Someone keeps making complaints about my chickens! (Update post #222!)

[barredrockmama]

I would just go door to door and ask (maybe with a dozen eggs as a gift). If you confront the problem head on, they'll have to be real about it. If not, it's their own problem. That sucks that they had the health inspector come out. Not cool. Neighbors today are not what they used to be.

 

[scbatz33]

Andora, have you gotten anywhere with CE yet? Just wondering....good thoughts flowing your way!

 

[McCord6]

ARGH! I HATE NEIGHBORS! One reason why hubby and I moved to the country but don't get the wrong idea, we have neighbor problems too!

Our neighbor has blocked off a road claiming it is their property. They will not allow us to use the road to access to and from our home. Law Enforcement were no help at all, some say that he can do that, some say he can't. Well, we had to make a private road, very bumpy and annoying, through the woods just to get to our house. The road we created is so dangerous! Curves are tight and the road is so bumpy, we fear for our baby coming!
The Sheriff department just told us that we need to take him to court. They will not help us out at all! And now they have completely fenced off the entire area, blocking yet ANOTHER road that is also connected to that one and has opened the main road up ONLY for their use!!!!!!! They have also fenced up where the road enters my property. We been struggling with them for over a year. Also I have a weird L shape property line that boarders theirs. They tried to CLAIM my small 2 acres area where my donkey is penned at, as THEIR PROPERTY! My land lady's family have had this property WAY WAY WAY before they even moved in (almost 65 years now, they only lived there for 6 YEARS! I lived here for a year).
My land lady is highly thinking of giving us the 2 acres plus another 8 acres of land but she doesn't want to hand the land to us until that matter is taken care of.


I know how law enforcement are NOT what they are supposed to be. Like you, I have to go through this crap and junk and it's a real pain! I got chicks now and they have a whole FLOCK already as well as goats. Im going to get all my chickens taken to a local farmer's place to have them titled and all that way he CANNOT claim any of my babies as HIS OWN!

I want goats! They are so cute but hubby said NO cuz of THEM!!!!

We also have gotten the law documents and legal aids but no help. All I can say is like many others have said, get a lawyer, that's the only way to make it go away. I wish I had the $$$ for one, and thanks for someone who just mentioned going to a law school. My husband works for a company that does the constructions at UF, Im going to ask him to check out UF law School and see if they can help us out. Suggest you to do the same.

 

[KDbeads]

McCord..... you need a land surveyor with property dispute trial experience. You'll need the most recent legal description for the property you are on and ALL neighboring properties (tax office and public records in the county land office), the surveyor will pull up all old deeds as well to verify the land in question wasn't deeded out/in at some point. It can take a year or more between the lawyers even after the surveyor does his thing and then it could still go to court. BUT it's worth it.

 

[sundance]

Did I read n one of the posts that you DH was without a job at the present time, If so call Legal Aid, they are supposed to help , unemployed, low income and everyone else up to a certin point, don't know what it is but call them they may be able to help you or refer you to a lawyer who will do it pro bono just for the publicity of it. won't cost any more than a phone call, and I agree put up a web cam, and security light, this family sounds crazy, and I think you have a right to be afraid, maybe you can sue them for harressment, and harm to both you and your familys health goodluck marrie

 

[chixie]

I have no faith in legal aid... my friends husband ran off with her 4 children in the middle of a divorce and the wouldn't help her and she had to get back with her husband to get her kids( she worked for min.wage at a gas station)

 

[agnes_day]

legal aid will give you advice, but they arent going to go to court with you or anything, unfortunately.

 

[Andora]

It's all resolved now!!!

My husband called the supervisor over the code enforcers and everything is all worked out. The supervisor actually has a fully functioning brain, thankfully, unlike some of those code enforcement officers.

The chickens do not have to be caged. They don't even have to be in a pen. All that matters is that they can't get off of your property.

The supervisor said that he will make sure no one comes to reinspect on Friday, because there is nothing to inspect.

He also agreed to call my husband anytime anonymous neighbor makes another complaint so that they can schedule a time to come out and meet with him to discuss it. That means no more surprise visits, thank God. So it's clear they aren't allowed on to our property without calling DH first. In case anyone was wondering, you CAN deny them access to your property unless they have a search warrant.

Also there is some question about the picture the code enforcer took of three chickens. We haven't seen the picture, but the supervisor implied that the three chickens are in our yard, just not in the pen. So the entire basis of the original anonymous complaint might not even have any evidence. Anyway, that doesn't matter now since the entire issue is settled. I just thought it was kind of funny, in hindsight.

Thanks everyone for all your help!!

I'll post again on the thread if we get anymore complaints or anything else interesting happens with the hateful neighbor.

By the way, BluegrassSeramas, your suggestions made my DH and I laugh really hard. It would be hilarious to do a survey asking about people's opinions on something like urban homesteading and backyard chickens.

 

[Wifezilla]

 

[chixie]

I am so happy that it is working out for you