CYPRESS, Texas – Ducks are causing quite a bit of ruckus for a Houston-area neighborhood, but the blame is coming down on a retired couple, who could lose their home because of their mayhem.
George and Kathleen Rowe, of Cypress, are being sued by the Lakeland Village Community Association for feeding the ducks. Neighbors also filed complaints that the same ducks are damaging their properties by defecating and destroying their gardens, according to the Houston Chronicle.
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The lawsuit was filed on June 11 and includes a court order that demands the Rowes stop feeding the ducks permanently and seeks monetary relief of no more than $250,000.
According to the Houston Chronicle, if the Rowes are found in violation of the LVCA’s rules, such as deed restrictions and activities that create “untidy conditions” and can’t pay the fees, the association will look to foreclose their home.
Whether or not the lawsuit prevails, the Rowes have already put up their home for sale, according to the newspaper.
“We didn’t have the $250,000, so we have to be prepared in case that’s what it’s going to cost,” Kathleen Rowe said to the Houston Chronicle.
The Rowes have lived in the home for more than a decade and it does appeal to ducks, as its porch faces a waterway, the newspaer reports. The Rowes said they regularly watch the ducks in the waterway from their rocking chairs as they sip their coffee.
Kathleen told the Houston Chronicle that when she came upon the ducks, she noticed there wasn’t a mother with them and that they didn’t have the skills to survive. So, she stepped in.
“They’ve never had a mother,” Kathleen said. “I feel like I’m just stepping in.”
The complaints from the LVCA began two years ago and have been ongoing ever since. Despite what becomes of the lawsuit and the Rowes’ home, the couple says they’ll miss the ducks “terribly.”