Just told I have 14 days OR ELSE (Chicken Laws in South FLORIDA)

[DragonEggs]

I live in an unincorporated zone in Palm Beach county, just between the town of Juno Beach and North Palm Beach. Just a few minutes ago a code enforcement officer knocked on my door and said there was a complaint about my chickens and that I'm not zoned for them and I have 14 days to get rid of them. I won't share the not so nice words I had with her and what I plan to say to the neighbor who complained (I know who it is, the same one sending our mail back) but I think it's complete and total BS! I told her I AM fighting this because weeks before I even moved here we called the police dept, sherrifs dept, court house, animal control and no one knew anything about the law and zoning. She claimed we did not call them when in fact WE DID, 3 times, we kept getting transferred and leaving messages but no one ever called us back. the birds have been here 3 weeks, I got rid of the loudest crowers and put them on the far side of the yard as far away from the neighbors as possible. She has nothing to complain about. I checked our online code and see that they clearly define poultry as being a part of livestock, and that livestock must be properly fenced at all times, as mine are. I see nothing else about zoning.

Doesn't FL have a right to farm law?

I need some advice as to how I go about fighting this and the steps I should take and what I should do.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

I recall when watching the Dirty Jobs Miami Chicken Busters video this morning that the officer in the video states that Miami residents can have up to 15 females, as long as they are penned. I would surely think that if Miami has something like this that they would in PBC.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Don't know if this will be of any help but here's a couple of links:

http://www.pbclibrary.org/grs-codes.htm
http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/animalcare/pdf/Ord98-22.pdf

Florida Animal Law (PBC):
http://www.floridaanimallaw.com/2008/01/palm-beach-county-eases-pet-ordinance.html

 

[cassie]

Insist on getting a copy of the law/ordinance as it applies to you and your address. There may not be anything. Officials are often very ignorant of the law and I have met a few that seemed to make it up as they go. A lot of code enforcers are on a power trip by the way. They like to throw their weight around. That is why they became code enforcers in the first place. Once you have the law you will know how to proceed.

 

[DragonEggs]

Here's our code

http://library6.municode.com/default-test/home.htm?infobase=11397&doc_action=whatsnew

If anyone has time to look and can find anything I migh have missed please let me know! Ive been through almost the whole thing and haven't found anything to support their claim.

The only thing I found was here at the bottom of the page where it says farm animals

http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/codeenforcement/protect.htm

I'm sorry but thats not conclusive enough.

 

[High Roost Ranch]

And another, probably what you are looking for directly:

Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control
Ordinance of 1998
http://www.pbcgov.com/publicsafety/animalcare/pdf/Ord98-22.pdf

Found in the Common Code Violations list for PBC:

Farm Animals:

Farm animals are prohibited in all residential zone districts. Those districts zoned as agricultural permit horses, chickens, pigs, goats and other such animals.​

 

[easttxchick]

I understand that you are in an unincorporated area, but what are you zoned?

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

If worse comes to worse, There are feral chickens in Fl. So maybe your town needs a free range flock!

 

[High Roost Ranch]

Even if you are in an unincorporated district, if you are zoned RESIDENTIAL that is where they have you cornered.

The other option is to try to apply for a variance. I don't know if they would grant one or not, since a neighbor has already complained.

And here is the 2009 Florida Right To Farm Act:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes...y_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0823/Sec14.htm

 

[jodief100]

We had a "free range" flock in my neighborhood for 2 years. An older gentleman passed away and his house sat empty for days. Someone noticed the chickens in the pen and let them loose. A Police Officer hit the rooster with a taser. Long story short, Chief of Police is a friend of mine and said officer was given a stern lecture and a warning.