Heartbroken and need to vent to ppl who understand

[TortloverPM]

A lil background new home owner and sulcata owner. I thought I did everything right I joined this site, did as much research as i cud to give our adopted tortoise a better home than he came from the best we cud. Abt a year later now all is well hes happy and healthy and we love him more everyday. Until Friday when our County code enforcement shows up and let's us know we have until Monday to take down his enclosure. Which no enclosure no tortoise. #1 Hes a member of our family #2 Rehoming a 80lb sulcata cannot b done in 2 days. Rehoming any pet for that matter. With Covid I has lost my job for a while etc so it is not financially possible to fence our property for him, or pay the almost $1000 in fines he listed to us. Nor he can he live on a concrete slab they told us we needed for him. Sorry this is so long I just needed to get it off my chest. I thought I did my homework. This stuff is why we steered clear of HOAs and all that I had no idea. So even if this can help someone else not make the mistakes I did I'll be happy to have some good come of this. Right now I dont know what to do. Thankyou for listening/reading. OP

 

[KarenSoCal]

Oh, this is awful! I don't have any help for you, but please know that I am so very sorry about it. Sending hugs to you! ? ? ?? I will be praying that some resolution is found that he can stay with you. ?

 

[Maggie3fan]

Terrible!!! But there are a number of TFO members who are in Florida, maybe one could foster your Sulcata for a bit. I am assuming that your tort has a fence and a heated night box? Just trying to work around a HOA, he's 80 lbs, so you've had him for a while for him to grow to 80 lbs, the HOA is just now seeing his pen? Maybe somebody complained about the tort?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

@mastershake Know anybody who can take in an 80 lbs sulcata from Cape Coral?

 

[Maro2Bear]

A lil background new home owner and sulcata owner. I thought I did everything right I joined this site, did as much research as i cud to give our adopted tortoise a better home than he came from the best we cud. Abt a year later now all is well hes happy and healthy and we love him more everyday. Until Friday when our County code enforcement shows up and let's us know we have until Monday to take down his enclosure. Which no enclosure no tortoise. #1 Hes a member of our family #2 Rehoming a 80lb sulcata cannot b done in 2 days. Rehoming any pet for that matter. With Covid I has lost my job for a while etc so it is not financially possible to fence our property for him, or pay the almost $1000 in fines he listed to us. Nor he can he live on a concrete slab they told us we needed for him. Sorry this is so long I just needed to get it off my chest. I thought I did my homework. This stuff is why we steered clear of HOAs and all that I had no idea. So even if this can help someone else not make the mistakes I did I'll be happy to have some good come of this. Right now I dont know what to do. Thankyou for listening/reading. OP

Do you know if this is a NEW COUNTY Regulation, or one that has been on the books before you bought the house and moved there? Seems odd for the County to now come knocking on your door with the violation. Did a neighbor complain? Is it the “style” of fence they dislike or the material or height, etc. Darn regulations like this, not an HOA but a County regulation.....(who reads all of those?)

 

[Ink]

I am sorry about the county coming after you. I didn't think a tortoise enclosure would be cause for a fine. Some neighbor must be board to call the county on a tortoise. Good luck

 

[Maggie3fan]

A lil background new home owner and sulcata owner. I thought I did everything right I joined this site, did as much research as i cud to give our adopted tortoise a better home than he came from the best we cud. Abt a year later now all is well hes happy and healthy and we love him more everyday. Until Friday when our County code enforcement shows up and let's us know we have until Monday to take down his enclosure. Which no enclosure no tortoise. #1 Hes a member of our family #2 Rehoming a 80lb sulcata cannot b done in 2 days. Rehoming any pet for that matter. With Covid I has lost my job for a while etc so it is not financially possible to fence our property for him, or pay the almost $1000 in fines he listed to us. Nor he can he live on a concrete slab they told us we needed for him. Sorry this is so long I just needed to get it off my chest. I thought I did my homework. This stuff is why we steered clear of HOAs and all that I had no idea. So even if this can help someone else not make the mistakes I did I'll be happy to have some good come of this. Right now I dont know what to do. Thankyou for listening/reading. OP

So what's your status? How can we help?

 

[TortloverPM]

Thankyou

Oh, this is awful! I don't have any help for you, but please know that I am so very sorry about it. Sending hugs to you! ? ? ?? I will be praying that some resolution is found that he can stay with you. ?

Oh, this is awful! I don't have any help for you, but please know that I am so very sorry about it. Sending hugs to you! ? ? ?? I will be praying that some resolution is found that he can stay with you. ?

Thankyou I know u guys get it. Only resolution I can think of is to fence our property which just isnt financially possible and he didnt exactly give us a whole lot of time .by tom morning he will b chilling in the garage while I'm at work making a million phone calls to rescues I suppose. See this isnt even enough time to wrap my head around this let alone have a gameplan. So stressed.

 

[TortloverPM]

Terrible!!! But there are a number of TFO members who are in Florida, maybe one could foster your Sulcata for a bit. I am assuming that your tort has a fence and a heated night box? Just trying to work around a HOA, he's 80 lbs, so you've had him for a while for him to grow to 80 lbs, the HOA is just now seeing his pen? Maybe somebody complained about the tort?

