Pigeon Feeder Facing Eviction On Coney Island

Photo via djwerdna's flickr

Feeding pigeons isn't illegal in the city—at least outside of the parks (and even inside the law is not often enforced). However, a Coney Island woman—59-year-old Sabina Mickiewicz—is now on the verge of losing her home after her neighbors and landlord have had it with her giving the birds breadcrumbs.

According to the NY Post, Mickiewicz—who has an inoperable brain tumor—has hired a lawyer because her landlords are trying to evict her. They've taken her to Housing Court and say she's creating a "health and safety issue" for the entire apartment complex. They also claim she feeds opossums, squirrels and cats.

In 2008, a Queens man fought a fine from the city for feeding pigeons in his backyard. At the time, the city's lawyer said, "Clearly, people have bird feeders in their backyard. And that’s not a nuisance. However, when you start feeding in excess, so there’s a level of bird droppings that’s unhealthy, it rises to the level of nuisance." Earlier this year a woman had a "violent confrontation" with a neighbor over feeding pigeons; she declared: "people feeding birds are being victimized... It’s got to stop."

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By Jen Carlson in News on August 9, 2010 2:10 PM

Comments [rss]

JenChungsBaby

Gothamist -- the NYC blog written by transplants who still don't know the proper way to refer to Coney Island.

angry_pickle

A whole pizza? LOL

FelixtheCat Christine Quinns

it was take-out

youngpro

you gonna try and answer my question?

"cigarette butts...chewing gum and even filthy baby pampers"

those are illegal, too, so what's your point?

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

what about all the cigarette butts on the streets, chewing gum and even filthy baby pampers. Seriously, people wont' care about a terminal ill lady when they don't have compassion for animals.

youngpro

"cigarette butts...chewing gum and even filthy baby pampers"

those are illegal, too, so what's your point?

Dan

Nothing beats walking down a sidewalk after someone has fed pigeons and you hope you don't get crapped on when they fly away.

longacre

Shouldn't it be illegal based on littering ordinances? You can't just throw food on the ground, even if birds are there to pick it up. There are people in my 'hood who throw multiple large loaves of bread out on the curb for the pigeons...it's truly disgusting.