- Oct 27, 2011
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I am sorry this has happened. But I must play a bit of the devil's advocate here. Have you or your neighbor attempted to have a civilized conversation about what is expected from eat other? You say he is poisoning your birds bc he doesn't like them... how do you know that the run off and litter that your animals are leaving are not destroying his attempts at and award winning lawn of which he uses the proceeds to feed his starving family bc he is otherwise unable to make ends meet?
it might sound crazy... but to some people 20+ quackers, 10+ cluckers, a handful of cock-a-doodle-doolers and a couple honkers is downright crazy too.
you can be zoned ag all you want but that doesn't give anyone rights to bother or harass another person. Just as being bothered does not give the right to poison the birds. I have been to OK. alot of times and it is a beautiful place with wonderful God-fearing people. Why not practice what is preached?
Now, if I were him and you showed up on my doorstep trying to reconcile, I would shoot you as your foot landed on my property. So I am not recommending trying to sort it out on your own. But he does have as much right to a spotless lawn and you do to raise fowl.
I would recommend, at the very least, put screen on the fence between your properties. This will stop your litter from invading his home and stop your birds from eating what he puts on his property.
As far as spraying, again he is not likely to be compromising since you called the police, but had you sat down with him before and made a written agreement about chemical use... I am an Organic gardener and farmer, contracts like that are written all the time.
I have a feeling that there were attempts on his part to express what he needed from you long before the threats and assaults. My advice there is to be more open to the feelings of others. how do you know he didn't have his lawn sod from imported multi-million dollar grass stock from Europe? At which point he is just trying to protect his investment and you are ignoring him chanting your rights to raise animals darn everyone who doesn't like it! Then complain when they have had enough and come after you. Do you know if he had gone to the police first and said that you refuse to keep your litter on your side of the fence? but was only told that they can't do anything... similar to what you are experiencing with the do-nothings we call police?
Look, I am on neither "side" but I do know that a very small amount of neighborly respect and compromise go a long way. The truth hurts but I think that you are both at fault here and neither of you have acted or reacted responsibly. Being social doesn't only happen with the people at your church. If you had taken the upper hand confronted him and offered your forgiveness and talked to him about what was going on and COMPROMISED... this would be a different situation... maybe he would be buying eggs and manure from you and speaking praises about your family's good will and the benefits of manure vs chemical fertilizers at all of his perfect-lawn competitions.
Most people will hate me for posting this. But I have been through similar situations all my farming life of 30+ years. During that time, calling the police only made things worse and created hostility. Taking care of the situation as, reasonable adults... now that has worked every time for me so far and I have even made a couple valued friends and resources out of would-be enemies.
He has as much right as you do. No one person is more entitled to happiness than the next. I am not condoning what he has done... but one neighbor can make your life heaven or hell it only makes sense to have some give and take.
it might sound crazy... but to some people 20+ quackers, 10+ cluckers, a handful of cock-a-doodle-doolers and a couple honkers is downright crazy too.
you can be zoned ag all you want but that doesn't give anyone rights to bother or harass another person. Just as being bothered does not give the right to poison the birds. I have been to OK. alot of times and it is a beautiful place with wonderful God-fearing people. Why not practice what is preached?
Now, if I were him and you showed up on my doorstep trying to reconcile, I would shoot you as your foot landed on my property. So I am not recommending trying to sort it out on your own. But he does have as much right to a spotless lawn and you do to raise fowl.
I would recommend, at the very least, put screen on the fence between your properties. This will stop your litter from invading his home and stop your birds from eating what he puts on his property.
As far as spraying, again he is not likely to be compromising since you called the police, but had you sat down with him before and made a written agreement about chemical use... I am an Organic gardener and farmer, contracts like that are written all the time.
I have a feeling that there were attempts on his part to express what he needed from you long before the threats and assaults. My advice there is to be more open to the feelings of others. how do you know he didn't have his lawn sod from imported multi-million dollar grass stock from Europe? At which point he is just trying to protect his investment and you are ignoring him chanting your rights to raise animals darn everyone who doesn't like it! Then complain when they have had enough and come after you. Do you know if he had gone to the police first and said that you refuse to keep your litter on your side of the fence? but was only told that they can't do anything... similar to what you are experiencing with the do-nothings we call police?
Look, I am on neither "side" but I do know that a very small amount of neighborly respect and compromise go a long way. The truth hurts but I think that you are both at fault here and neither of you have acted or reacted responsibly. Being social doesn't only happen with the people at your church. If you had taken the upper hand confronted him and offered your forgiveness and talked to him about what was going on and COMPROMISED... this would be a different situation... maybe he would be buying eggs and manure from you and speaking praises about your family's good will and the benefits of manure vs chemical fertilizers at all of his perfect-lawn competitions.
Most people will hate me for posting this. But I have been through similar situations all my farming life of 30+ years. During that time, calling the police only made things worse and created hostility. Taking care of the situation as, reasonable adults... now that has worked every time for me so far and I have even made a couple valued friends and resources out of would-be enemies.
He has as much right as you do. No one person is more entitled to happiness than the next. I am not condoning what he has done... but one neighbor can make your life heaven or hell it only makes sense to have some give and take.
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