An 85-year-old man from Beek en Donk has to say goodbye to his parrots and to tear down the aviaries in which they live. He may also never keep parrots in or near his rented house. According to the court in Den Bosch, the birds cause ‘serious and structural noise nuisance’ for the neighbourhood.
The case was brought by housing corporation woCom, which rents the house to the ‘parrot man’, as the 85-year-old man is popularly known.
Noise more than fed up
The ruling may bring an end to a conflict that has been going on for about four years. The ‘parrot man’ stands against his neighbours. They have been tired of the noise caused by their neighbor’s birds for years.
Housing corporation woCom and the municipality of Laarbeek, which includes Beek en Donk, have also become parties to the conflict. The case that woCom filed in 2020 has now been settled. Proceedings are still pending between the municipality and the man.
‘Parrots mean a lot’
The ‘parrot man’ stated in the proceedings with WoCom that he had sold his animals. That turned out not to be true. He also said that the parrots have meant a lot to him for forty years. He also said that ‘noise nuisance has been detected, but that does not mean that there is noise nuisance.’ He further spoke of a smear campaign against him. However, the court’s verdict shows that an extraordinary investigating officer and a community police officer also regularly heard birds screeching.
A spokesperson for woCom is pleased that a judgment has now been reached and that the man does not have to leave the rented house. That was never the intention of the housing corporation, he says. The ‘parrot man’ must comply with the judge’s decision within four weeks. If he fails to do so, he must pay penalty payments to woCom, up to a maximum of 25,000 euros.
The spokesperson for the housing corporation hopes that peace will now come for all those involved. That is the question, by the way, because the bird lover can appeal.
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