If the government is going to dictate what you can and cannot do on your land—or worse yet, delegate that power to your neighbors—you’re owed due process. It’s that simple...

When Kathy Sarkisian set out to raise chickens at her family home in Douglas, Michigan, she took special care to check every box required by her local government.

She spent a year researching best practices and studying the City’s zoning requirements before applying for a permit in May 2023—and she was overjoyed when she was approved a few weeks later.

Permit in hand, she began retrofitting her garage into an indoor coop, building an outdoor chicken run, and replacing fencing around her property to comply with the City’s requirements—spending thousands of dollars in the process.

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But just a week after receiving her permit, a City zoning officer notified Kathy that the City had failed to inform her neighbors within the designated 21-day window of the application being submitted.

Once the City corrected their error, one of Kathy’s neighbors vetoed her application. The City said she would have to give up the small flock of six hens that she had already begun raising.

No discussion. No hearing. No opportunity to appeal.

For many Americans, that might have been the end of the story. A sad reflection of government overreach and the relegation of property rights to second-class status.

But Kathy is a fighter. Now facing up to $200,000 in mounting fines, she’s taking a stand.

On Tuesday, my colleagues and I filed a federal lawsuit challenging Douglas’s illegal and unconstitutional City ordinance on Kathy’s behalf.

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Like all property owners, Kathy has the right to use her property to fulfill her American Dream.

But under this nonsensical approach to local land use, everything’s fair game. Even vegetable gardens, backyard grilling, or letting your kids play outside could be shut down at a neighbor’s whim—no explanation required.

If the government is going to dictate what you can and cannot do on your land—or worse yet, delegate that power to your neighbors—you’re owed due process. It’s that simple.

Thank you for standing with us. Stay tuned for more updates.

In liberty,

Wesley Hottot

Attorney



You can learn more about Kathy's story on our case page

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—or read the complaint

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we filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan for more details on our legal arguments.

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