Ontario, Foul roommate reported us!

[KulturaGlass]

Apparently we picked a true rotten egg a few months ago. The tenant is being evicted today, but between now and a week ago when he was given the news of his eviction...

Someone opened the coop door early one morning and let all 24 adult girls run free through both backyards, into an empty pool and almost out to the street. Luckily we had someone awake to save them. One girl never came home though.

That night - either through coop tampering, or because of the parade of chickens that day, SEVEN poor ladies were massacred.

Then he finally called bylaw on us. Or perhaps he phoned earlier in the week and hoped they'd arrive to find wandering chickens or bodies everywhere?

Anyway... I don't know what to do. I'm tempted to hide 2 of the big chickens, and our 10 teenagers, because bylaw wouldn't have known they were locked in the back of the coop.. But then what? I'm guessing bylaw will check in and I can't keep them at the house anymore.

I definitely want to try to press charges for animal cruelty, or negligence, or endangering. They're not legally /my/ chickens though, so I don't think I can. Also, bylaw would have a record saying he called, but all we'd have is that and motive. No definitive proof.

Any advice? Any magical underground chicken havens I don't know about?

 

[Teery]

Ontario California? or Canada?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

If chickens are not legal where you live, then you shouldn't have them. Yes, fight to change the ordinance or zoning code, but wait until you have done so to get birds. Now I am confused since you also say the chickens are not yours...if they are not yours, then why are they in a coop in your yard, and why do you seem to feel responsible for them?
As for roommate issues, make you you follow legal requirements for eviction. In most cases you cannot evict that quickly, and you must have a reasonable cause. Suspicion of opening a coop and letting out animals that must belong to someone, but apparently not you is probably not resonable. PROOF and EVIDENCE might be. There is too much unknown information to really tell.

 

[Teery]

If chickens are not legal where you live, then you shouldn't have them. Yes, fight to change the ordinance or zoning code, but wait until you have done so to get birds. Now I am confused since you also say the chickens are not yours...if they are not yours, then why are they in a coop in your yard, and why do you seem to feel responsible for them?
As for roommate issues, make you you follow legal requirements for eviction. In most cases you cannot evict that quickly, and you must have a reasonable cause. Suspicion of opening a coop and letting out animals that must belong to someone, but apparently not you is probably not resonable. PROOF and EVIDENCE might be. There is too much unknown information to really tell.

So proof and evidence applies?