We urge the Nellie Gail HOA to stop its heartless lawsuit against Karen and Steve Blume and grant a reasonable safety variance for the existing fence extension that protects their goats.
For almost 50 years, Karen and Steve Blume have been valued members of the Nellie Gail Ranch community. After losing eight beloved family goats to brutal coyote attacks, they had to act quickly to protect the animals they still had. They added a nearly invisible, clear, angled extension to their original HOA-approved backyard fence, and that barrier has successfully prevented further attacks.
This is a practical safety measure, not a threat to the neighborhood. The fence is on a hillside, is largely hidden from view, and does not face any homes. Yet instead of recognizing a common-sense solution that protects family pets, the Nellie Gail Ranch Owners Association has filed a lawsuit challenging the fence extension’s appearance and height. According to the Blumes, the lawsuit includes factual inaccuracies and misleading statements about the fence and its impact on the community.
The HOA is also spending community dues on litigation while demanding the removal of the protective barrier and replacement with an expensive double-fence and landscaping project that has no proven improvement in protecting the goats. That is not compassion, and it is not good stewardship of community resources.
We respectfully ask the NGROA Board to reconsider this lawsuit, correct the factual record, and put compassion, common sense, and the safety of family pets first. Protecting animals and preserving good neighbor relationships should come before rigid fence-height rules and unnecessary legal fights.
I enjoy seeing the goats on my walk and I also know how many times I’ve seen coyotes in my property and jumping over fences. I personally have a 6 foot fence around my house and it’s nothing for them to jump that.