I just got a letter from the zoning board :*(

[katharinad]

Remember, it will expose her daughter if she gets the media involved. That can be very stressful for a 11 year old girl, who may not want her friends to know. I would play it nice first and see if there is a will on the city side. The media can be activated a little bit later in the game.

The key is to find loopholes and work those.

 

[Amiga]

When I needed a simple front porch stoop on my house, I just grabbed some graph paper, a measuring tape and a pencil, measured the area where I wanted the stoop, and drew the outline with distances on the graph paper. The town accepted that as the construction design drawing, I did not need to hire a professional architect or engineer.

In my case, the town just wanted to know what I would be putting on the front of the house.

You may be able to simply draw a box and mark where it will be on your property - how close to the house, to the property line, etc. Indicate that you will not be digging footings (if that is the case), how high the structure will be, etc.

 

[rainplace]

I went through something similar not too long ago. For almost a year I thought it was my neighbors banding against me. In the end it was one single person calling the city everyday. During that time I found this on facebook. It's outdated, but may give you some hope. Ducks also brought me out of a dark place. I wish you and your daughter well.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=147806406185

 

[duckluck]

Down here in a lot of places you can just pay the fine and keep the "building" as long as it meets code. Yours may be considered temporary if you can move it...I'd see about making it mobile somehow, even if it needs dragged by a tractor. Mobile buildings are often exempt from codes that apply to permanent ones. Any which way, I'd fight this any way I could...we have WAY too many people out there trying to tell everyone what to do and how they should live on their own property. Ridiculous how they bully small folks with a few animals but yet the hoarders and puppy mills operate for years. Katharinad has some good ideas. You might have to resort just to paying repeated fines if nothing else works. But it's worth a go!

 

[dawnjoennikki98]

Thanks! As for the structure, it is 20 X 16 X 5- 6 ft. high. It's made entirely of 2x4s and hardware cloth. two doors. there are no posts in the ground. the only digging was to level the 2 x 6's that are layed in a square on the ground. dirt floor. I'm at work now, and I can't wait to get home and get started on my initial letter! Thanks again

 

[dawnjoennikki98]

what I REALLY wish i could do is MOVE!!!! But I'm a single working mom, and just can't afford to.

.

 

[dawnjoennikki98]

I just wanted to add, that my hens ARE loud....are anyone elses? my delilah is a petite runner but she has the lungs of an elephant!! so does Blue, my blue swedish hen, and Genie the other blue swedish. now, they mostly are vocal when they hear the door open and hope someone is coming to see them. and never are they out to make noise beofre 9am, or after 430 pm! I wish they made a bark collar for ducks! lol

 

[maggiemmm]

In Northern Michigan - if the building is less than 100 sq feet you do NOT need a permit. If it a transitional building - no footings and can be moved - so much the better.. does not need a permit. Go to the zoning guy in your township/village/city . Katherinad is awesome and her advice is right on . My Grandfather always said , " You can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." By all means - bring your doctor into the picture. I taught special Ed for many years and dealt with many disorders, depression is the scariest because children do not have many coping skills at such a young age. They need all the help they can get. By all means get your local town paper on board.. The entire world has heard about a neighbor who delivered her baby by the side of the road in a snowstorm here last Sunday Yours is a story that will grab the attention of the elected folks.. who WANT to be elected again Hang in there. My neighbor called the zoning guy - he came and my chickens let him pet them - they came when I called. He said they were pets and there would be no more hassles. ( the lady who complained about me well, her dog bit him

which helped my cause ) Hang in there and good luck. Keep us informed we are a pretty supportive group here.

 

[kla37]

Definitely get a letter from your daughter's Dr that these pets are part of her therapy and necessary for her continued improvement.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I hate hearing things like this. If the noise is the issue I can see complaints, but if it's just your neighbors being nosey and trying to make life difficult for you that's another story. In my area, if the structure is moveable it does not need a permit. I keep more animals than I need to because I live just over the city limit line. I am zoned agricultural right now, but I'm sure that will soon change. I could throw a rock and hit a strip mall from the end of my driveway. They have to allow me to keep the same number of animals that I have now if they change my zoning. I know one of the police officers from town and he told me there is one lady in particular that compains about my animals (I have 2 apartment buildings about a half block from my house). There's nothing they can do. I may be forced to buy a donkey if they keep harassing me. If they think the roosters are bad they will be in for a little surprise!