Evicted Over Fancy Pigeon Hobby Despite COVID-19
Donation protected
My Landlord has wanted me evicted from my Richmond VA home for some time but due to a significant reduction in my income due to COVID-19, and the Eviction Moratorium, I and millions of others in the US have been given protection via the Eviction Moratorium for getting behind on rent… and "on March 29 an extension of the federal eviction moratorium through June 30, 2021, and greater enforcement of the moratorium’s protections – two measures that will help keep millions of renters stably housed during the pandemic and prevent further spread of and deaths from COVID-19." …and I bet it will be extended again.
Even though I told my landlord I am filling out the rental assistance application to get him fully paid of what I owe, he said in court that he did not want the money and that he just wants me out (and obviously doesn’t care about my health or the spread of COVID). So he tried every way possible to get around the eviction moratorium by trying to find a technical reason in the lease to evict me on instead and so his latest tactic was to evict me for raising Fancy Pigeons outside on the property I rented between my rented house and the neighbors house. (no windows on the neighboring house on the facing wall, plus they liked to see them being trained and had no problem with them) The pigeons are living in 2 nicely constructed, by me, purpose built Pigeon Lofts which couldn’t be seen from the streets due to an existing tall wooden fence spanning the ~9 feet gap between the houses, at the front of the houses. The area was kept tidy (in fact a friend and I spent 2 weeks clearing the poisonous thick vine overgrown yard and up the house siding when I moved in 27 months ago) .
Also… My landlord illegally evicted me back in July 2020 with the police the day after he took me to court to evict me, where the judge continued that case to September due to me qualifying for protection from the CDC eviction moratorium and the Judge told my landlord before he left, “now don’t you go evicting him” because I brought up how he scheduled the police to evict me the very next day. And that’s just what he did. The police didn’t care to listen to me and so he kicked me and my small dog out into the very hot 100+ degree heat and very humid air, where I had no place to go, and my car was not running, no relatives near here and I knew very few people because I had not lived in Richmond for too long. I was soaking wet in sweat and my Dog was panting so hard I was afraid she was going to die. He made me stay outside for 2 of the hottest days and nights of the summer, but let me go back in after he demanded I cancel an emergency court motion on the matter that I had filed right away, because he must have read the very high penalties he was facing for his actions (which the police were complicit with). One of the officers there was very derogatory over and over toward me, call me names and making fun of me in front of the other officers, acting totally unprofessional, while I was calmly trying to explain my rights by what the Judge told the landlord the day before in court. There is a lot more to be told about this, but now is not the place...
On that day I showed the landlord the pigeon lofts therefore he was aware of them since July 2020. He never said that I was breaking the lease then and never sent me any notices saying such, so I never thought I was doing anything wrong. So if the past 8 months wasn't a problem with the Pigeons and was overlooked, what all of a sudden made it enforceable, for him to be able to take me to court to Evict me over that reason?
That is the 21 day notice I got, 8 MONTHS LATER, (right after I caught him sneaking around the property taking pictures, including him coming inside, but with me, to look around, all without the required 24 hour entry notice), The 21 day notice to correct said by having pigeons and their 6’ x 4’ and 3’ x 3’ lofts I was violating the lease, which he pointed out when he took me to court that this reason was not protected by the eviction moratorium.
It went to court because I can’t get rid of my beloved Pigeons. They are Family! Even my Dog Luna helps with them. None of them are wild. My landlord calls them nasty, dirty, diseased filled pests... He doesn't understand that Fancy Pigeons are very clean, incredibly intelligent, healthier than humans, they give their young amazing attention and care, and homer pigeons can even find their way back home if you take then even over 1,000 miles away and let them go. All mine domesticated Fancy Pigeons of these specific Breeds: Fantails, Frill-backs, classic frills, homers, Birmingham rollers, and Portuguese tumblers. Pigeons pair for life and many of the ones I have are paired up and having babies. About a couple dozen total.
