HELP!!! I need some advice legal or otherwise

[terry_stack]

I'm seeking help and advice for my friend, Ed Rapa. Ed has been a fellow herper for many years, he lives in Durham, Ont.(north of Guelph). On April 15, 2002 the township of West Grey passed a by-law banning exotic animals. Ed asked the township about exotics before him and his fiancee Cindy purchased their home there. They were told no problem, they could have exotic animals. Ed and Cindy have until June 14, to get rid of their two Burmese pythons, two boa constrictors (they have had one of their snakes for eight years) and other reptiles or face up to $5,000 in fines.
Ed and Cindy have many thank you notes from school children showing their appreciation for bring and talking about their animals. Ed and Cindy are desperate to find anyone with any advice, names of people who might be able to help them or who have been throught this before, phone numbers, addresses, anything or anybody that can help them keep their animals.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Terry Stack

[Dom]

There is only one thing that I can think of is that If you have these pets in the house BEFORE the by-law is passed, then the law does not apply to you .. Does this apply here? Not sure..

Not really sure what they can do.. I wish you the best of luck .. What a ****** situation .. I wish i could help out.

Have you considered moving? I would think about it .. I doubt i could losse my animals..

Best of luck

Dom

[gunnerslakeshor]

Hey Terry
If when they moved into there new home they asked about exotic animals and where given the green light to keep them who said it was ok ? If it was the realtor then get them in on it , The township should have made there intentions clear on what was on the books for law's ect if they did not then there at fault and should go pound salt .
The way i see it is like this ,Its there house, They pay tax's , Keep the house in good order, ect. what they do in it is up to them .
Next thing theyll be banning sex .lol
Leave it to the spinless goverment to pick on those that are minding there own business.
Good Luck I hope they win this for all those into Herp's.
Phil>(

[jason h]

i think i would be talking to a lawyer about if they can keep them under a grandfather clause as they had them BEFORE the by-law went into effect!:mad:

[Quervo]

Oh now that's a dangerous precedent.

Apart from the obvious (and unfortunately expensive) going to a lawyer, my first response would be make a lot of noise.

Get the local papers in on it, write your MLA, get everyone you know to write their MLA, talk to the local TV station and see if they will send a cameraman with you to personally ask the city council just what they expect you to do with these animals. Pass them off to another community? not very responsible. Dispose of them? .. there's an animal rights issue. Let them go? .. that's illegal. Put as much pressure as you can on them to answer how they can just ban everything. Did they have a public meeting on this issue? I think they have to do that.

Of course then I sit and think, what if making lots of noise just get's the other side all fired up ... it could percipitate more bans.

I know, not much help, but if they get a foothold in like this, that sets the legal precedent for other municipalities to do the same thing with much less trouble.

Sorry, this is more ranting than anything, but this both scares me and pi$$es me off.:devil:

[jason h]

many lawyers offices will give free consultations at least then you can find out where you may stand from a legal standpoint.