HELP!.....................The County is trying to take away my ducks

[Ducks R US]

I live in Harford County on 1.98 acres, literally a few hundred feel short of the rightful limit. I am not part of a Home Owners Association and and have had my ducks for several years now but the County is telling me that I cant keep them. We started a petition while volunteering our time and animals at this past years "Harford County Farm Fair". I am in need of a animal friendly lawyer who would be willing to fight on our behalf. Recently in filing a variance with Harford County they post a sign that I want livestock on my property, causing great concern in my community. This is not true and the county will not take responsibility for the distress they have caused my family. They questioning, hate mail and rumors are too much to bare. These ducks are a part of our family and are known as "The neighborhood Beautification Committee" in our neighborhood to all but one person within it but now the misrepresentation of the posting is causing concern that I will be getting pigs next.

Please HElP!!!!!!! The date for my variance hearing is Wednesday, November 19. Is there anyone out there???

Wendy ([email protected])

 

[boskelli1571]

Sometimes I hate the human race, so ignorant !!!

Anyway, I don't know what state you are in, but here is what I would do. Gather up the neighbors - either physically or in a petition to present to the town board. You probably will need a lawyer.....hopefully you can find a pro bono.
When you got your first ducks, were you aware of the zoning laws? or have they recently changed? If the law was there first, you may have a problem in persuading the board to grant a variance, since technically you are in the wrong, but if the law has recently changed, you should have a good, fighting chance.
I'm sure others will chip in advice, good luck in your fight - let us know how it goes...

 

[the unicorn]

this means someone claimed your ducks were a public nuisance under section 64-12 of your animal codes ss (b) animals that make exsessive noise as to disturb the comfort of the neighborhood; if that can be proven with evidence from your neighbors to the court, they can declare them a noise nusance and ask you to rehome them elsewehre and will give you 30days to do so..(IF it was proven they constitue a niusance)on day 31 they show up to take the mby force if you did not get them out of town! your job now is to find out which neighbor is your enemy and prove in a courtroom your flock is not a nuisance of noise; i would sue the town for slander and defaamtion of character as well as the psychilogical distress of placin ga 'scarlet letter' on your land to embarrass you or to purposely cause your neighbbors to turn against you; that is called 2nd degree aggravated harassment here in new york with intent to annoy harm or alarm and cause deliberate harm to your overall quality of life! id get a lawyer if i were you and order the town to take away the illegal 'scarlet letter' immediately and wilst doing that begin your lawsuit against the town; and do it fast BEFORE your court date; demand to see this so called 'evidence' in a trial and let them spend lots of time and money on the case!lol! cause if you lose your neighbor could be able to sue you for destruction of quality of life!(at least here on long island they could!) the longer you can postpone the trial is the better chance at winning cause most towns rely on us being docile and compliant little sheep and doing as they want; and if you dont know your rights or if you dont enforce your rights you therefore have none!! get a lawyer; postpone; fight and debate your neighbors claims;

 

[MeepBeep]

I feel for you but when a variance is requested in almost all communities the law requires a brief public notice to be posted on the property with the reasons for the variance request and notifying the public of the public hearing date where they can obtain further info and have their voice heard... Now just because you might find the sign unflattering and it's causing the public to give their opinions does not make it illegal in itself and you are going to have a hard time trying to convince a court of law you were done wrong especially when you, yourself initiated the process with the variance request... Your best course of action now is go to that public hearing with a bunch of notes and tell the community your plans and set the record straight and remove speculation about your intentions... That way the variance can be written to appease your neighbors concerns and also appease your wants, for example the variance could state that you are allowed up to 2 domestic ducks on the property but no other livestock of additional fowl...

Again I feel for you but to claim the variance notice sign stating you want to keep livestock on your property is not true, when you requested just that, that being a variance to keep livestock aka your ducks on your property is really contradictory... Now I understand you might not consider ducks livestock but the law in your area does...

LIVESTOCK - Generally accepted outdoor farm animals (i.e., cows, goats, horses, pigs, barnyard fowl,
etc.) Not to include cats, dogs and other domestic house pets.

May I suggest instead of lashing out and attacking the county board members for their actions that are likely inline with the law and their duties, you instead focus on mediation and start working with them towards a mutual solution, instead of fighting against them and pointing the finger...

The fact is almost all the successful overturning of these anti "farm animal" laws was done with cool heads and mediation addressing the concerns of concerned neighbors, not by pointing fingers and attacks...

'We' have to be better than the illogical screaming about the falling sky neighbors and present ourselves as the level headed individuals that want to address their concerns, listen to them and put those concerns to rest as most are untrue... Pointing fingers doesn't do that....