~ Retired and Starting My Future In The Foothills ~

[HHandbasket]

The neighbor's rental house has been empty since before Linda bought her house. It was empty when Linda first looked at her place. I don't think the house is really EMPTY, but nobody has been living in it this entire time.

Many folks have admonished Linda that it's time to talk to an attorney, but she's not gonna. She prefers to have amicable interaction with her neighbors. And after they stabbed her in the back, she still sold them eggs. Personally, I think if she just gets an attorney and they try to talk to her, all she will have to do is tell them, "Any further communication between you and myself will have to be through my attorney, as I am considering my options regarding this neighborhood harrassment which began before I even moved in. Here's his/her name and number."

Then let the attorney rip 'em a new one when they get him/her on the phone.

 

[dsqard]

Linda, I understand that you are trying to keep things amicable and are trying to be a good neighbor even after some of the neighbors have not been as kind in return. I know that you have to do what you have to do and that you have to live in the neighborhood and we (those of us giving you advice) do not have to live there. Advice is free and you can take it or leave it as you see fit. I do wish you would take one bit of advice though. I do wish you would at least consult with an attorney to find out what your rights are, what the liability of the real estate company is and how the law can be interpreted. I suggest all of this because I am concerned that the concessions you are making may be damaging your legal standings in the future. Just consulting with an attorney does not mean that you have to take any legal action it just means that you get important information. I am worried that this so-and-so neighbor, who claims that she won't be able to rent her house because of roosters crowing up the street even though from what HH has said the house has not been rented much even before you purchased your house, will continue her campaign to the point where you are not allowed to have chickens at all. Once she gets the board to make you get rid of all the roosters because of the "noise" problem, next it will be get rid of the geese and ducks for noise and after that it could be get rid of all of the chickens because of "smell". Now, Linda I know you take much better care of your animals than that but it is the perception that people have that if you have poultry they are going to smell. I am worried that this "neighbor" is nothing but a bully and won't be happy until you are not allowed to have any birds. I might be wrong but in making concessions now to keep the peace, I am worried that you could be hurting your cause. By getting rid of most of your roosters, are you "agreeing" that the law means that you shouldn't have chickens? By making concessions and staying on the property, are you releasing any liability the real estate agency may have by not fully researching the laws before you bought the property? I don't know the answers to these questions but a lawyer would. Please consider speaking to one. We are all pulling and praying for you Linda. BTW, as I said, advice is free and if you don't take a bit of it from us, it is your life to live and not a single one of us will love you less.

 

[speckledhen]

I would not give or sell eggs to anyone now in that n'hood, mainly because, with that bunch, anyone could say they contracted salmonella by eating your eggs, trying anything they can to get you into hot water. I wouldn't trust anything any one of them said at this point. And yes, I would let an attorney do my talking for me from here on out. I only care about amicable relations with my neighbors as far as they care-and yours don't.

 

[jamesbwood]

Looks great to me!

 

[sourland]

Posts #1501,1502,1503 all provide sound advice and a course of action. Sometimes nice is perceived as a weakness.

 

[Glasshen]

I agree about the idea of consulting with an attorney. Maybe a consult is all you will need to do, have someone who can look at the situation with a knowledge of what things mean that are written or even just customary. And there are good lawyers. BUT I would caution on choosing someone who is NICE. A nice one may be fine to talk with, but you want an attorney who can turn into a 600 pound gorilla when need be. On your behalf. The nice ones won't stand up for you when need be.

I too believe in getting along with my neighbors, and all has gone well for me here, but one worries me, and so I have made the decision to keep my flock small, and not have any roosters. That one would like nothing better than to meet up with the other neighbors and complain about me...and I have 14 acres, seems like there should not be an issue about what I have, ever. People.

But, in your situation, a consult at least is the way to go.

 

[HHandbasket]

Linda wants to let her retired neighbors and the other neighbors continue to screw her. Lewis and I love her way too much to continue to watch.

We're done. If she doesn't want to do anything about the back-stabbing people that screwed her, that's her business.

 

[hemet dennis]

Linda wants to let her retired neighbors and the other neighbors continue to screw her. Lewis and I love her way too much to continue to watch.

We're done. If she doesn't want to do anything about the back-stabbing people that screwed her, that's her business.

When they try to take her to court for lost rent due to her chickens they will have the decision of the county on their side. That's why she should defend her rights now. If she doesn't stand up now it will be harder later.
Call a lawyer tell them everything that has happened so far and what they think she should do. Then she can take their advise or not it's a free consult.
Hope all have a great long weekend.

 

[HHandbasket]

She says she won't let it get to that point, but I tried telling her last night, it's AT that point. It's been AT that point since the first time those people filed a complaint against her before she even moved into her house just because they heard (from the same neighbors that stabbed her in the back) that the lady that bought that house had chickens! She hadn't even physically moved in yet when the original complaint was filed, and the only "chickens" in the house was a handful of about 6 chicks in a brooder in one of the bedrooms. They filed the complaint on July 13th of last year and here we are nearly a year later & they're still harrassing her.

The real estate agent needs to buy her property back and reimburse her for all the $$$ she has put into it. They need to find her a suitable property where she can have her flock. I sat with her right there in the real estate agent's office with her when she bought this house and when she first met the realtor, and Linda was really clear with the realtor that it was necessary for her to have her chickens unimpeded, period, with any property she bought. She didn't "hint at it", didn't beat around the bush about it, didn't leave anything open to interpretation.... just told the agent straight up about the flock and that as much as she loved the house, she didn't want it if she couldn't have her chickens there and would continue to look at other properties. They sold it to her anyway, and it has been a fight ever since. And it's FAR from over.

Linda's a smart lady. She will work it out, I have no doubt. I just hate watching her get screwed... she does NOT deserve any of this.

(Well, she does deserve her lovely little slice of heaven there....)

 

[Casey3043]

It always bothered me that the first complaint was made before she even moved in, and had no chickens there except those tiny chicks. Obviously they were peeking in windows, or maybe someone called the realtors with questions.

Linda, you are being too nice for your own good! Much as you would hate to pick up and move again, maybe that is the answer. Of course, that's easy for us to say, not being the ones that have to do it. I hope it doesn't come to that. Only you can decide how much it means to you to have the flock of your choosing, including roosters, and to be left in peace by the neighbors.

You love that place and have put a lot of money into it. You have the right to peaceful enjoyment of your property. Seems like it IS time for some serious legal action, either against the neighbors or against the realtors. The sticking point being, which side is the county on? By the way, what have the realtors had to say? From what they said before (at the last hearing) about the amount of money at stake, I think they realize they are at fault.

Have the neighbors on the OTHER side (not the retirees, which I think are on the left, but on the right side as you face the house) said anything? How about anyone else on the street? Or is it just the one person with the rental house?

I hope this can be settled to everyone's satisfaction, but to be honest, I don't see that complaining woman being satisfied with just a reduction in rooster numbers. Even one rooster will be a problem for her.

Please keep us informed. God bless.