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.