My friend and I take care of them and train them daily and cars driving by look over and stop and back up when training them to fly to us. People walk up in amazement and everyday multiple very interested random people of all walks of life are overly intrigued at what they see happening. "Did I just see that bird fly from 20 feet away right to you and land in your hand? because that's impossible!" is what we hear most often. It is like a magical thing happening in a part of town that has had a rough past but now we see the faces and triple takes then reverse constantly every single day. People who first notice it, come back again and again all excited bringing their Mom, or Father, kids, brother, sister, cousins, friends neighbor... Its so pretty and peaceful to see such a thing. BUT none of them know that the "training show" is being kicked out and made homeless in a matter of days... and it deeply saddens me, us, and many more soon to be ;-(
In the end the Richmond Judge did what they do, and I was plucked off, like so many other, who deserve to stay in their homes like the state and federal government and President and CDC require everyone does for the public safety and health concern of me and others getting more exposed during seeking new housing and moving or becoming homeless, causing sickness, hospital stays & bills, and even death. My landlord with his Big Attorney, the Judge who probably recognizes the Landlord, all against me, down on my luck, and standing alone as the Defendant,. lost the case. The Judge, Attorney, and Landlord all get to go back to their homes still. They play the game all day every day, and I don't know what to say or how to say it. They stack the cards against the renters, and don't seem to care its that way, they lose and are shoed off, so they can get to and through the next one.
Viewing eviction rankings for locations across America, Richmond Judges have made RICHMOND VA RANK #2 of 30,000+ places in America.
11.4% of Richmond renters faced Eviction annually from 2000 to 2016 (latest available), based on the Princeton University Eviction Lab analysis of millions of eviction case court records.
Five of the top ten cities in the US with the highest eviction rates are located in the State of Virginia.
My Landlord told me I had a minimum of 10 days before he gave the Sherriff the Eviction papers, and then I heard on the news that the Sherriff was holding evictions for at least 2 weeks before scheduling them. Well those were all lies because I was at court 4/26 and it was posted on my front door 4/27 and the letter states that the police are coming to evict me on May 11th 9:30am. And so I need desperate help and fast... Please! I need to move and find a place and get past the application process with an eviction on my record. Plus I will need 2 months security deposit and first months rent up front… If I could somehow get donations to get me thru 6 months of rent I would be speechless (a very rare thing for me if you know me), but if for now I can at least get some moving expenses, the deposit and first 2 to 3 months rent, I would be more than humbled and very grateful. Rent prices are way up now and in order to get a place who can possibly let me keep my Pigeons is going to need to be a small house (all the houses in Richmond are about the same size, so this not an upgrade from what I have now (~1,200 sqft) with some kind of at least small back yard to put the two Pigeon Lofts in. And those houses are now about $1,600 to $1,800 /month. ..And so that’s how I got to the Goal figure.
Any and every amount is important...
$30 pays 1/2 day of rent, $60 pays 1 day
$210 pays 1/2 week, $420 pays 1 week
$900 pays 1/2 month, $1800 pays 1 month
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!
Even though I told my landlord I am filling out the rental assistance application to get him fully paid of what I owe, he said in court that he did not want the money and that he just wants me out (and obviously doesn’t care about my health or the spread of COVID). So he tried every way possible to get around the eviction moratorium by trying to find a technical reason in the lease to evict me on instead and so his latest tactic was to evict me for raising Fancy Pigeons outside on the property I rented between my rented house and the neighbors house. (no windows on the neighboring house on the facing wall, plus they liked to see them being trained and had no problem with them) The pigeons are living in 2 nicely constructed, by me, purpose built Pigeon Lofts which couldn’t be seen from the streets due to an existing tall wooden fence spanning the ~9 feet gap between the houses, at the front of the houses. The area was kept tidy (in fact a friend and I spent 2 weeks clearing the poisonous thick vine overgrown yard and up the house siding when I moved in 27 months ago) .
Also… My landlord illegally evicted me back in July 2020 with the police the day after he took me to court to evict me, where the judge continued that case to September due to me qualifying for protection from the CDC eviction moratorium and the Judge told my landlord before he left, “now don’t you go evicting him” because I brought up how he scheduled the police to evict me the very next day. And that’s just what he did. The police didn’t care to listen to me and so he kicked me and my small dog out into the very hot 100+ degree heat and very humid air, where I had no place to go, and my car was not running, no relatives near here and I knew very few people because I had not lived in Richmond for too long. I was soaking wet in sweat and my Dog was panting so hard I was afraid she was going to die. He made me stay outside for 2 of the hottest days and nights of the summer, but let me go back in after he demanded I cancel an emergency court motion on the matter that I had filed right away, because he must have read the very high penalties he was facing for his actions (which the police were complicit with). One of the officers there was very derogatory over and over toward me, call me names and making fun of me in front of the other officers, acting totally unprofessional, while I was calmly trying to explain my rights by what the Judge told the landlord the day before in court. There is a lot more to be told about this, but now is not the place...
