Neighbor filed a warrant against me after she saw me with a camera yesterday!

kallan

Chirping
6 Years
Sep 18, 2013
102
7
79
Hardy, VA
I have a neighbor couple that acted so nice and told me where to put my coop, etc. and now has turned and filed a warrant yesterday for me to appear in court on June 25th. I was out with my camera yesterday, so this warrant may have been filed to protect them.

About a week ago, the husband stormed over here while I was working on the shed waving his arms and saying we had to do something about the rooster! He looked drunk. I told him I was working on it and he turned and went back home. At that time, it was a hen laying an egg, not the rooster.

Yesterday, the air horn started at 5:30am and continued until 7:30 when her husband left for work. The same "Shut the h.... up" and "Shut the f... up" continued on from his wife whenever a crow would start to emerge. One good thing is that the loud Steve FM music was not on today. They have an enclosed outdoor pool with speakers, etc. that has been blasting us since around the first week in April. While I was cleaning the coop yesterday morning, I noticed rocks scattered around. I did hear the run being shaken in the early morning hours, and when I checked to see if a large animal was trying to get into the run with my flashlight, I could not see anything. I have put up 8 polycarbonate panels at $33.00 a piece and if they are cracked, I will be upset.

This is the same neighbor we had come over and approve the site for the new shed and they thought it was good and suggested we go out back of the shed and attach the run to their fence instead of how I was going to do it. The husband said they were thinking of having one built like ours for storage except it would be larger 16' x 22'. He mentioned his mother-in-law didn't like the rooster, but everything bothered her. We have always been so respectful and kind to them. Given them books to read and given them eggs, etc. They have thousands of dollars of our electronic equipment that we may never get back. It is so sad that some people consider kindness as weakness and try to create havoc in your life. We have 4 acres here and I have grown attached to my chickens, but am thinking of giving up my beautiful SFH roo to have peace, but since the hens laying bothers them, too, I don't know now.

I am considering filing my own noise disturbance for cursing, loud music, air horn, etc. against them and also alert the authorities to the damage of the hurling rocks. I have ordered a game cam from amazon and should have that up in the next week or so. I am still waiting on a zoning map that shows my chickens are okay where they are. I am split zoned....AV- agricultural village and RI- residential.

Anyone else have this problem? Any suggestions on what I should do?


 
Gee I have no idea what to do, but I wish you the best of luck. Angry neighbors can be awful. Good idea with the game camera, I hope that if they are throwing stones or what not, you catch them in the act. Have you ever sound-recorded the air-horn and the swearing? That's a good start and you can do it simply and covertly with a smart phone.
 
Depending on your resources hiring a private investigator for a week to dig up every bit of dirt on your neighbors as they can may be the best way to gain the most leverage in the shortest amount of time.
 
I would start looking for the VA RTF act/laws. If you're zoned correctly the state RTF supersedes local codes but there is usually a period of time before you're grandfathered in. In NH if zoned correctly, no noise complaints have been filed within 1 year (of getting a rooster in this case) and there have been no "significant changes" then the complaintent is SOL.
 
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I would start looking for the VA RTF act/laws. If you're zoned correctly the state RTF supersedes local codes but there is usually a period of time before you're grandfathered in. In NH if zoned correctly, no noise complaints have been filed within 1 year (of getting a rooster in this case) and there have been no "significant changes" then the complaintent is SOL.
The planner emailed me the colored plat to show me how it runs. I am zoned AV--Agricultural Village and R1 for a smaller portion of my 4 acre property The coop is definitely sitting in the AV area. I need to research set back rules, etc. I've been scouring over the RTF laws...Boneta, etc. and has this even passed?....looks like some time in July? The officer that served me said I should maybe talk with animal control. Do you think they will take my birds? Do I need to get an attorney?
 
I got 12 hounds and had a dozen roosters each with 3 hens each, I feel yeah been dealing with neighbours for ever! If you coop has windows, put blinds on them. Keeps light out till you say it's morning, for your rooster.

Keep all rocks for court! Expecially if you don't have the same rocks on your property, looks like quarry rock , so your neighbours got a pile of it somewhere, take a pic of his rock pile for comarison/proof of origin. (his yard) . And deer cam good idea also!!

Your split farm/residential, property, is zoned for your needs, and fight it that way!!

I moved to comersial land once, (didn't know the zoneing ) and they bugged me till I moved, but your zoned for chickens, so fight it, even if you don't want to go threw it all. Or more laws that restric, may be put in place.

He could be charged with animal cruelty if he's caught throwing rocks at them.... Place camera acordingly, but not at there house so you don't get invasion of privacy.

Keep us posted either way it turns out, please.
 
I added a few more rocks to my dish today. As I was out at the coop, I noticed some boards missing on their fence and glanced through and saw about five rocks lined up on their secondary back fence railing....just like the ones I collected. Do you think it would it be okay to snap a photo of these rocks as long as I am on my property? They may be doing this to intimidate me.

I'll definitely keep you updated. Thanks for all the replies.
 
First off, I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. I can't imagine going through this with my chickens and goats. I thank my lucky stars that I live in the country and my only neighbors are family and their a 1/4 mile away.
I added a few more rocks to my dish today. As I was out at the coop, I noticed some boards missing on their fence and glanced through and saw about five rocks lined up on their secondary back fence railing....just like the ones I collected. Do you think it would it be okay to snap a photo of these rocks as long as I am on my property? They may be doing this to intimidate me.

I'll definitely keep you updated. Thanks for all the replies.
I would think that you could take as many photos as you want as long as it is on your property.

I agree that a game cam would be very benefitial OR even this : http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C9KOWA8/ref=oh_details_o05_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I have one that I used for watching my goats while at work, you can watch on your phone in real time and snap pictures.

Have you gotten any authorities involved? It seems like this person is unstable and wouldn't have problems hurling rocks at you or your family.
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Guy has the rocks piled , so he can run out an throw without, rock searching! There already lined up for him,

Would be my guess,
 
Get the game cam. IF they are throwing rocks at your coop that is just idiocy. What is that going to accomplish? idiots.
 

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