RENSSELAERVILLE — After a couple brought up concerns they had with a neighbor’s property and an official’s response to those, the Rensselaerville Town Board is reviewing the situation to ensure that the town’s code is being properly upheld. 

The couple — Mike and Charlotte Irish, of County Route 351 in the hamlet of Medusa — brought up three things related to the code itself:

 — That their next-door neighbor’s shed is allegedly unsafe and also has been built too close to their property line, only 10 feet away when they say it should have been at least 25 feet away;

— That they were cited for having goats on their property without a special-use permit despite allegedly not being told that was a requirement when they approached the town’s code-enforcement officer, Tim Lippert, as well as the town’s highway department about wanting the goats in 2019; and

— That they received a visit from Lippert after their neighbor allegedly complained that they had not removed a pool-ladder from their pool when it wasn’t in use, which is a violation of New York state safety regulations for above-ground pools.

The Irishes further alleged that Lippert had been dismissive, or even hostile, in responding to these concerns, particularly with the shed.

“Tim told us he’s not making them move it,” Charlotte Irish told the town board, after explaining that the couple had paid $2,200 to have a survey of their property done so that they could prove the distance to their property line. 

When asked by the board why Lippert would not move the shed, Irish claimed that it was because the person living at the property is a relative of the registered owner and was not involved in the placement of the building. 

Irish also said that Lippert challenged the couple to sue the town over the issue and that he “didn’t care” if they did. 

Lippert declined to comment when reached by The Enterprise, saying that the town was reviewing the situation with its counsel. 

Part of the problem with the shed, Irish told the board, is that it houses a great number of rabbits that create a noise and odor nuisance, preventing the Irishes from enjoying their own property, though she acknowledged that it may not rise to the level of a code issue.

Irish said their frustrations had gotten to such a point that they even reached out to law enforcement and the state Department of Environmental Conservation, to no avail. 

She said they hope to at least install a privacy fence, which Supervisor John Dolce said would require approval from the town’s planning board since, at 10 feet, the fence would be just over the height limit. 

Town attorney William Ryan told the couple he would “inquire of the planning board if anything has happened or if anything was ever done at a public meeting with regard to the issues that you’re raising, and then I’ll speak to the town board and to the supervisor.” 

Councilman Brian Wood said he could not make any promises, but that he was “sympathetic” to their situation and that neighbor disputes are “never fun.” 

“But to me here, sitting behind this table, it’s about what’s right and wrong,” Wood said. “If I find a wrong, then I’ll bust my butt to make it right. But I don’t want to make promises until we take time to look at it. It’s the first time I’ve heard about it, [but] trust me, I will support what’s right 100 percent.”