Technically, he was evicted because of his pigeons.
Hemmed in by a federal moratorium and state-level protections delaying evictions for nonpayment of rent, some landlords have seized on lease violations to evict tenants as the pandemic has dragged on and financial losses have mounted.
In Schermerhornâs case, the cause was some three dozen so-called Fancy pigeons in two coops in his backyard. He didnât have permission from his landlord to have the birds â Fantails and Frillbacks, Portuguese Tumblers, Birmingham Rollers among them â on the property. Schermerhorn said he believed his landlord had seized on their presence as an excuse to boot him from the house and lease it to someone else.
Pigeon Guys Face Tough Times: âWho Has the Money? Who Has the Roof?â
Feb. 18, 2021
On a cold, rainy evening in December, a terrified pigeon crash-landed onto a table in the outdoor seating area of a retro-themed bar in Ocean Hill, Brooklyn.
Circling overhead was a Cooperâs hawk that had accidentally dropped the bird and certainly wanted its dinner back. The bar owners kept the scene from turning gruesome by quickly covering the bloodied pigeon with napkins until the predator flew away.
The cocktail drinkers may have been startled, but the pigeon, which had spent most of its life in a coop on a rooftop across the street, would require care before it was able to fly again. Its owner patched the wound under its wing with Krazy Glue.