I’ve already posted about my neighbor disputes, blah blah blah, we don’t get along. I feel like I’m nitpicking but it’s hard not to when you see someone doing things that just seem so stupid. ANYWAYS, she has been mucking her pasture and then dumping all of the manure on her fence line. There’s about 3 feet of poop there now. WHY would someone do this? Seriously, why? She has a guy that comes up and hauls away poop! She does this in several spots, too. One spot is about 3 feet from my property so it’s pretty unsightly. The other spot is very close and most definitely runs off into a creek that we share. I’m mostly venting/curious about why someone do this but also curious if there are laws regarding this in TN? I’ve emailed my extension office but wondering if anyone on COTH would know this as well. Thanks
Laziness?
I know when i’m pushing around my wheelbarrow on the hill in one of my pastures or am in the barn paddock, sometimes I will chuck the poop over the fence…BUT… I’m chucking it into MY pine trees or wooded area where its not unsightly.
I feel like thats ok for me… its on my property…
for your neighbor, they are probable just being lazy.???
Is she making piles? Perhaps she’s composting. I pick manure from the paddocks daily and make compost piles along the fence line. About 3 or 4 per acre, depending on the lay of the land. I cover the piles with uneaten hay or leaf/forest litter so its not a big ol pile o’ poo, and so it composts faster by controlling moisture.
I pick paddocks to control flies, keep a nice appearance, and minimize the ‘roughs’ so I have less to mow. I compost in several smaller piles because it saves a lot of time. I don’t have to push a wheelbarrow and I can do all the labor by hand quickly on a small pile, turning, spreading, etc. If I made one big monster pile, I’d need a FEL to deal with it.
It takes me 6 months to develop “black gold” so I break down the piles to nothing twice a year, fall and spring. I spread them on the paddocks, bring some home for my gardens and share with friends. I use all of my compost, I don’t have endless mountains of the stuff.
I certainly would not compost near a watersource like a creek, manure runoff is not good for water at all.
The fenceline where I compost is wooded almost entirely around, so no neighbors are affected by sights, and covering with hay/debris eliminates flies and any possible odor.
If your neighbor is composting, and you’re tired of the unsightly view, perhaps suggest to them that covering the piles with “green” organics like lawn clippings, uneaten hay, etc., will help them compost faster and make richer black gold - and in turn it will have a nicer appearance for you. I too would be bothered by looking at a pile of turds.
I would absolutely make mention about runoff affecting a creek, in no universe is that healthy for a water system.
If you ever wanted to create a privacy fence of greenery, along where she is piling manure is an ideal choice, your shrubbery will love the extra nutrition and moisture.
That pile that 'definitely runs into the creek should be reported to the DEC. Not that they will do anything necessarily. At least up here in western NY a neighbor that no one likes dumps manure into the drainage ditch. She’s been reported several times but she’s still doing it. 
I have a mare that poops along fence lines in 4 or 5 discreet sections. My neighbor asked me why I was making manure piles along the fence lines and I told her I wasn’t, that is just how she poops! Sort of nice for me as I don’t have to pick her paddock or stalls and the piles compost down naturally.
Unless there is a law against it in the city ordinances, your next door neighbor can do whatever they want to with their property.
[QUOTE=andylover;8246272]
Unless there is a law against it in the city ordinances, your next door neighbor can do whatever they want to with their property.[/QUOTE]
That is not necessarily true. In PA there are state laws regarding manure management. The OP was asking if there are TN state laws regarding manure management. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are federal laws like EPA regulations for manure that runs off into waterways.
So neighbor needs to concern themselves with more than local/city ordinances.
[QUOTE=BlackBird9;8246007]
I’ve already posted about my neighbor disputes, blah blah blah, we don’t get along. I feel like I’m nitpicking but it’s hard not to when you see someone doing things that just seem so stupid. ANYWAYS, she has been mucking her pasture and then dumping all of the manure on her fence line. There’s about 3 feet of poop there now. WHY would someone do this? Seriously, why? She has a guy that comes up and hauls away poop! She does this in several spots, too. One spot is about 3 feet from my property so it’s pretty unsightly. The other spot is very close and most definitely runs off into a creek that we share. I’m mostly venting/curious about why someone do this but also curious if there are laws regarding this in TN? I’ve emailed my extension office but wondering if anyone on COTH would know this as well. Thanks[/QUOTE]
In my municipality, you would have a case for environmental problems and nuisance. Nuisance for composting manure too close to a neighbor’s property line, and environmental issue for intentionally placing it in the flow of runoff.
Of course, it’s hard to keep horses and be literally perfect in compliance with all ordinances all of the time. Tread with care; this cuts both ways…
I had a neighbor who was my landlord, who was doing some really creepy things. I found out she was coming into my basement, and I am pretty certain into my house when I was at work. After I moved in, she fenced off my HOUSE so there was only about 3 feet around it and said that was my property. I had rented the house and adjoining property, 3 acres of hay field, old orchard, and a side yard with a garden I had planted, and rose bushes. I took a walk along a public right of way between my property and her personal property, and found out where se was dumping her manure. Right on the town line of her property and town property in the woods, on a slope along a stream. After a year of her really creepy intrusions, I told my best friend about her manure pile and how it was ajacent to (can’t spell that) to the wetlands, and since she was on the town wetland committee, she took a sunday walk along the public right of way. Not long after, I saw town trucks down there cleaning out years of her manure. My friend told me how they had voted on a fine for her. Hefty, hefty.
I say tell the town about the manure near the water. Its probably protected wetlands. Just to keep the water in your town safe, you know.
I have heard of people dumping manure along the fenceline to keep the horses from grazing under the fence/pushing into the fence/reaching through the fence. Maybe that’s what she’s doing?
There are usually laws (township, city, county) on the location of manure piles with respect to property lines. There are also, state and federal environmental regs.
I suggest research and a reading of TN laws, specifically your county or your municipality’s animal waste ordinances and location of manure piles with respect to property lines.
Just be careful complaining about manure run off. They might just decide that you are in violation as well.
We have an area along the fence line that erodes down to the clay because the horses walk along that fence line. This year, we piled 2’ of manure and hay next to the fence line. It composted. Now, there is grass in that area instead of the ugly, bare, eroded area.
[QUOTE=mht;8253796]
Just be careful complaining about manure run off. They might just decide that you are in violation as well. :([/QUOTE]
Exactly what I thought; the poop is still on her property what can you really complain about? You have horses also and have poop. Complaining and starting a poop war between you and the neighbor might back fire on you.
