Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – May 24, 2024 – The quiet neighborhood of Ridgepointe on the far west side of Jonesboro has recently experienced some home-grown drama, all stemming from a 6-foot-tall metal chicken.
Ridgepointe resident David Diffine told JRN that he received a text from the neighborhood HOA (Homeowner’s Association) that he needed to remove a bush from the corner of his yard.
The bush (pictured below) has been complained about several times over the last 7 years that David has been a resident at Ridgepointe. Last year, the bush was reported to be “in the line-of-sight” when pulling up to the stop sign at the corner of Lacoste and Ridgepointe Dr.
“Well, last year we got a late winter wind that killed a lot of shrubs in the neighborhood. It was mostly dead, but some parts were trying to grow back, so I thought I’d let it regrow, but I got a text requesting me to kindly remove it. So, I paid a crew to come take it out completely. Which I thought made it look worse, honestly.”
After David decided to trim his bush completely back, he was left with a bare spot in his yard. While speaking with a neighbor, he even expressed the sentiment, “Well, when you trim your bush, you see more of what’s underneath it…”
While patronizing a local tractor supply store in Jonesboro, he saw a rather large rooster, and decided it would be the perfect lawn ornament to beautify the newly bare corner of his yard.
The new lawn ornament(s) in David’s yard have not come without their share of comments from the neighborhood. David said several neighbors were not happy about his new friend.
People have reportedly been slowing down to take photos, have expressed that he is “being disrespectful” by having the rooster in his yard, and one neighbor is upset because she had to explain to her children what it was.
To that, David said “I told the HOA ‘Why, would they tell the kids anything other than, ‘It’s a rooster!’?'”
David says he was instructed to remove the rooster from his yard on Wednesday, but he isn’t sure on what grounds.
He told JRN that there aren’t any regulations in the HOA about lawn ornaments that anyone could point to. They haven’t been able to send him any specific rules stating he can’t have it, so he’s leaving it, for now.
Several neighbors are standing in solidarity with David and Rocky. They’ve mentioned that they’re thinking about getting their own to add to the flock!
There’s even been discussion of starting a GoFundMe just in case David gets fined for having it in his yard.
The Ridgepointe neighborhood takes part in a Homeowners Association. An HOA is an organization formed within a residential community to establish and enforce rules and regulations governing property use and appearance. The HOA is managed by a board of elected homeowners who oversee matters such as architectural guidelines, landscaping standards, and community upkeep. Members of the community are required to abide by these rules and may face penalties for non-compliance.
JRN reached out to Rodger Hurt and Don Harmon, both representing the Homeowners Association. Both declined to comment. Another Ridgepointe resident and former President of the HOA, who asked not to be identified, also declined comment, but is living in a “house divided.”
“I find the rooster funny. My wife, on the other hand, finds it offensive,” he said.