My neighbor HATES my chickens and is harassing us!!

[flowerchicks]

I have 5 full size hens, 3 pullets and 4 serama hens. I have lived on this property most of my life (my parents bought it 43 years ago when this town wasn't even incorporated and had no city zoning), it is 7/8 of an acre and zoned rural residential. In my lifetime, my little PRIVATE road has been home to chickens, horses, turkeys, goats, peacocks, and even a cow, if I recall. Now, my little town has been taken over by city transplants and has a 2 chicken rule. My husband spoke with our neighbor 4 years ago and asked him if the chickens bothered him and he said, not at all, he doesn't even hear them. Since then My crazy psycho neighbor has been to my house twice complaining about them making too much noise, telling me to get rid of it or kill it, he doesn't care, it's annoying and disrupting the neighborhood. In 3 years, I have rehomed 3 roosters (hatched) and 2 hens (noisy) and am taking a cockerel (was supposed to be a sexed pullet

) to a farm tomorrow. I have a serama cockerel and hen that live in the garage that I am trying to re-home. I have bent over backwards to please this jerk.

It gets better. Last Friday morning, my husband had to go looking for our dogs in our yard. They were over by his fence, he was on the other side with some other guy, and my dog was eating COOKED CHICKEN BONES!! My husband confronted him, holding the bone over the fence, and he denied he did it. There is NO other person who could have. His only response was "I called the city and you can only have 2 chickens, just 2 chickens". Well, today, I called the city to find out what is involved in getting a permit for more than 2 chickens. They pulled up our address and confirmed that because of the size of our property, we can get a permit for more than 2 chickens (would probably be big enough for 12-15 if I wanted them). I am going to get it submitted this week and pay the $200+ fee, and wait the 2-3 wekks for the permit. It is totally worth it to get this guy off my back. Once I get the permit I can relax and actually enjoy coming home without worrying if he has turned us in or complained to another neighbor.

The application doesn't say that it will contact neighbors before approving the permit, but after reading another post, I am afraid they will. I can only imagine what he will tell them. You practically have to be an engineer to apply as it is, submitting 10 copies of a site plan scaled to size showing the entire property and buildings and where the chickens/coop will be. They are way over the minimum 75 ft away from the neighboring houses, so that shouldn't be a problem. He just HATES the sounds they make. At this point, he has a vendetta against us. What he obviously doesn't realize is, 2 hens aren't going to be much quieter than 5 or 8 hens. They are still going to make their "hen" noises. And the ironic part, it is my 13oz serama hen that he is complaining about the most.

I don't know if he has turned us in or not, but he is definitely harassing and threatening us, and endangering our dogs. I am so stressed out by this guy. I HATE that I let him get to me, but I feel trapped in a corner until I can get a permit. And now, we have to worry about what he is tossing over the fence to hurt our dogs.

What is wrong with people that they make it their life's mission to make other people miserable!

 

[JNB]

I'm really sorry to hear about all of the trouble your having. I'm sure its very stressful for you. I wish I had some helpful advice. Laws and guidelines are different in every state, city, area. Its good that you have contacted the city and are working on the permit status. I wish you luck dealing with the difficult neighbor!!

 

[TXchickmum]

I'm wondering about the first part of your post. If your area permitted livestock and chickens (was rural), and had no ordinances against these things then you may have another option. Our town was completely rural 15-20 years ago. It is now suburbia with patches of rural space. Folks that owned property and had livestock and/or chickens prior to the new "city" codes/ordinances were grandfathered in and allowed to keep their animals. We have one instance where a row of homes backs up to a small goat farm. A few people complained about the goats at their back fences, and subsequently the city council backed the owners of the goat farm. (The owners of the farm used to own all of the land on which the neighborhood is developed.)

Anyway, good luck with your situation. I certainly hope that you are quickly approved for the permit and can live in peace with your chickens.

 

[poodlechicks]

Hi Flowerchicks,
So sorry to hear about what your neighbor is doing to your family (and that includes the chicks and dog). The only advice I can give you is to document every incident. Write down in detail every phone call and every encounter you have with this neighbor. It might be useful in case he decides to go to court. If you can install a security camera on your side of the fence, do so for the sake of your dog. I believe they are legal, as I know of a dog breeder who has them installed in her yard to monitor her dogs while away at work.

Best of luck to you. I do hope your neighbor finds something else to do with his life other than pick on others.

 

[Fireantz iceman]

Happened here in NC with me but we are rural residential so we can have all animals we want but my neighbor.... who built next door to my nursery and knew what was there was relentless at complaining.

So the planning board zones me agribusiness to make sure I was OK but she still complained. So, I am now a federally protected USDA farm...exempt from county and state ordinances as far as buildings, equipment and animals. Even if the city annexes my property I remain as a farm!

Don't mess with a 50 year old dad of three year old twins....I can handle anything!""!