[becca623]

My parents received this letter in the mail yesterday.

Dear Mr. Parsons,

The Zoning Office has received many calls complaining about the loud squawking of your Peacock Birds. I actually heard them while on the phone with one of your neighbors at 10:00 pm.

It is my opinion that these birds are a nuisance to your neighbors in that area. If this squawking continues I will ask the township Trustee's to officially declare them a nuisance and have them removed at your expense.

Thank you,
Pleasant Township Zoning Inspector
Dwain Williams



First of all, my parents do not have any peacocks. They have 2 female moluccan cockatoos that I gave them when I found out that I was deathly allergic to them. It is only one neighbor who is complaining. My parents live in the country on about .8 acres. These people moved in about 10 yrs ago and have been nothing but rude. My parents have lived there for over 30 yrs. These people live in a house at least 2-3 acres behind my parents. The birds are usually kept in my old bedroom which is at the very front of the house. In warm weather, the birds take turns spending time in an outdoor aviary right behind the house. My mom left one of them outside for a couple days because the weather was nice and the birds eat better and are much happier outside. I'm the one that encouraged her to let the bird stay outside. That had to be when the woman complained.
My mother called this Dwain guy who said that they can and will come shut my parents down. Then confiscate the birds. Okay, shut what down? My parents have two female birds. They don't do any breeding or selling. He told my mom she needs to keep them in the house with all the windows shut from now on. Even with the windows open I can barely hear the birds yell when I am in my parents front yard. It is impossible that they can hear the birds yell in my parents house from inside their house. My mom likes to open the windows to give the birds some fresh air. The one bird does sound off between 8 and 10 pm at night depending on what time the sun goes down.
This couple has planted trees all around my parents yard that my mom has to trim to keep them from killing her bushes that were there first. They sprayed poison all over the back portion of my parents property without even telling them. Their dogs come into my parents yard. The one is a large rot and has recently charged my mom in her yard on 2 occasions. My mom has a long list of issues that she has never complained about because she isn't that kind of person.
These people have a lot of money. The husband is the local fire chief. Our first introduction to them was a phone call at 10:30 pm one night threatening to call animal control and the sheriff because one of our dogs was barking. They have 3 large dogs that bark and run free. I personally saw one of them come well into my parents yard to steal a tennis ball.
My parents only have one other close neighbor. That neighbor owns a farm and has no problem with the birds. They have been there even longer than my parents. My parents have never had any problems with any neighbors before. 2 other families have lived in the home that these new people bought. The other neighbor (the wife) knows these people from church and has even apologized to my parents for their behavior saying that she had no idea these people were such trouble makers. Her husband knew these people were looking for a home in the country and did not want them moving in near him because he apparently had enough experience with them to know that they were like.
Is there anything my parents can do? Lots of people allow their parrots to go outside. Has anyone else had this kind of problem? Have any of you with aviaries had complaints like this? Are there any laws to protect my parents and their birds? It isn't fair that they are being bullied in this way. We could really use some advice. My mom is terrified that the birds will be taken from her. I am very angry. Because my parents aren't rich and these people are, the township is going to do what these people want. That's the way it works there unfortunately.
Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated and is needed. What happened to all Americans having equal rights? There is NO reasoning with these people. My mom and I both tried to years ago about the dogs. When it was mentioned that their dogs bark and come into my parents' yard, I was called a liar.
Thank you, Rebecca