On that day I showed the landlord the pigeon lofts therefore he was aware of them since July 2020. He never said that I was breaking the lease then and never sent me any notices saying such, so I never thought I was doing anything wrong. So if the past 8 months wasn't a problem with the Pigeons and was overlooked, what all of a sudden made it enforceable, for him to be able to take me to court to Evict me over that reason?
That is the 21 day notice I got, 8 MONTHS LATER, (right after I caught him sneaking around the property taking pictures, including him coming inside, but with me, to look around, all without the required 24 hour entry notice), The 21 day notice to correct said by having pigeons and their 6’ x 4’ and 3’ x 3’ lofts I was violating the lease, which he pointed out when he took me to court that this reason was not protected by the eviction moratorium.
It went to court because I can’t get rid of my beloved Pigeons. They are Family! Even my Dog Luna helps with them. None of them are wild. My landlord calls them nasty, dirty, diseased filled pests... He doesn't understand that Fancy Pigeons are very clean, incredibly intelligent, healthier than humans, they give their young amazing attention and care, and homer pigeons can even find their way back home if you take then even over 1,000 miles away and let them go. All mine domesticated Fancy Pigeons of these specific Breeds: Fantails, Frill-backs, classic frills, homers, Birmingham rollers, and Portuguese tumblers. Pigeons pair for life and many of the ones I have are paired up and having babies. About a couple dozen total.
My friend and I take care of them and train them daily and cars driving by look over and stop and back up when training them to fly to us. People walk up in amazement and everyday multiple very interested random people of all walks of life are overly intrigued at what they see happening. "Did I just see that bird fly from 20 feet away right to you and land in your hand? because that's impossible!" is what we hear most often. It is like a magical thing happening in a part of town that has had a rough past but now we see the faces and triple takes then reverse constantly every single day. People who first notice it, come back again and again all excited bringing their Mom, or Father, kids, brother, sister, cousins, friends neighbor... Its so pretty and peaceful to see such a thing. BUT none of them know that the "training show" is being kicked out and made homeless in a matter of days... and it deeply saddens me, us, and many more soon to be ;-(
In the end the Richmond Judge did what they do, and I was plucked off, like so many other, who deserve to stay in their homes like the state and federal government and President and CDC require everyone does for the public safety and health concern of me and others getting more exposed during seeking new housing and moving or becoming homeless, causing sickness, hospital stays & bills, and even death. My landlord with his Big Attorney, the Judge who probably recognizes the Landlord, all against me, down on my luck, and standing alone as the Defendant,. lost the case. The Judge, Attorney, and Landlord all get to go back to their homes still. They play the game all day every day, and I don't know what to say or how to say it. They stack the cards against the renters, and don't seem to care its that way, they lose and are shoed off, so they can get to and through the next one.
Viewing eviction rankings for locations across America, Richmond Judges have made RICHMOND VA RANK #2 of 30,000+ places in America.
11.4% of Richmond renters faced Eviction annually from 2000 to 2016 (latest available), based on the Princeton University Eviction Lab analysis of millions of eviction case court records.
Five of the top ten cities in the US with the highest eviction rates are located in the State of Virginia.
My Landlord told me I had a minimum of 10 days before he gave the Sherriff the Eviction papers, and then I heard on the news that the Sherriff was holding evictions for at least 2 weeks before scheduling them. Well those were all lies because I was at court 4/26 and it was posted on my front door 4/27 and the letter states that the police are coming to evict me on May 11th 9:30am. And so I need desperate help and fast... Please! I need to move and find a place and get past the application process with an eviction on my record. Plus I will need 2 months security deposit and first months rent up front… If I could somehow get donations to get me thru 6 months of rent I would be speechless (a very rare thing for me if you know me), but if for now I can at least get some moving expenses, the deposit and first 2 to 3 months rent, I would be more than humbled and very grateful. Rent prices are way up now and in order to get a place who can possibly let me keep my Pigeons is going to need to be a small house (all the houses in Richmond are about the same size, so this not an upgrade from what I have now (~1,200 sqft) with some kind of at least small back yard to put the two Pigeon Lofts in. And those houses are now about $1,600 to $1,800 /month. ..And so that’s how I got to the Goal figure.
Any and every amount is important...
$30 pays 1/2 day of rent, $60 pays 1 day
$210 pays 1/2 week, $420 pays 1 week
$900 pays 1/2 month, $1800 pays 1 month
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!!
Organizer
Bob Schermerhorn
Organizer
Richmond, VA