HOA sues Texas couple for feeding ducks, seeks to claim property
Correction: Kathleen Rowe in January clarified for a Houston Chronicle reporter that Rowe's daughter was not dead. When Rowe told the reporter she 'lost' her daughter, she meant the two had become estranged, the Washington Post reported.
A retired Texas couple plan to sell their home after being sued for feeding ducks in their neighborhood, according to multiple reports.
George H. and Kathleen A. Rowe, who live in Cypress, just northwest of Houston, were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by the Lakeland Community Homeowners Association after neighbors complained ducks have been damaging their property, according to documents filed in Harris County.
The suit, filed June 9, seeks "monetary relief of $250,000 or less and non-monetary relief in the form of injunctive relief."
According to the six-page suit, the association is asking the court to order the couple to stop feeding any wildlife in the community and seeks a lien against their property for the costs incurred in bringing their unit into compliance with the subdivision's charter.
"Defendant, Kathleen A Rowe repeatedly feeds ducks on the common area despite being informed that such activity is prohibited – and despite agreeing to cease such activity," the lawsuit reads.
Neighbors, the lawsuit continues, claim the ducks pooped on their property and destroyed gardens with their beaks.
Lakeland Village Community Association could not immediately be reached for comment by USA TODAY.
The Rowes, who have lived in the home for more than a decade, told the Houston Chronicle they regularly watch the ducks in the waterway from their rocking chairs on their porch as they sip their coffee.
Kathleen Rowe, who is 65, found feeding the ducks therapeutic , the couple's attorney, Richard Weaver, told The Washington Post.
The couple, the outlet reported, put their house up for sale after their homeowners’ association sued and threatened to foreclose on their home.
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Kathleen Rowe told the Chronicle that she believes the ducks were “dumped” in the area and that when she came upon them she noticed there wasn’t a mother with them, so she stepped in to help.
If the Rowes are found to have violated the association’s rules and cannot come up with fees, the association seeks to foreclose on the home.
The Chronicle reported records show the couple's home was listed July 5 for $455,000, but it has since seen a $15,000 price cut.
Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas homeowners face HOA lawsuit after feeding ducks
