03/29/2026
For everyone who has asked what is going on with our property, we want to finally lay it out clearly.
A lot of assumptions have been made.
Some people seem to think we are running some kind of commercial operation, that we “clear cut” the land, that we created an eyesore, or that we were simply ignoring the rules.
That is not how we see it.
First and foremost, this is very personal.
This is our home. This is where we live. This is where we raised our girls. We have a family here, along with dogs, cats, and even the pet guinea pigs the kids just had to have. Above all else, our goal has always been to provide a life for our children and give them an experience and journey they can look back on and hopefully be proud of.
At this point, it is important to explain our side in full instead of letting the story stay vague.
What we have been dealing with has never felt like a simple, fair process where someone says, “Here is the rule, here is the problem, and here is how to fix it.”
Instead, it has felt like a moving target, with shifting explanations, vague standards, and no clear written roadmap for what the county actually expects.
From our perspective, this is what happened.
We have been using the property in a way that we believed was tied to agricultural, land management, and related property uses. We were not viewing this as some secret or reckless commercial development. We were not trying to create a nuisance, and we were not looking at the property the way others now seem to be describing it.
At some point, concerns were raised and county involvement began.
Public Works became involved first, and then Planning and Zoning/code enforcement became involved. A stop-work order was issued through Public Works on or about October 9. A notice of investigation followed around October 17. There had also been an inspection in late September.
As the process moved forward, what became frustrating very quickly was that the issue did not stay narrow or clear. Instead of one specific explanation with one specific path to resolution, it started to feel like broad conclusions were being drawn about the property and our intentions.
At one point, it became clear that assumptions were being made about the property that were simply wrong.
They did not even realize that we live here or that there is a house on this property. Instead, there seemed to be an assumption that we were living in a folded-up 18-foot camper, and they demanded in a letter that it be removed.
That kind of misunderstanding says a lot about the larger problem. Serious conclusions were being drawn without a full and accurate understanding of the property or what was actually happening here.
One of the biggest points of disagreement is the idea that the property was “clear cut.”
We do not agree with that characterization. That word creates a very specific image in people’s minds, and we do not believe it fairly describes what happened here.
There are conditions on the property, including the use and placement of a very large amount of wood chips over a significant area, that we believe help explain what people are seeing. From our point of view, the visual appearance of tree loss or decline over time is not the same thing as intentionally “clear cutting” land in the way people may assume.
Fencing is planned, and the brush being suppressed is critical for the safety of our animals. Satellite imagery and photo evidence make clear that this did not all happen at once.
We have even had an inspector come here and tell us directly that we were cutting trees within the previous two weeks, only for us to point out the rotten stumps he was referring to.
Another issue is the assumption that we are simply operating some kind of commercial business in violation of the rules.
Again, that is not how we see it.
We have tried to understand exactly what uses the county believes are allowed, prohibited, agricultural, “natural resources,” accessory, or otherwise regulated. But instead of getting a clean and consistent answer in writing, we have repeatedly been left with broad statements, uncertain explanations, or comments that suggest even the county is not fully settled on where the lines are.
We also had a meeting on December 18 that was supposed to help bring clarity. Instead, it felt more like being told what would have to happen than actually being given a fair and understandable explanation of the legal and factual basis for the county’s position.
Questions about what exactly triggered certain conclusions, what standards were being used, and what path actually existed to move forward did not get the kind of direct answers we were hoping for.
We did agree that we would likely need to get a special exemption and were given some assurances that this would not be a hard ask. But when we tried to explain that to Planning and Zoning, the goalposts moved again, and we were told, without clarity, that “something” would need to be put back, with no real definition of what that meant.
After that, we sent a follow-up letter on December 24 asking for written clarification on important issues. We tried again on January 19.
We were trying to do this the right way:
ask questions,
get clarity,
understand the basis of the county’s position,
and figure out what options actually exist.
We did not get the kind of meaningful response that would let a reasonable person say, “Okay, now we know exactly what the issue is and exactly how to address it.”
That has really been the heart of the problem.
If the county believes there is a violation, then a fair process should look like this:
Here is the exact violation.
Here is the exact code section.
Here are the facts we are relying on.
Here is the evidence.
Here is exactly what you need to do to correct it.
Instead, what this has felt like is broad accusations, unclear standards, assumptions about intent, and changing or incomplete explanations.
On top of that, we tried to request records so we could understand what was happening behind the scenes. Those requests were denied or restricted. We were told records were being withheld under theories tied to investigatory or law-enforcement type exemptions.
They stated that very clearly. To them, code enforcement and law enforcement were treated as the same thing.
From our point of view, that only made an already frustrating situation worse. When a county is taking action against someone, basic transparency should not feel impossible.
That lack of transparency has fueled the rumor mill. And when people do not have the facts, they fill in the blanks themselves.
“They must be running a commercial site.”
“They must have destroyed the land.”
“They must have done something obvious and wrong.”
But that is exactly why we are posting this now.
Our side is not that nothing happened on the property.
Our side is not that everyone else is crazy.
Our side is that the story being assumed by the public is incomplete, and the county’s process has not been clear, consistent, or transparent enough to justify the conclusions people are casually repeating.
We have tried to ask reasonable questions. We have tried to get records. We have tried to get written clarification. We have tried to understand the rules being applied. We have tried to figure out what standards are actually being used.
And instead of clarity, we have gotten a process that feels vague, one-sided, and difficult to pin down.
There is also an important part of this story that cannot be understood by simply driving by and making assumptions from the road.
Over the years, this property has been home to chickens, ducks, quail, turkeys, pigs, emus, alpacas, and various other animals. We have worked with schools, outreach programs, rehab facilities, adults with disabilities, supported public education, and also hosted and assisted animal control.
We have also supported numerous small farms and have always tried to help others who were attempting to do similar agricultural or land-based work. In fact, Harford County’s agricultural specialist, Jason Gallion, has at times put people in contact with us so we could offer guidance, and we were happy to do so.
Beyond that, we have tried to help people in practical ways. We have offered firewood to an underserved community, worked with people who could not afford rising fuel costs, and assisted people in getting free heat through available assistance options.
Many people have toured our property over the years, including the County Council President, as well as state and local officials. Not once during those visits were concerns raised to us of the kind people now seem quick to assume. In fact, our experience at the time was entirely the opposite.
These are the kinds of things that do not show up when someone looks at a property from 100 yards away and decides they already know the full story.
So before anyone reduces this place to an “eyesore,” a rumor, or a set of assumptions, we would ask people to consider the full picture.
And better yet, do not just take our word for it. Ask the people who have actually been here, worked with us, brought students here, received help from us, or seen firsthand what has happened on this property. Their perspective will tell you far more than the view from the road ever could.
People are free to have opinions, but before assuming this is a story about a reckless commercial operation, an intentional eyesore, or some deliberate “clear cutting” of land, we would ask that they at least consider that there is another side.
There is a difference between appearances, assumptions, and actual facts.
There is a difference between a county’s conclusion and a fair explanation of how that conclusion was reached.
At the end of the day, what we have wanted is pretty simple:
transparency,
consistency,
written answers,
and a fair chance to respond to specific allegations with specific facts.
That should not be too much to ask.
We are sharing this because it is time for people to hear more than just the rumors and assumptions.
And above all else, this is our home. Please be considerate of our two little girls when posting about what is happening here.
If you have a question, feel free to ask.
If you have a broad assumption, please feel free to keep it to yourself.
Stay tuned, because we are sure it does not end here.
