How do you successfully change your neighborhood ordinances?

[Carolyn227]

Our ordinances say no farm animals. We have a small flock and love our ladies. I would not get a roo in a neighborhood and my ladies are caged with runs we made for them. Our neighborhood association president is on board for allowing hens (and secretly has some of his own! lol!) and they only issue violations based on complaints. I would love to let my girls free range, but I'm not sure if I want to do that until the ordinances are changed. Though if we check our fence to make sure there are no escape routes, I might do it anyway.

Has anyone here changed their neighborhood ordinances? It really baffles me why hens and rabbits would not be allowed. I'd love to get a few rabbits for meat and for pets, but I don't want to push it!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Frankly? If I was running flock beneath the homeowners association's radar, I'd leave very well enough alone. I'd push nothing, but just be grateful they are letting sleeping dogs lie. HOA are the absolutely the worst when it comes to such things. $.02

 

[ccw2005]

Hi!

It took some time in our HOA to allow rabbits to be considered as "pets" in the neighborhood. Our ordinances read that no livestock will be kept on the property. I guess the definition of livestock is relative to the individual. Our bunny rabbits are not bred for product and until recently, we thought we had seven bucks (will let you guys figure out what happened). Our neighborhood is off the beaten path so to speak, with the smallest lot at a little over 2 acres. We sit on almost 3.5 acres. In the fall of 2010 two of my sons became interested in 4H and that is when I inquired about the chickens with a board member from our HOA. I was told that raising chickens is illegal within the city limits, which we do not live in, and further told that our restrictive covenants do not allow for chickens. Funny thing is, when having the conversation another neighbor was close by and mentioned yet a third neighbor who raises chickens, ferrets and other critters and how they give the eggs away to people on their street. I kinda agree with "Fred's Hens" post about letting sleeping dogs lie. I do think that in time with the recent culture going around our country about getting back to basics, we will see a change in some of these rules and regulations on a neighborhood level. I live in South Carolina, and what is funny, in the City of Charleston, you can have chickens. No roosters of course, but the city allows for the chickens. There are other stipulations that all pens have to be a certain distance from dwellings and all pens and runs must be clean, but who wouldn't want their girls kept clean.

To put it to you like this, one neighbor in our community was fined $1,500 dollars for having raised garden boxes on the side of their house. Again, remember that the smallest lot is 2 acres. Self sufficiency that was so important to our parents and grandparents has taken a back seat to progress, but, like I said, I do think in time the tables will change again.

My wife wants pet goats now... I hope she remains patient!!
CCW

 

[franklinstreetwest]

Quote:
SERIOUSLY??!!? For garden boxes? Yikes! Was that a city or county mandate? Was there any warning given to give opportunity to remove them? Or was there just a whopping bill in the mail one day? That is really scary.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Quote:
SERIOUSLY??!!? For garden boxes? Yikes! Was that a city or county mandate? Was there any warning given to give opportunity to remove them? Or was there just a whopping bill in the mail one day? That is really scary.

From what I can see some homeowner associations are very anti green living
http://pledgingforchange.com/green/homeowners-associations-vs-green-living.php

It seems mad in water scarce areas have homeowner associations telling people to waste water just to keep it green.
http://valleycresttakeson.com/water...tions-of-water-scarcity-envy-ignorance-anger/
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/west-palm-beach-ponders-its-next-step-as-1563435.html
Just as a matter of interest if the town banns watering gardens what happens to people in hoa's when there grass isn't green anymore? Are they supposed to break the law to keep pretty grass?