South Carolina personal injury lawyers wanted to remind neighbors treat your neighbors with respect and remember to avoid slanderous activity. Recently there was a Hilton Head Island neighborhood dispute over a family’s pet turkeys. In 2004 Ralph Dupps accused his neighbors Robert and Jennifer Klippel of taking his pet turkeys from his yard and taking the turkeys to a wildlife preservation center.
Dupps called the police and accused his neighbors for taking the turkeys. The incident caught public attention and the story ran on multiple local news channels. Robert and Jennifer Klippel were arrested and taken to jail, but all charges were dismissed. Robert and Jennifer klippel sued Ralph Dupps in South Carolina for public humiliation and emotional distress. The Klippels won $4 million dollars in the defamation case.
The Klippel’s admitted to taking the birds to a wildlife preservation center after a neighborhood police officer told them that Dupps had set them free. The Klippels claimed that the turkeys were a nuisance and were not appropriate household pets.
Charleston injury lawyers advise you to check your local animal control’s website or office for information regarding approved domestic pets. Charleston county’s animal control office has a list of approved household pets. Some counties have restrictions prohibiting specific dog breeds as domestic pets such as pit bulls and rottweilers. If you think your neighbor has a pet that they are not permitted to have, it is wise to call animal control instead of taking matters into your own hands.
Source: The Post and Courier- “Pair awarded $4M in defamation suit.” February, 15 2010.
