Week old chicks in my garage in Northern California--landlord says they have to go- Advice & HELP Pl

[joan1708]

where-ever you move, make sure you don't have a Home Owners Association to get in your way. I wish I had known about them before I moved into a neighborhood with an HOA.

 

[MsLisaG]

I am in CA too (very near Napa,) and we had a problem with a previous landlord, so I looked into the codes as well. The landlord MUST give you at least 48 hours notice before entering the property for any reason outside of an emergency (like flood or fire.) Also, unless it is stipulated IN WRITING in your rental agreement, she can't tell you that you can't have chicks in your garage. She can amend the rental agreement, but she cannot tell you no after the fact.

I'm glad you'll be getting away from her soon! Little old lady or not, she's violating the law at least 3 times per week - I would give her the what-for on the way out. It is her property, but you should not have to be subject to her constant harassment!

 

[California_chickie]

Thanks again for all the support you guys! I really appreciate it. Because it was a holiday weekend, I had the opportunity to have almost all of the chicks adopted. I took the rest to a friends house (so sad, because they really aren't getting the attention they deserve right now) and will try to get a better situation this week.

Here's a landlord update:
She refuses to speak to me now (which is great) and told my boyfriend so via email. She also said she would be back on Monday & the chicks need to be out the garage. So we scrubbed and cleaned in the morning, and took the extra chicks away by the afternoon. Ready for any inspection.
She never showed up.
Nice, huh?

Granted, it was a holiday weekend, but this has basically consumed my relationship with my boyfriend. He is at his limit! I feel badly for him, and don't want us to get evicted (even though she probably can't force us out before we'd leave anyways) so I am going to back off & not make a stink with the county. They are already very familiar with my landlord (she complains about EVERYTHING and has been a resident of the town for years) & are probably rolling their eyes about it today! I'm doing my research and getting prepared for the worst, but trying to maintain my sanity

I hope this week is less dramatic!


Thanks again for all the support!

 

[MsLisaG]

Well at least now you don't have to listen to her, haha!

On a serious note, I'm sorry her awful behavior has consumed so much of your time and life! So glad you'll be moving soon and it will all be behind you!

 

[Kikiriki]

I'm going to play good cop/bad cop....

First, a chick is a chicken as soon as it hatches.  So, by having chicks, you violated the 6 chicken law.  You would have to find out if the county minds if you hatch and sell chicks by a certain time.

Your landlady has every right to tell you that she doesn't want chicks in the garage.  It is her property.

However, she is outside of her rights by being in your lawn all the time.  I would make sure of that and tell her so.  I would also fight her every step of the way on the older chickens.  You have proof that she okay'd the chickens.  Since you are moving in 2 months, if she were to take you to court, I would point that out and ask for that amount of time.  I don't think she can force you to get rid of them since you obeyed her rules on keeping them enclosed.

The ones in the garage?  Find homes for what's left and don't hatch anymore until you are at your new place.  If you are renting there also, I would make sure of the rules before you begin again.  If it were your own home, you could hatch and sell out of your garage, no problem...but she owns the house and property.  That's where the problem arises.

Make sure you find out what landlord/tenant laws are in your area...but around here, the land owner can not just come and go as they please.

Typically livestock are counted as units: for example a cow is a unit, and a sheep is 1/6 of a unit and babies are always considered less than adults. Chicken limits may or may not follow that trend, but it something to consider because OP is over the limit. If there is a fine for overlimit quantities, then the chicks might count as one chicken or two chickens over limit. I agree with leadwolf that county/city might not count small number of chicks, but if you are selling them without having a business and following ag rules it could get messy... Worth checking up on that.

If the landlady said OP could have chickens and there is not a pet exclusion for the house/garage, then she cant say they cant be in the garage, or even in the house. Renter is always liable for damages, and usually have to pay extra for a pet security deposit. If they did that then the landlady has nothing to stand on, IMO. They may lose the deposit, though.

If it were me, I would just never open the garage!

I did wonder if she gave herself a clause in the contract to do the yard maintenance. Sounds like it, but OP could have complained about the lack of schedule, intrusiveness, and frequency and probably won.

The garage is certainly off limits to the landlady even if the contract allows her in the yard for yardwork as it is part of the house that locks and contains renters possesions.

She has no business snooping, however if the door is open and she can see right in, well... It is open for anyone to see.

In the four states where I have rented the landlord is not allowed to enter premises (unless invited) except once a year for inspection when the renter is home and the landlord must make an appointment. If renters cannot be home, they have to make provisions for the landlord to have access for the annual inspection.

Personally, I could not have lived with such a snoopy landlady. Not just the way she intruded on private gatherings, but can you imagine being in the middle of an afternoon nap and seeing her out the window! No way!

 

[Gryphon]

How much do you want to bet that the reason she went away storming about getting an inspector to come back with her, yet she never showed up with one is that she called them up griping about the situation, and they told her that she doesn't have a leg to stand on?

 

[joan1708]

Maybe a little dementia is involved also.