Neighbor Claims my chickens have given her husband Histoplasmosis

[OhZark Biddies]

...Record her (audio) with a cell phone in your pocket upside down, all conversations. You will soon have enough for a harassment lawsuit and can probably do it for little or nothing in a small claims court. Easy enough to have her served with a restraining order and no trespass. Not sure where you are but it can be done here.

Psst... just FYI...your state is a “two party consent” state... so I think you have to tell the other party you’re recording them for it to be legal ...

... the OPs state is “one party consent” ... so i think it’d be legal there ...

...note my law degree came in a box of Honeycomb cereal 30 years ago... so grain of salt ... etc

 

[21hens-incharge]

Well, she was just looking over my fence! Nothing has been said but when she saw me she ducked out.

Oh how I despise nosey neighbors.
I cannot even begin to understand why people have to harass others.

I hope everything gets settled amicably.

 

[Henriettamom919]

Leave a notebook with your house sitter so she/he can document any interaction and maybe just pop in to the police station, let them know of your concerns and get a business card to leave with your sitter in case this woman pounces on your absence.

 

[Matzwd]

Well, she was just looking over my fence! Nothing has been said but when she saw me she ducked out.

Is there anything you can attach a game camera to so that it's right in front of her when she peeks over? Even a dummy camera would be funny.

 

[Acre4Me]

That sounds horrible! I hope it doesn’t escalate to that degree. I’m going to try to be pleasant but I’m doing my research. We are going away this weekend and I fear she’ll call someone before we get our ducks in a row and my pet sitter will have to deal with it:/

I’m ordering cameras for my backyard, didn’t think we needed them but now I feel we should.

Most neighbor issues don't escalate much anyway. Neighbors dislike each other, grumble, etc. But don't go really any further than that as no-one really wants to spend that much time and energy on stupid neighbor stuff, let alone going the formal legal route for minor stuff. Of course, sometimes there really are issues that need to be followed through and sometimes issues are created...a little like *might* be happening here. However, you are correct to keep it mild and pleasant. Any questions she may ask only answer with the fewest and least informative words so that there is nothing else to be gotten from the conversation. Cameras are good. Chicken sitter should not reply or respond to anything, but should text you updates!


Another story: My older mom lives on a street with about 15 other homes, and she has lived there 10+ years. She had some really good/helpful/friendly neighbors across the street. They were married, employed, had a few kids, busy and nice family and would invite my mom over for dinner sometimes, would help her out sometimes with minor tasks (change lightbulb too high for her, etc). Husband comes down with Bells palsy - this will resolve itself and is not life-threatening, just somewhat inconvenient. His case was mild - and he was not impacted by any lasting effects. I was visiting my mom (I live in another state) and neighbor wife comes over to chat, say Hi, etc. I've met her before - she is friendly, active, helpful. I just mentioned that my mom had a very mild case of shingles a few months prior and was glad it was mild and she was all better - I was just chatting as I figured she knew that my mom had the shingles. All of a sudden this neighbor (who I've indicated is nice, friendly, helpful, and not unbalanced) literally says "I wonder if her shingles is why my husband got Bells palsy?" (or similar statement) She actually rushed off right after this and I immediately went in to let my mom know what happened. NOW she (my mom) reprimands me that she never told neighbor of her shingles bc it was mild and neighbor didn't need to know (just a thought: my mom could have told me this first, don't ya think?). In the end, nothing came of it as shingles and Bells palsy do not interact/cause/worsen each other, BUT neighbor did interrogate my mom and did investigate this avenue (but did nothing as there was no basis and maybe would not have done anything - who knows). Should mention that as nice, helpful, etc those neighbors were - they are the type of people (particularly the wife) always focused on money and how to get more. They are quite well off, so not in need of money - they just really like to have as much as they can. In the end - my mom is still friends with these people, they have moved a couple miles away, but are still helpful and friendly. You really never know what someone's motivation is and to what extent they will go to achieve the goal they have.

