Reptile owners - Stay away from Mooresville, NC

Thank you, Elizabeth. I appreciate it.

Lucille, the restrictions were relayed from Iredell County Animal Control. I have checked now, both on Iredell County AND the town of Mooresville and I cannot find ANYTHING about the care and housing of reptiles. I have only found the state requirements, which I not only meet, but exceed.

Thank you, Donna!

If the county or city can't show city or county codes/laws in writing then they don't have a leg to stand on. They cannot make stuff up. Ask for codes in writing. If they can't show it, I would continue to do what is allowed and make them come up with code/laws to stop you. If they decide to pass code after you've been doing business, be sure to get grandfathered in. Show up at all city/county meetings to keep up with whatever they are planning on doing.

And I'm a bit vindictive when it comes to getting hosed, so I would do a bit of research on who owns what in the city/county to possibly dig up info to use against them.

How about a call to your local governor? They would want to know about cities/counties trying to enforce codes/laws that don't exist.

I'm right there with you, Melinda. Now that the hurt has passed, the pissed has kicked in.
I'm going to take your advice and get as involved as possible. I'll put in a call to the governor's office also. Hopefully the state positions aren't "ornamental" like the town ones are.

I also found out that if I go ahead and get the licenses that they are wanting now, my lovely neighbors could complain all they want, but it won't accomplish anything. But the best news? Theres a good chance I could get animals that regular residents would not be allowed to have.
Baby Caimans, anyone?

(Just kidding... But, its tempting to put something like that on the website just to make the old bitties have a heart attack, you know?)

You can call the city and countyand ask them to cite the statutes on which they based their requirements to you. You can let them know that not only are you contacting the state, but you are giving this matter as much publicity as possible. (Call some reptile publications, local papers, etc.)
If in fact there are no statutes behind their requirements you can bite back hard now.
Sometimes small town officials have delusions of grandeur and will step all over anyone who lets them. Don't let them.
If I can help, let me know.

Thank you, Lucille. I'll keep everyone posted.

Here are links to Iredell County ordinances relative to Animals. It's quite a read, but you may be able to use it to your benefit.

http://library.municode.com/HTML/120...OOR_CH3AN.html


Below is Code 3-8 - Offenses. 3-8(h) may pertain to you.
http://library.municode.com/HTML/120...R_CH3AN_S3-8OF

Thank you, Laura.
All laws pertain to venomous and constricting snakes over 10 feet in length.
My largest is 7'10" and I STILL have her in a large, locked and secured Vision cage.
I'm going to print these out and highlight the specific areas pertaining to my animals.

Well... Found the fly in the ointment.
The legal term that can kill anything: includes, but not limited to

(2)
Exotic animals dangerous to humans and property. Exotic animals are also considered to be inherently dangerous for purposes of this chapter. Like wild animals, exotic animals are dangerous because of their vicious propensities and capabilities, the gravity of harm inflicted by their attack, and unpredictability despite attempts at domestication. The category of exotic animals includes, but is not limited to:

a.Reptiles which are poisonous or constricting reptiles more than ten (10) feet in length.

b.Nonhuman primates weighing greater than twenty-five (25) pounds.

c.Members of the feline family other than domestic house cats, including, but not limited to lions, tigers and leopards.

d.Reptiles that are members of the crocodile family, including, but not limited to alligators and crocodiles.

Now we are getting threatening letters from the property manager even though our reptiles are ON THE LEASE.
This has gotten completely out of hand. After today's fiasco, this is the letter I've sent to Mayor Chris Montgomery and the Town Commissioners.

I've contacted the newspaper. They don't want to listen. If anyone knows of any media avenue that could get our story out there, please have them contact me. If this can happen to me, it can happen to any one of us. This is SUPPOSED to be one of the most reptile friendly states in the US.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To whom it concerns:

Seven weeks ago, we moved into a new house here in Mooresville, and ever since then, it has been a living nightmare. The day after we moved in, we were called by the property manager who stated they were called because we had a 10' alligator unattended in the front yard. We don't even own an alligator, much less a 10' long one. What the anonymous person saw was my Savannah monitor, Rocko, on a leash, being brought from the moving truck, into the garage. Rocko is 3 feet long and weighs a whopping 10 pounds.
Not even a week later, we were sent a letter from the property manager that we were leaving reptiles unattended in the front yard. We immediately called them and they told us it was a second call, they wouldn't say from whom, but since it was a complaint, they had to follow through with written notice. ALL of our reptiles are on the lease and we are in compliance with everything. There was not, nor was there ever, ANY reptiles unattended ANYWHERE.

Since then, we have had Iredell County Animal Control called on us, because we have reptiles. The officer came out, saw what he needed to, and deemed that we were "above and beyond the legally accepted requirements" for housing our reptiles. Since that didn't work, the anonymous accuser(s) went to the next step and complained to NC Fish & Wildlife, who also came out and found us to be above and beyond what was acceptable for safe caging requirements. (F&W here is only really concerned with indigenous species anyways and we don't have any)
That didn't work, so they went to the town Planning & Zoning. I was contacted by a very rude and unprofessional woman named Tammy that informed me since I have a website and a phone number, and the map on the "Contact Us" page might lead someone to our doorstep (which it doesn't) and that I need to get a home occupation license and a business license for a business that doesn't exist. Simply because I have reptiles and I have a web site. (Which she so eloquently referred to as "creatures, because they aren't even animals." Is it alright for personal biases to interfere with your job when you work for Mooresville?)
Today, we received a letter from the property manager again stating that we are in violation of HOA standards and we have until October 1st to get rid of ALL the reptiles to be in compliance. Also, that my son driving for a cab company is also in violation of the HOA standards. Other people are allowed to bring their work vehicles home, but he isn't.

Again, ALL the reptiles are specifically listed IN THE LEASE. The only reason our accuser(s) know we have reptiles is because they have come to the foot of the driveway and looked into the garage when I had it opened for cleaning and maintenance purposes.

I am at the end of my rope with this. Everything I've spent years building and working for, in the last seven weeks has been completely destroyed.

It amazes me that just a couple of nasty, narrow-minded, ignorant individuals that are too cowardly to come forward can be given enough power to destroy people they know nothing about.

My advise to anyone is to stay as far away from Mooresville, NC as you possibly can. This town has destroyed my purpose, my family and my life.

Sincerily,
Katherine Brouse