My big fat chicken fight

[texasgal]

Reading this for the first time .. you remind me of my daughter .. she has some social phobias..

I don't think she would have been as brave as you .. so I'm very PROUD of you!!

You rock!

 

[littlegorb]

well thank you! i do not want to fight, but i have to. and now it's a matter of principle. i try to live a self sustaining lifestyle, and i do not bother anybody.
some people cannot stand to see somebody like me minding their own business, and being happy in their surroundings. it may bother them that i'm not at the local cafe everyday drinking coffee and gossipping about others. that's just mean, but apparantly natural behaviour for some personality types. they thrive on other's misery.
this is as social as i get. i communicate much better if i can write it, otherwise, i sound totally retarted trying to get my point across.
social phobia is very real, and i don't think it ever goes away.
i think one problem i have is that i am nice. so opportunists will take advantage, naturally. so i shut my phone off, don't answer the door. i have no use for them. i do, however, encourage my children to just be themselves, and they are way more outgoing.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

The Fair Housing Act generally deals with illegal discrimination related to housing. Which is more common in landlord tenant disputes, although home purchases would also be covered. As I said, a good attorney might be able to make a winning argument that zoning issues are subject to the Fair Housing Act. One thing attorneys are very good at is locating and finding rulings in similar situations that seem applicable. Much of law is based upon precedence: previous rulings.

Regardless of the fact that the neighbor's property is for sale, as long as he holds title his opinion matters. One of his arguments may well be that he feels that you are bringing down property values, and making it harder for him to sell. I don't think statistics would bear that out, but he may certainly feel that way.

When you say the EOC accepted your complaint, does that mean that they agreed to file suit to protect your rights, to investigate your complaint or simply logged it into their records?

In defense of your city council member, regulating zoning density and zoning districts is very much the perogerative and responsibility of a city council. Certainly there are processes that need to be followed to be fair to all those involved. Specifically, if you are changing the current rules for something already in existence, some form of grandfathering protections come into play.

ADA is not about your home, it is about your having the rights of accessing public places via reasonable accommodations, or having the right to hold a job regardless of a disability (there are some reasonable limits on this: you must actually be able to perform the job).

 

[littlegorb]

if the NEOC finds the city in violation, which they are actively investigating my complaint, then i will get a lawyer. for now the state is handling it. so i have to trust in them to find for me or the city.

fyi, the neighbors who are selling their house are asking atleast 3 times the value of all the neighboring homes. people like that get all of our taxes raised. so good riddance to the hoity toities. they mow their yard 2 or 3 times a week, use tons of chemicals on it just to make it look perfect. i do have a problem with that, as they cause cancer and waste water. (they have golf course grass).

i am trying to advocate a more natural and self sustaining lifestyle. to each their own.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Don't get me wrong, I applaud your efforts to make chickens legal in your town. I'm just throwing my two cents in as to the grounds where it seems likely that you will have a chance versus wasting time arguing things that are unlikely to have an affect.

If you can get the EOC to agree with your positions and back you in court, you've come pretty close to winning the fight. If not, I think your best plan is file for variance, attempt to get the ordinance changed or to hire an attorney, arguing that the previous ruling violates the Fair Housing Act; in that order.

 

[weaveagarden]

I am subscribing to this because I am fighting a similar situation. I am disabled and have found my chickens to be help with my stress too. I also feel that they fit the bill for my religious beliefs which call for being one with the earth. A sustainable lifestyle is I believe what everyone learns about when they climb the mountains in Tibet to ask "what is the meaning of life?" . (I am sure that would be hard to prove, but it makes perfect sense to me.)

Good luck!!! And don't forget to keep us updated!

 

[littlegorb]

i do appreciate your input Sonoran. and i do need all the help i can get. no word from NEOC today, she was on vacation last week so hopefully in the next day or so she will call me with plan B.

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[littlegorb]

it's sad that such a natural way has gone to the wayside, all in the name of "progress". horticultural therapy has proven to be very effective in treating disabilities, and chickens just fall into the category quite nicely. i am in a horrible custody battle for my daughter, and meanwhile my garden and girlies have given me comfort. they always have. i want my children to be part of that because, like me, they love it! even my "cool" teenager likes to wrangle the girls, and talk and listen to them. he likes the way they say "barawk"! too funny. but yes, i keep an eye on my blood pressure and my stress level, and they really do help with both, besides providing me with sustenance. i have been making pickles for 2 weeks! now come the maters. since having to relocate my girls, i drive 40 mile roundtrip to see them, and gather their eggs. it's worth it. don't ever let anybody make you feel like you are crazy for having chickens. it's a very natural existence we have with them, and have had for thousands of years. thank goodness for this forum, alot of good will come from it.

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[ChickyGM]

My thoughts and prayers are with you. I also find my chickens to be wonderful at helping relieve anxiety and stress. I hope you win your case and am behind you all the way.

 

[littlegorb]

thanks Chicky! we all have to stick together.