 

[50-45-1]

I actually was diagnosed with histoplasmosis when i was in my late 20's.
I did not even know i was sick, thats how not bad it was. The scar tisue was found on a routine chest xray.
Even though we have had chickens here on the farm my entire life. My doctor thought it was more than likely contracted from the bats and bat guano that liked to summer in our huge old farm barn.
Alot of leople get it and never know it. Some have mild flu like symptoms. Its a fungas and is prevelent in humid areas. I dident even have a runny nose.
I still have chickens and clean my coop on a regular basis. Sit out in my coop for hours and love every minute of it. I am not worried.
I am sorry your neighbor is such a stupid waco. She may think she is defending and protecting her husband. some people there is just no reasoning with.
Your chickens are not a threat to her or her husband or your neighborhood.
I

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

Sounds like your neighbor isn’t afraid to do something drastic. I would advise putting locks on all access points of your coop.

 

[room onthebroom]

IMO I wouldn't engage this woman at all. Don't even talk to her.

-Write down everything weird that she does with date & time.

-Make sure your cameras are not recording her property & put a 'smile you're on camera' sign in your yard.

-If she comes on your property again tell her that you are calling the police & reporting her for harassment.

-Don't volunteer any fungal info to the other neighbors. Smile at them, wave, be friendly. They will see that you are nice & the other lady is crazy.

-Lock all chicken doors.

Good luck this weekend.

 

[Snappytom]

I'd ask for actual doctor paperwork, diagnosing from WedMD is a incredibly dumb thing to do... it always tell you that you're going to die or something even if you have a minor cold. I would get a vet involved, I would also start looking for lawyers in case she's crazy enough to bring legal action against you. I'm in shock that some people are this uneducated, but it's kind of how the world runs now... Everyone is looking to cause drama or get money.

Get a notebook and time/date everything. It'll help you on the long run with someone like her. I wouldn't move anything to be honest, sounds like her panties are in a twist about you having chickens so she's trying to do anything to get rid of them

Her husband may actually be sick from the chicken coup dusts travelling in the air when it is being cleaned and breathing it in. It can happen. Very rare, but not medically or scientifically impossible. I personally would just move my coup as far away from these neighbours as you can. That way it is far less probable she can use close proximity or airborne fungus or histoplasmosis etc, as a way to get at you. She might be a really nice person just trying to protect her family's health. Which is natural to do. Whether she is right or wrong, I would just move the coup and have no more spoken of it. It would not feel good to have a rare incident with your poultry make someone ill, perhaps even gravely. Ask yourself is it worth the stress of having a potentially sick or very upset neighbour, because of your poultry, or can you just get the chooks away from her and ignore anything else she tries unless she presents hard evidence. Your animals are your responsibility, as are the relevant bio responsibilities. If there is even a remote chance this is the cause of her husband's illness, it shows a bit more humanity to just get it all away from her, then she will have to leave the matter be, no more fuel for her aggravation and you can both get along in a more peaceful and neighbourly way. Why people park poultry hutches and runs too close to neighbours always puzzles me. It is asking for complaints and problems. The smells, the noise, the dust when being cleaned travelling through the air, some humans are very sensitive to poultry and others are not at all, but both sides matter, and also chooks bring a higher potential of attracting rats and snakes, the possibly of illnesses etc. Lots of reasons neighbours may not want the poultry to be what they consider as too close. The poultry should be closest to the owners, not the neighbours. It is more peaceful that way. I see I am in this chat with fierce chook lovers, so forgive my contrary opinion. Peace with neighbours, good neighbourly and community relationships are more important than defending poultry in my view.

 

[ColdWind]

Don’t overthink this, if you are positive that you’re well within your ordinance. Your neighbors have no recourse other than maybe the arduous task of changing the ordinance.
This is simply strong-arming because they don’t like your birds.
What’s next, we don’t like your tomatoe plants because they give my husband heartburn?
I’d advise them and anybody that doesn’t have a formal subpoena on the matter to ‘please get off my property’.
Don’t let people walk on you, especially for following the rules!