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QUESTION: My building has voted in a whole new set of by-laws, one of which says pets are OK so long as permission is sought and granted in writing. This is fine by me, I am in favour of pets in apartments, but we have a problem.
All of a sudden there has been a proliferation of pets without permission being sought or granted because agents are being told we are a ‘pet friendly building’.
Also most owners are apathetic and don’t read agendas, minutes, by-laws and, as I said, the by-laws aren’t known because of slack Executive Committee and Strata Manager.
Any advice please to set things straight? – ThatCrazySwede, edited from Forum.
ANSWER: My first reaction is, to wonder if there is a problem or just the potential for one.
The fact is that, with or without a pet-friendly by-law, problem pets can be dealt with fairly effectively. A constantly barking dog is a by-law breach, regardless of whether the owner has permission or not.
These non-permitted pets are on even thinner ice – they’re only there for as long as they don’t upset the neighbours.
If they do annoy the folks next door, a Notice To Comply can be issued telling the owners their yapping darling is in breach and should be removed from the building. No debate is required. No permission, no pet – it’s as simple as that.
And when the owners do belatedly apply for permission, would it be unreasonable to refuse, given that you already know there’s a problem?
Your building’s experience shows there is a demand for pet-friendly buildings. But rather than waiting for by-law breaches to occur, your executive committee should be issuing a “welcome pack” to new tenants and owners, pointing out that there are by-laws and, in some cases, what they need to do to observe them.
This can also cover other common complaints like parking, laundry and noise and can be presented in a way that is informative rather than threatening.
You can read ThatCrazySwede’s post in full – and a stack of fairly lively responses to it – HERE on the Flat Chat Forum.
The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
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