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Tyson has flown coop in new home

Boxers' 350 pigeons homeless because no permit obtained

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Former heavyweight champion Tyson attends a news conference for the documentary film "Tyson" in Cannes
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updated 4:43 p.m. ET June 22, 2005

PHOENIX - Construction of a purported pigeon coop in the backyard of boxer Mike Tyson's new Paradise Valley home has been stopped by town officials over lack of a permit.

Tyson, who has said he owns 350 pigeons, recently bought a 7,788-square-foot house on the exclusive Mummy Mountain for $2.1 million.

Inspectors were dispatched to the house after a neighbor questioned the construction going on in Tyson's backyard.

Jack Niles, the town's code compliance officer, said Monday that a permit had not been obtained to build the accessory structure and the town issued an order to stop construction.

Tyson or his representative must file the necessary paperwork within the next two weeks to obtain a building permit before work can resume, said Hamid Arshadi, the town's building and zoning director.

Arshadi said the building's use must be stated in the application and if it will be a place for pigeons to roost, officials want to know how many birds will be kept and how they will be kept.

The town does not limit the number of birds a homeowner can have but birds must be contained on the property and cannot create a public nuisance for adjacent neighbors, Arshadi added.

© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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