Written by
I just bought a house. Well, *technically* it's a duplex condo, but it's mine, I bought it.
The way things work with a condo is that I own and am responsible for the inside, while the Home Owners Association owns and is responsible for the outside. I own the interior walls, and everything that those surround. I do not own the outside walls, the roof, or the grounds. But I pay someone to keep all that maintained.
The thing that peeves me is that because I'm apart of this HOA, they feel they have the right to tell me what I can and can't have inside my house. One of those being a pet.
Now, it's cool that they keep tabs on what goes on in this Association... you know, so we don't have crazy cat women or puppy millers living here, but if I want two dogs and a cat, I can't. Why? Because there is a two animal limit while living here. Another thing is that if I wanted one animal, but say it's a Mastiff or a big German Shephard Dog, I can't. Why? Because those dogs get over 75 pounds. That's the weight limit on dogs here.
What!? I OWN my own home here. I own this inside of it! I pay my mortgage and dues on time every month, I don't have 16 cars sitting in my driveway and front yard, I don't have broken or boarded up windows, heck, I even make sure all my front porch lights work! But if I want to own a big dog, I can't.
The reason I don't understand this is as follows:
The dog is going to live IN my house. Don't I own the inside of my house? I'm not planning on keeping it on the roof, which they own, or in the middle of the street, which they maintain. No. It will live in MY dwelling. So who are they to tell me how big of a dog I can have in MY HOUSE?
Now, you could argue that big dogs damage and soil the yard more than a little or medium sized dog, but do they? Really? A big dog's poo will be bigger, but if I were to leave a little dogs poo in the back yard, it's going to get just as gross out there as if I left a big dogs. (except you can see a big dogs poo to avoid, not a little dogs!) If I left my little dog outside in the yard, it can dig and tear up the yard just as well as a big dog, if not more so. Big dogs are much more calm then little dogs, they will calm down sooner than a little dog and won't yap all day long.
Anyway, it peeves me. I think I should be able to own as many animals I want, as long as it stays sanitary, or as big of a dog as I want IN MY OWN HOME. I don't know who came up with the idea of a Home Owners Association, but they were dumb. And that's all I have to say about that!