Sorry my post wasnt that clear since I was venting no HOA it is Lee County Code enforcement. Since our property isnt fenced we built an outdoor enclosure and a tort house for him and apparently u need all kinds of permits and the guy was saying it needed concrete slab foundation n all types of stuff . I was seeing red at that point but I remember that and approx $800 worth of fines he rattled off. We've only had him abt a year old owners were moving north and weren't taking him so we did. We have a new neighbor rt beside us in a newly built house sp either them or the CEO just happened to see it cuz the rest of our 4 neighbors really seem to like him and think hes neat (from the one time he went gallivanting around the neighborhood). ?

 

[TortloverPM]

Do you know if this is a NEW COUNTY Regulation, or one that has been on the books before you bought the house and moved there? Seems odd for the County to now come knocking on your door with the violation. Did a neighbor complain? Is it the “style” of fence they dislike or the material or height, etc. Darn regulations like this, not an HOA but a County regulation.....(who reads all of those?)

Apparently not me. Lol maybe neighbor that just built their house on our houses lap. All others neighbors really liked him. They met him when he escaped and took a lil hike around the neighborhood. Who knows nobodys going to say they did it either way. Does anyone know of a good tort rescue in swfl? I wud try to find him a good home but that wud take time and I'm out of time ?

 

[TortloverPM]

I am sorry about the county coming after you. I didn't think a tortoise enclosure would be cause for a fine. Some neighbor must be board to call the county o
Thx apparently u need a permit for literally anything and everything must b up to hurricane code and have a concrete slab foundation etc etc or we'll fine u like $1000. I never thought it wud b a big deal what I choose to do in my own backyard. If anyone knows of a tort rescue that is reputable plz lmk. Idk what else to do with such short notice.

 

[TortloverPM]

So what's your status? How can we help?

If anyone knows a reputable tort rescue? I dont know what else to do. Sulcatas are a big responsibility especially an 80lb one (as u guys know prob even more than me)so it was impossible to find him a good home in 2 days. Any other ideas anyone has I'm open to it. I'm off to Google codes and tort rescues. Thx again everyone!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

If anyone knows a reputable tort rescue? I dont know what else to do. Sulcatas are a big responsibility especially an 80lb one (as u guys know prob even more than me)so it was impossible to find him a good home in 2 days. Any other ideas anyone has I'm open to it. I'm off to Google codes and tort rescues. Thx again everyone!

Sent you a PM. There's a good one not too far north of you.

 

[Canadian Mojo]

How about buying yourself some time with an appeal? You can claim his enclosure is no different than a doghouse which is probably an unregulated structure that doesn't require a foundation or permit.

I'm assuming that defending yourself would be free, put everything on hold so you don't accumulate more fines, and that it would give you a chance (if you don't win) to run out the clock enough to fix the problem or get him re-homed. This close to Christmas/New Years + COVID might really delay hearings for long time.

I'm sure the folks here will give you all sorts of help with good sources for proper care info you can use and the county bylaws are almost certainly online.

 

[TortloverPM]

Do you know if this is a NEW COUNTY Regulation, or one that has been on the books before you bought the house and moved there? Seems odd for the County to now come knocking on your door with the violation. Did a neighbor complain? Is it the “style” of fence they dislike or the material or height, etc. Darn regulations like this, not an HOA but a County regulation.....(who reads all of those?)

Sent you a PM. There's a good one not too far north of you.

Thankyou

 

[TortloverPM]

How about buying yourself some time with an appeal? You can claim his enclosure is no different than a doghouse which is probably an unregulated structure that doesn't require a foundation or permit.

I'm assuming that defending yourself would be free, put everything on hold so you don't accumulate more fines, and that it would give you a chance (if you don't win) to run out the clock enough to fix the problem or get him re-homed. This close to Christmas/New Years + COVID might really delay hearings for long time.

I'm sure the folks here will give you all sorts of help with good sources for proper care info you can use and the county bylaws are almost certainly online.

That's an idea I didnt even know that was a thing , to appeal that is. I'll look into it. I ges I can find some type of defense. I dont think its the "house" as much as the enclosure "walls" the guy was acting like we were building a diy human house or something idk I just read that those plastic sheds u buy at home depot or lowes etc.. well u need a permit to have one so I wouldn't even be surprised if u need one for a doghouse too. Smh

 

[Guts]

I’m with Mojo on this one, pitch an absolute fit and read up on permit requirements in the meantime. You should not have to give your boy up over this bs, he’ll be fine in the garage for a bit while everything gets sorted.

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

that’s just crazy I would want out of a county with codes like that! What happened to freedom and reasonable people?!?!

 

[TortloverPM]

that’s just crazy I would want out of a county with codes like that! What happened to freedom and reasonable people?!?!

We would have never bought here if we had any idea it was this way. Hes doing no harm. His enclosure isnt shabby looking but if it was it's my yard dont look.

 

[TortloverPM]

I’m with Mojo on this one, pitch an absolute fit and read up on permit requirements in the meantime. You should not have to give your boy up over this bs, he’ll be fine in the garage for a bit while everything gets sorted.

An 80lb bulldozer in the garage. This is gna b fun I'm sure. I'll keep everyone updated. Thanks again.