property. Seems he brought a lawsuit on one of two other neighbors that are keeping chickens. I had never even heard of such a thing but sure enough, buried in the title insurance was a one line reference to restrictions on the deed in book…page… I called the county and there it was, a
blasted list of restricted covenants that I never knew existed. Guess the clerks office didn’t bother to look anything up the first time I asked them. Only animals I can keep are dogs, cats and pet birds, excluding fowl.
Apparently I’m a member in homeowner’s association set up by the original landowner which has never met.
This isn’t some posh gated community, its bare 1 acre lots surrounded by farmland with doublewide trailers on them for Pete’s sake. In spring half the lots are flooded, in summer the mosquitoes are so bad you can’t hardly go outside and all winter the wind howls like a banshee. Not exactly a prime subdivision next to the golf course in La Jolla.
Anyway my chicks arrived this morning. Beautiful healthy little birds I now have to sell.
I don’t know whether to be angry or sad.
Mostly I just feel sick.
