Houston Chronicle by R.A. Schuetz 7/8/2022
Cypress couple was sued for up to $250K by their HOA for feeding ducks. Now they could lose their home.
Along a quiet waterway in the master-planned neighborhood of Bridgeland in Cypress, a family pastime has turned foul.
June 11, the retired couple George and Kathleen Rowe were sued by their homeowners association for feeding the ducks. The requested relief? A court order never to do it again, in addition to monetary relief, which standard language indicates would not go above $250,000.
If the Rowes are found in violation of Lakeland Village Community Association’s rules and cannot come up with fees, the association seeks to foreclose on the home.
The high-stakes suit is just the latest battle over how humans should interact with their web-footed neighbors. In Pearland, a war over warty-faced Muscovy ducks that pooped on porches and tore open trashbags led to opponents attacking the birds with arrows and cars while supporters set out kiddie pools and bird feed. And in Hermann Park, alarms were sounded after a pair of ducks were found mutilated.
“It is a recurring and complex story that so many communities must work through,” said Richard Gibbons of the American Bird Conservancy, a nonprofit with the mission of conserving wild birds.
The problem begins when families buy ducklings — often for Easter — and subsequently “free” them in a nearby body of water when caring for the growing birds becomes more work than they can handle (this, Gibbons says, has happened in his own neighborhood). But the problem is, domestic ducks have never learned how to survive in the wild, and they begin begging people for food.
Those who welcome the appeal to connect with nature often make the mistake of giving the birds bread, which Gibbons said lacks proper nutrition and can lead to deformed wings. But no matter what they feed the ducks, the birds learn to stick around, sowing discord. There are those who love giving out meals and those who resent what those meals become post-digestion. What’s more, many rankle at the way ducks supplement their free lunches by rooting around landscaped yards.
The lawsuit against the Rowes accuses the couple of breaking neighborhood rules known as deed restrictions, including rules against activities that create untidy conditions, cause neighbors annoyance or disturb vegetation or wildlife.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/A-Cypress-HOA-sued-a-couple-250K-for-feeding-17292935.php
