I'll be darned,they settled

rrlund · Aug 27, 2013

The Board of Commissioners agreed to pay my cousin for the sheep that were killed by dogs. Not what he was asking for,but better'n a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Must have killed them to have to pay some money back to a fund they've been raiding for going on a hundred years.
Paid for the sheep

bill mart · Aug 27, 2013

good for him! if the commissioners don"t like the current law let them repeal it legally. Bill

lenray · Aug 27, 2013

I am a Commissioner up north of ya---we have paid.

I agree to go after the dog owner also.

JOCCO · Aug 27, 2013

Don't want to be hated here but have followed this post some and can't agree with it. Why should Gov pay for dog damage??? Why is owner or insurance not heled to the fire???? Realize it is old law or local custom.

Spook · Aug 27, 2013

They are supposed to be paid out of dog registrations, I believe. This ot to give the locals more incentive to enforce the dog laws.

johnlobb · Aug 27, 2013

Good to see, Randy.. Too many innocent people through no fault of their own are left twisting in the wind. I"m glad to see them get taken care of.

old-9 · Aug 27, 2013

IF it is Law why shouldn't they pay? The animal control office did not do their job, so? BTW seems like 4 grand short.
Just my 2 cents worth. joe

onefarmer · Aug 27, 2013

The way I see it the commissioners disagreed $450 was a fair market value for the dead sheep, thinking $400 was. Maaaybe, I don't know the value for sheep. They did pay 100% of the vet bill. GREAT. But they didn't compensate at all for the injured sheep? Sounds like more work to be done, via either the board, or the dog owner.

onefarmer · Aug 27, 2013

"Why should Gov pay for dog damage???" BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS SO!

If the law is outdated then it can be repealed but, until then, it can and is to be used. If the license fees where intended for items like this and hasn't been used for years then why not. If the license fees aren't being used as intended maybe the fees are too high or should be repealed with the law.

NCWayne · Aug 27, 2013

The same reason you and I get in trouble if we don't follow the law, because the law says they have to pay. If the law in no longer applicable then it needs to be repealed legally. That said, the way I understood the whole thing the money paid in for licensing fees, etc were what made up the fund to make payouts like this so the money paid out was used as it was intended, so it's not a problem.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 27, 2013

next thing that ought to happen, is for the government to attach the dog owner's welfare or disability check, till the debt is paid! JMHO!

RayP(MI) · Aug 27, 2013

Well, should the unthinkable happen here and dogs get into our flock, at least there's a precedent. On the other hand, if my guard llamas do what they're supposed to do, who's gonna be liable for the dogs?

Bret4207 · Aug 28, 2013

We have sort of a similar issue going on in my backyard. There are 15 or so longhorns and mutt cattle running loose up here, destroying crops, etc. The old laws covering this haven't been used in decades because the normal thing is for the owner to be a responsible person and keep his livestock in and fenced or to recover them quickly. Not this bunch! They've never done much or cared much- white birch fence posts an inch thick, stuff like that. So now the police are involved and are finding out that in order to use the old laws the Town "Fence Walker" needs to be involved. There hasn't been a Town Fence Walker in living memory! So it appears that while the Town or County used to be liable for damage, they also had the ability to evaluate fencing issues and probably fine people not keeping their fences up!

Interesting how times have changed.

randallinMo · Aug 28, 2013

Interesting. How did your cousin even know this law existed?

rrlund · Aug 28, 2013

Everybody seemed to know except the commissioners. Most likely they were just playing dumb so they didn't have to write the check.

Several years ago we had a dog catcher who was taking a dog census every year,trying to pressure compliance with the licensing fees. Said he was going to make the department self supporting with the money he raised. I said at the time that wasn't what the money was for.

I don't know,I guess if you grew up farming in Michigan,you just always knew it. It's like knowing the sun comes up in the east.

rrlund · Aug 28, 2013

I think if they want to they can probably levy it on her property taxes over several years.

Rick Kr · Aug 28, 2013

We have similar laws over here on our side of Michigan too.

A couple years back a farmer had to reimburse a guy for his cows constantly escaping. Read: Guy did not care or really maintain his fencess.

Well the last time it happened the cows ate a few very expensive landscape trees. Farmer was really p.o.'d, said they were just trees.

The farmer ended up footing the whole bill for the trees at $350 each. Oh, did I mention I know a guy that grows landscape trees!!! It worked out great for me. "Free" business only a 1/2 mile away, I'll take it.

Rick

randallinMo · Aug 28, 2013

To my knowledge, I am not aware of any such laws in the state of Missouri. That's why I asked the question because I'd never heard of such a law. How about you guys from other states, do you have similar laws? Could this just be a county to county ordinance thing in Michigan?

old harv · Aug 28, 2013

They are. You have the right to kill anything harming your flock on your property. They will be liable to you for any damage they cause you because they are supposed to keep their dogs under control.

W_B · Aug 28, 2013

(quoted from post at 17:00:13 08/28/13) To my knowledge, I am not aware of any such laws in the state of Missouri. That's why I asked the question because I'd never heard of such a law. How about you guys from other states, do you have similar laws? Could this just be a county to county ordinance thing in Michigan?

At least back in the day we had such a law in Ohio, we got paid for a steer a dog killed on a rented farm. Didn't pay for the ones they tore up that lived. Not sure if it's still on the books. I know the fence law is, you can be compelled to pay for half of a fence between you and a neighbor if the neighbor wants one put up. I believe that one dates back to the 30's.

rrlund · Aug 28, 2013

As far as I know it's a state law in Michigan.

That fence law in Ohio was strengthened just a few years ago wasn't it? Doesn't it let a neighbor off the hook for maintenance if the fence hasn't been used for it's intended purpose in something like 25 years though?

rrlund · Aug 28, 2013

I've got a shirt tail cousin who's Township Supervisor in a township that corners ours. He had a guy there who wouldn't keep his cows fenced in. Had a single strand of smooth wire wrapped around trees and what not,called it a fence. Those cows were raising heck on crops all over the neighborhood. He finally got the guy in court and he denied that the cows belonged to him. The judge told the cousin that if they were ever wandering the neighborhood again,for the neighbors to get them corralled and loaded up. Said to sell them and have the check sent to the court. It was amazing how fast he got some fence fixed and got some juice in it.

I'll be darned,they settled

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