AIBU moving into house with a cat in no-cats neighbourhood

[museumsandgalleries666]

Asking for a friend :-)
Buying a house (freehold) in a newly-built (20 years old) neighbourhood and have received a letter from the resident's association advising no cats are allowed.
AIBU to continue my purchase and move in anyway? Do the Res Assoc have any legal right to stop anyone owning a cat?
Looking for advice as nearing completion and purchase chain will be affected.

I personally wouldn't unless it was a strictly indoor cat

Have a look at some of the neighbour from hell threads on here!

No probs if indoor cat. Is there anything in title deeds? Anything from your solicitors?

I don’t think they have any legal rights but this is a warning that it will not be safe to let your cat out - anti freeze etc

What do the deeds say? Check with your solicitor . Have you asked the vendor?
Is it leasehold or freehold? I know that some flats have leases which forbid animals but not aware it's a thing with houses . Legal advice is the way to go.

Unless your (friend’s) cat is strictly kept indoors then yes, it’s unreasonable to move into a cat free area with a cat.

I would worry that such regulations on your everyday choices would eventually wear you down. So YANBU to have a cat. But YABU to live somewhere where other people make such detailed choices for you.

Speak to your solicitor

I would get legal advice.

I'd probably pull out if it was enforceable and I wouldn't lose too much money.

Even if it isn't, imagine the moaning you'd get!

There’s such a thing as cat free neighbourhoods? Who knew?!

Is that actually legal. That’s hardly freedom of choice is it. You’re purchasing a home and being told what you can and can’t do in it?!!

I don’t think I’d move there at all, cat or no cat!

I wouldn't buy it.
If my cats aren't welcome (and they're indoor only anyway) then the residents association can do one and so can the vendor.

I know 2 of my NDNs cats died after being poisoned - so the "Cats aren't allowed" would be really worrying for me.

I'd tell the cheeky bastards to get to fuck

They have no legal powers to stop people owning cats or anything else

Mind you, I'd also want to run a mile from a residents association like this. I now have a mental image of a meeting with Jackie Weaver involved

@PinkiOcelot

There’s such a thing as cat free neighbourhoods? Who knew?!

Is that actually legal. That’s hardly freedom of choice is it. You’re purchasing a home and being told what you can and can’t do in it?!!

Exactly this!

Unfortunately not an indoor cat.

And how do you stop random cats from nearby wandering around your neighbourhood?

It's very controlling considering it's an independent property, no shared garden or entrance.

I wouldn't want to move somewhere that didnt allow cats, if it got out then you dont know what could happen, it will have a life trapped indoors unless that's what it likes.,

This sounds like a very strange place. If they don’t allow cats, what else happens in this neighbourhood?
Move there at your peril.

I would not listen to the residents association, what is in the Lease, it may have just won by a vote or the Chairman hates cats.

Cat free area?! Out of interest, where is this? Asking for a friend

Are you in the UK? Is this "Residents' Association " a real thing with actual legal powers, or is it just some local busybodies?

I own two cats and purchased a flat where the deeds said max 1 cat. Our sollicitor advised that it'd be very unlikely that a judge would side with the RA (if the RA were to try and enforce the rule), unless the cats were genuinely being a nuisance.

Having said that, in our case the rule was buried somewhere deep in the deeds and no-one is taking any notice of it. If the Resident Association had actually come around and explicitly warned me that no cats are allowed than I would possibly opt for a cat friendlier environment as I would be worried that someone would try to harm my cats.

TBH, if you pull out of the purchase, I would complain that this wasn't made clear on estate agent details or mentioned before this.

How do the residents association know who is buying the house and how would they have your current address? If the letter has been sent through your estate agent ask them if this is a legal requirement, which I doubt.
Id be wary of moving into an area where the residents association appear to have so much influence on the residents - wonder if all the residents have agreed or if it's just a couple of assholes who take over. I imagine you will have plenty of curtain twitchers watching your every move.

Irrespective of what the subject is, I would now not buy that house. No way. You're buying a freehold house, RA like this will be the bane of your life.

In this particular case a double no because they're likely to remove your cat if you don't comply & feign ignorance.

It would be a horrible environment to live in.

You need to ask your solicitor. That's the sort of thing you are paying them for.

Crikey no I wouldn't want to live in such a controlling place.

I've never heard of this- is it legal? Sounds a little 1984 for my liking... if this is the first you've heard of it and you encounter any costs for pulling out that you send the bill to the residents association .