Reptile owners - Stay away from Mooresville, NC

Originally Posted by SnakeLadyK

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

WOW!!! I don't know where to start!!

Whose cornflakes did YOU pee on??

The management company AND Planning & Zoning?? And going after your son for his cab???

DAMN!!!

Have you thought about hosting a Hell's Angels reunion?? Got any friends in the Mob??

Hell!! Call a Herper's convention to meet at your house, and invite them to bring THEIR animals!! Make it bring a dish/BYOB, and have all the news stations and newspapers there!!

Charge admission to "normal people" who don't keep herps, then raffle off stuff and donate the proceeds to the local food pantry/children's hospital/domestic violence safe-house!!

Make those fools look even MORE foolish when you prove what GOOD PEOPLE herpers are!!

You know, when I was at my most livid, I thought about it. This quiet little suburb would be a great place for a pit stop on a Poker Run or T2T.

Thats a good idea about having a herpers get together for a local cause. I like that! Thanks!

I just posted your original post and a link to this thread on 4 forums.

Ciliatus, Pangea, Cornsnakes, and the CrimeLibrary forums.


http://ciliatus.com/forums/index.php....html#msg43942

http://www.pangeareptile.com/forums/...251#post334251

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/sho...97#post1200697

http://boards.library.trutv.com/show...37#post9298637


They all have HUGE memberships and LOADS of unregistered readers every day!!

Hopefully, this will help get the word out!!

I suggest that everyone else post this thread on all the forums they belong to.

This could happen to ANY of us!!

Thank you, Donna. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.
In the 23 years I have kept reptiles, I have NEVER encountered this much discrimination and I've NEVER been harassed because of them.

NEWEST UPDATE:

The property manager received 1 anonymous complaint (Reptiles running loose unattended in the front yard) - Complaint UNFOUNDED
The property managers also have our newspaper article posted up on the wall in their office with a big smily face pointing to us and "OUR TENANTS" written in bold letters.

2 complaints were called into Animal Control anonymously. They did not respond to the first one because owning reptiles in this county is not illegal. The second call they responded to because it was a repeat call and found us to be above legal requirements. Animal Control's 3rd report was a follow up to give us a written copy of the laws, in case we needed to pursue legal action. Investigation closed.

1 complaint to NC Fish & Wildlife, also anonymous. Complaint UNFOUNDED and investigation closed.

"Numerous complaints" made to Planning and Zoning. Will be following through with them on Monday.

Complaint made to HOA is currently under investigation and as of Friday's meeting, they are still at a loss concerning how they would handle this, but are sure all allegations will be UNFOUNDED.

Originally Posted by SnakeLadyK

Thank you, Donna. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help.
In the 23 years I have kept reptiles, I have NEVER encountered this much discrimination and I've NEVER been harassed because of them.

Honey if there's any way I can get this into the public eye-and also notifiy more herpers-I'm MORE than willing to help!!

Off to the Repashy forum now...

Donna,

Thank you for spreading the word on whats happening to us. It could be any one of us at any time and I know thats the main issue K is truly concerned about. We have all fought too long and too hard for the right to keep the animals that mean so much to us and for someone to remain anonymous and hide behind government agencies to harass another person that wouldn't wish harm on anyone is dispicable.

Thank you for joining the fight with us.

Tim

Originally Posted by TBrouse

Donna,

Thank you for spreading the word on whats happening to us. It could be any one of us at any time and I know thats the main issue K is truly concerned about. We have all fought too long and too hard for the right to keep the animals that mean so much to us and for someone to remain anonymous and hide behind government agencies to harass another person that wouldn't wish harm on anyone is dispicable.

Thank you for joining the fight with us.

Tim

Tim-

I'm glad to fight for the little guys who are doing everything they possibly can do to comply with the rules imposed by the bullies of the world, yet still get the raw end of the deal.

I don't care if it's a fellow herper, a crime victim or a helpless, homeless or abused animal.

My daughter and I own dogs, cats, geckos and now, corn snakes too.

Several of them are rescues fro abusive homes, puppy-mills, high kill shelters, or the streets.

I could be where Kathy is if someone took a dislike to me, my daughter, or my animals.

The way I see it, if I don't come to the aid of those in need, who's going to put themselves out to help me???

To quote Martin Niemöller-

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."

In short-if you want people to be there for you when you need help, be there for other!!

I'm rooting for you. Don't lose hope.

"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."

My advice would be to live wherever you want, just keep everyone off of your property and dont open building doors or windows when anyone is near enough to look inside. Privacy fences are always a good idea. Occasionally contractors and utility servicemen had to enter my animal rooms but I drape everything so cages and animals are not visible. I also turn off all the heat or boost air conditioning so everything is 60F. This quiets down my most boisterous noisy tortoises and tegus and no one has suspected a thing. I realize taking these measures may be inconvenient, but its really a necessity
in this day and age.