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.
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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
