Help! Need input for a problem with the neighbors.....

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

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Ooooo, that's a good one! Would that response be satisfactory to the powers that be?

 

[Peep_Show]

I just got back from a personal visit to Animal Control to talk about what my options are in the "What if's" and the bottom line is if everyone signs off, one complaint about noise or smell and they seize the birds. I could live on an acre with lots of ponies and horny, yelling billy goats, but one noise or smell chicken complaint and the birds are goners. Yep...The ordinances suck. The officer didn't think the neighbors 200+ feet and several sound walls away would hear the noise, but it would be ideal if the balky neighbor signed. Sounds like some sweet-talking in my future. (BTW, smell is not an issue. I'm one of those people who don't do deep litter. I scoop poop every day and total change of bedding every week... It is a 4x5 area, afterall, and not a big chore.)

On the bright side, if there is one, the officer said if everyone signed off on the birds like they're supposed to and the one neighbor didn't, then he'd have no problem making a personal visit to the neighbor to inquire as to "What's the hangup?" So it looks like I'll expand my crusade 'cuz I'm thinking there's strength in numbers on this one.

 

[Terri O]

Good luck to you! Keep your chin up and go for it! When I went for a variance when I lived in town the city attorney said, "I suppose you will say these chickens are your children's pets?" I said "NO, but I did bring pictures!" There was a pic of my two year old hugging and kissing a hen. I got my variance and the balky neighbor got eggs. I never had a problem as long as I lived there! Terri O

 

[Jen71]

Hi there,
Wow. This sounds like a tough issue and I never even imagined people could be so opposed to chickens as pets. Our neighbors all have barking dogs and they drive me crazy. There are no ordinances against that, are there?

I love the idea of pictures of your kids with chickens - showing they are pets and not livestock.

Anyway - when it comes to "sweet talking" people, I have had quite a bit of experience with this (not related to chickens). I've found that my previous expectations of those people can have an affect on the outcome. Maybe if you imagine the best possible outcome, imagine them accepting your home grown eggs as a gift, imagine them going along with your plan. Perhaps look for the good in these people - then when you go to visit them, you will have warmth and compassion in your heart and in your eyes as you speak to them.

I had a very grumpy neighbor. He was angry and cross with everyone, complained all the time. The truth is he was sad and lonely. I know this sounds ridiculously cliche, but its true. I was always super-kind to him, smiled at him, said good morning, and taught my children to be kind to him. He has done a complete turnaround with us. He is still grumpy, but he now smiles when he sees us, he waves, he even gave my kids $10 on their birthday.

You may think this is all nonsense or whatever, but I do believe our expectations can affect the outcome. If you expect it to go well, it very well might go your way.
I hope so!
Good luck, Peep-Show!

 

[theFox]

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Actually there are ordinances against that.

It is called maintaining a public nuisance amongst many other things.

Henderson, NV is actually allowing another party to control what you can do with your property with no means to stop an unreasonable denial and that may in itself be something that a court might strike down.

 

[Jen71]

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Actually there are ordinances against that.

It is called maintaining a public nuisance amongst many other things.

Henderson, NV is actually allowing another party to control what you can do with your property with no means to stop an unreasonable denial and that may in itself be something that a court might strike down.

Sorry - yes - there are ordinances against dogs that are a nuisance. What I meant was that they don't outlaw people having dogs on the basis that its possible that they may bark. Which is what it sounds like they're doing with this anti-chicken ordinance.

You can't keep chickens because its possible they might smell.

It seems ridiculous, and hopefully you can come to a suitable resolution quickly.

 

[theFox]

Peep_Show,

Good luck as I read that ordinance you have to have written permission on file from everyone whose house is within 350' of where the chickens will be. That covers about ten acres of land.

I do the deep litter system and as long as you add shavings it never smells other than like pine trees.

My birds have been on the same litter since they went into their coop late May of last year.

I'll be adding about half of the litter to my compost piles shortly since I intend on planting my squash in the compost piles as I did last year.

Jen71,

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to own land since in a lot of cases everyone but you gets to decide what can be done with it.

 

[Peep_Show]

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Yep... 10 acres and 28 houses. My particular community has quarter-acre lots and I am on the backside boundary and the wide streets help a lot. The houses in the next community over across the street are McMansions. I need only eight of their signatures. Four of them are behind others and cannot even see my little one-story....have no idea I exist at all.

Because of the recession, several of the houses here are vacant/foreclosed upon, so less signatures needed. ALL of my immediate neighbors within sight and fencelines are really enthusiastic about the project... And I've met some really nice folks in the community with my meet-and-greet chicken spiel. Heck, there's one cute elderly couple down the street that I would love to adopt!

I am REALLY trying to be a conscientious neighbor and doing stuff by the book. Our HOA has been slamming those who do their projects and seek forgiveness rather than ask permission first (per our CC&R's). It's far more expeditious to submit all the right paperwork (total, takes a month for the decision). If you do the project and it is not approved, you run the risk of endless harassment, fines and a lien until the situation is resolved or removed.

I've configured the dimensions on the future coop as we have 3-foot gate spans.... If I have to abandon the project because of complaints, I want to sell the coop to somebody in a friendlier neighborhood. We're talking about only 3 birds here... Sigh.... Who knew 16 lbs. of hens could cause such gyrations?

 

[Grendelhen]

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The thing that moves me on this is you are out meeting you neighbors and it sounds like that is going great save the one.

When I was a kid everyone knew their nieghbors now it barely exists. You have became a catalyst for your neighborhood. I don't know what to suggest to you but hang in there, you are changing the world for the better onr household at a time. You might even bring that up to you neighbor. You might want to get past the wife "buffer". He may not be that bad if you can get past her. I have see that happen before.

I think you and your three little hens are the best thing that has happened to your neighborhood!

 

[Peep_Show]

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This is a very interesting point. One point of opposition I have encountered in our gated community from one person (at 325 feet away) is that they don't want to set a precedent of suddenly everything would be allowed as pets and then everybody would want chickens. (Well, okay, I wish y'all BYC'ers were my neighbors...it'd be a moot point; right?). So, yes, THEY may deny MY revocable request to even attempt to have chickens, but in our HOA community there would be 27 homes that fall outside of these people's "consent zone" that COULD raise chickens if they wanted to (and got all the neighbors' consent, etc). Bizarre logic. Seems highly unfair, IMHO.