Fugitive Felines: The Owner Strikes Back
On June 18, I received a letter from the board of directors of my townhome association stating that I had been "observed bringing a cat into my unit on two separate occasions, in direct violation of Rule 2 of association Rules and Regulations." I happen to live in probably the only homeowners association in the state that disallows cats as well as dogs. I had chosen to "not comply" with the rule throughout the duration of my time living here, as Goober, Comfy and Tukus can attest. But it seemed I had been found out. I imagine Lucas was seen through the window in the back yard of my home. Tukus has never been the shy type.
Rather than turn my felines over to a shelter and admit defeat, I decided to fight back. The draconian rule had been placed by one of the board members years ago, an elderly man who hates animals and has been breathing down the necks of people living here the entire time. He controlled the board, a group of three elderly and disagreeable ladies, and basically told them what to do in all instances.
For the next few months I would seethe with hatred throughout the day at the mere thought of this gentleman. I came to learn other anecdotes about him, such as how he caused another elderly resident to die of a heart attack during an argument a few years ago. This man became Public Enemy #1.
As justification for the rule, the Board (or this guy) held that "cats might get outside and go to the bathroom in the garden." I've yet to see this "garden" on our common grounds, but I'm given to believe it consists of a rock and a hedge.
I created a petition asking that Rule 2 be amended to allow indoor cats. There are 24 units in our association, so 13 became the magic number of signatures to achieve, an unstoppable majority demonstrating that the rule did not hold the support of residents.
I started out going to people I knew, and achieved five signatures rather easily. Most of these people had had bad past experiences with the Board, and were eager for a chance to "stick it to them." After this, I had to enter uncharted waters and approach complete strangers for their signature.
The first man, a little bug-eyed fellow with an even uglier spouse, denied me after my impassioned pitch. "That's why we moved here, because of all the rules! Nothing is allowed!" I walked away from the Ugly Family dejected, and gave up on my goal. I felt silly and stupid for having tried.
Then the second letter from the Board came. "Do you have a cat in your unit?" My evasion techniques in my first response hadn't worked, and the Board was not hinting at fining me. It was time to get back to business. I went back to making cold calls on strangers. I even enlisted the help of a friendly former Board member.
My strategy was to wait outside my garage until someone came home, then approach them with a well-organized, convincing speech about how the Rule lowers market value, makes selling the unit more difficult, and is unfair to homeowners. Most signed without a fight. I reached ten signatures this way. Some people were enthusiastic, most didn't give a crap.
Then I balked. I didn't know who else that appeared friendly that I could approach. My leads had run out. But buoyed by the support of friends and family, I continued. I got only one more rejection in my quest for 13 signatures, from a blind man oddly enough who didn't want to make waves.
I fired the letter with the petition to the Board, in the hopes they might change the rule under public pressure. Here I was, still out of "compliance" with the rule, living with my drapes down each day and scared for the safety of my beloved kitties.
A letter came back from the Board. They were going to allow a vote on this subject, but were going to delay it until the year-end meeting in January. A cowardly move if there ever was one, but demonstrative of their unreasonable nature. Clearly, they were worried about public opinion, but didn't want to take decisive action on the issue at hand.
However, the tone had changed. No longer were they talking to me with harsh, intimidating language. Words like "appreciate" and "respect" were used. Further, they were backing off my own issue of having cats in the house. Not tacitly, but still.
My amendment to the rule will pass no doubt, unless the Board fakes proxy votes or deliberately miscounts the tally. My goal will be to "get out the vote" for the annual association meeting. I'm still debating running for a Board position myself, and giving an ouster to the evil three (well, one's not so bad) that currently sit on the Board.
That, my friends, is change you can believe in. Not idle words said by an idle, self-posturing politician, but grass-roots actions aimed at making life better. Let's hope it works.
Rather than turn my felines over to a shelter and admit defeat, I decided to fight back. The draconian rule had been placed by one of the board members years ago, an elderly man who hates animals and has been breathing down the necks of people living here the entire time. He controlled the board, a group of three elderly and disagreeable ladies, and basically told them what to do in all instances.
For the next few months I would seethe with hatred throughout the day at the mere thought of this gentleman. I came to learn other anecdotes about him, such as how he caused another elderly resident to die of a heart attack during an argument a few years ago. This man became Public Enemy #1.
As justification for the rule, the Board (or this guy) held that "cats might get outside and go to the bathroom in the garden." I've yet to see this "garden" on our common grounds, but I'm given to believe it consists of a rock and a hedge.
I created a petition asking that Rule 2 be amended to allow indoor cats. There are 24 units in our association, so 13 became the magic number of signatures to achieve, an unstoppable majority demonstrating that the rule did not hold the support of residents.
I started out going to people I knew, and achieved five signatures rather easily. Most of these people had had bad past experiences with the Board, and were eager for a chance to "stick it to them." After this, I had to enter uncharted waters and approach complete strangers for their signature.
The first man, a little bug-eyed fellow with an even uglier spouse, denied me after my impassioned pitch. "That's why we moved here, because of all the rules! Nothing is allowed!" I walked away from the Ugly Family dejected, and gave up on my goal. I felt silly and stupid for having tried.
Then the second letter from the Board came. "Do you have a cat in your unit?" My evasion techniques in my first response hadn't worked, and the Board was not hinting at fining me. It was time to get back to business. I went back to making cold calls on strangers. I even enlisted the help of a friendly former Board member.
My strategy was to wait outside my garage until someone came home, then approach them with a well-organized, convincing speech about how the Rule lowers market value, makes selling the unit more difficult, and is unfair to homeowners. Most signed without a fight. I reached ten signatures this way. Some people were enthusiastic, most didn't give a crap.
Then I balked. I didn't know who else that appeared friendly that I could approach. My leads had run out. But buoyed by the support of friends and family, I continued. I got only one more rejection in my quest for 13 signatures, from a blind man oddly enough who didn't want to make waves.
I fired the letter with the petition to the Board, in the hopes they might change the rule under public pressure. Here I was, still out of "compliance" with the rule, living with my drapes down each day and scared for the safety of my beloved kitties.
A letter came back from the Board. They were going to allow a vote on this subject, but were going to delay it until the year-end meeting in January. A cowardly move if there ever was one, but demonstrative of their unreasonable nature. Clearly, they were worried about public opinion, but didn't want to take decisive action on the issue at hand.
However, the tone had changed. No longer were they talking to me with harsh, intimidating language. Words like "appreciate" and "respect" were used. Further, they were backing off my own issue of having cats in the house. Not tacitly, but still.
My amendment to the rule will pass no doubt, unless the Board fakes proxy votes or deliberately miscounts the tally. My goal will be to "get out the vote" for the annual association meeting. I'm still debating running for a Board position myself, and giving an ouster to the evil three (well, one's not so bad) that currently sit on the Board.
That, my friends, is change you can believe in. Not idle words said by an idle, self-posturing politician, but grass-roots actions aimed at making life better. Let's hope it works.
posted by Now with 110% less odor control at 4:38 PM
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