[goldfishgold]

I have no problem with backyard chickens but I do dislike this issue being used by libertarians as a wedge. Property rights shouldn’t be sacrosanct over and above reasonable restrictions by the broader community.

[tptacek]

That's true, but "neighbors have a veto over whether you can do X" is an untenable way to manage those property rights. A bigger city would codify limits on what you can do with waterfowl or whatever. Douglas doesn't even have a city attorney.

[makeitdouble]

The charitable take would be that chickens are otherwise forbidden, but having all your neighbors approval grants an exception.

Reading the article I wouldn't assume her city to be in that position, but the system itself can have merits depending on how it's deployed.

[TulliusCicero]

Exactly. It's nonsense to have a law that says, "you can do X on your property unless someone, anyone objects". Imagine if other laws all worked that way. Oh, you can drive whatever speed you want, unless someone else on the road with you has a problem with it!

[chimpansteve]

I guess it depends. There's been a major issue in the UK for a while regarding quite a few very iconic, decades old, live music venues. Back in the day they were in less salubrious areas of town so no one really cared, but now they're prime property with very expensive flats being put up all around them.

Many of the new residents never even do so much as even visit the area before buying them, and then immediately (and sadly often successfully) put in noise complaints attempting to get the venues shut down, despite the already strict licensing laws (curfew at 10.30 at the absolute latest, no outside drinking etc).

[TulliusCicero]

That's the kind of situation where I think both sides are kinda right. I see what you're getting at here, but from the other side, it's reasonable for people to be bothered by loud noise where they live. If it was gonna be a problem, the real answer is that the government shouldn't have permitted housing right next to places that are gonna stay loud. Or maybe mandated stricter soundproofing requirements for flats.

[TulliusCicero]

I can understand having restrictions against chickens in an area, but "you can do this unless a single neighbor objects" is a crazy way of handling it imo.

[MiddleEndian]

Yeah. The FDA exists for some level of food safety and that's fine over-all. even if they sometimes make mistakes in one direction or another.

But my neighbors can't randomly veto my lunch. That would be absurd lol

[TulliusCicero]

I don't see the issue you see here. It seems like the city fucked things up and is now penalizing the woman to cover up their own incompetence. One would think that any sensible person would object to this, not just libertarians.

[umanwizard]

The city fucked up by accidentally telling her she was allowed to have chickens when in fact she’s not.

[tptacek]

Not really? Under the city's rules, she's not allowed to have backyard chickens. She's refusing to get rid of them, and recurring fines are how cities respond to that. (I'm aware there's a claim the city mismanaged its rules).

[cynicalpeace]

Incurring your neighbor $200,000 in costs for having 7 chickens is a "reasonable restriction"

[pfdietz]

So, you can't accept when libertarians are right?