A special magistrate judge ruled Wednesday that a retired Harahan couple’s migratory bird houses have caused a public nuisance for their neighbors following a years-long court battle over the birds and the poop they produce.
Special Magistrate Stephen Petit ruled after a six-hour hearing that Andrew and Carol Stamm were in violation of the city nuisance laws for keeping purple martins, a type of migratory swallow, in their backyard. Some neighbors said the birds have left their properties and belongings covered in poop.
The ruling does not require the Stamms to take down or reduce the number of nesting gourds in their backyard, as Petit said the city did not have the authority to order that…