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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

308 replies

museumsandgalleries666 · 19/04/2021 18:42

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
LST · 19/04/2021 19:26

I wouldn't risk my cats somewhere that has stated this regardless of if its legal or not.

sadpapercourtesan · 19/04/2021 19:27

I would run a mile.

a) people who don't like cats are always cunts

b) a residents' association as virulent as this one will make your life a misery

denverRegina · 19/04/2021 19:29

Oooh cat free neighbourhood! Sounds great to me

custardbear · 19/04/2021 19:34

Solicitor for sure

Perhaps if they're bluffing for their own bullying reasons, get said solicitor to send a letter to them suggesting they have no right, and if anything happens to your cat the RA will be blamed automatically 😁

Mamamia456 · 19/04/2021 19:35

Is this for real? Are you in the UK? As others have said how do they know you are buying the property and your current address to send you a letter.

CombatBarbie · 19/04/2021 19:36

I mean I'm a dog lover myself, but I'm failing to see how this can be legal. Sure I get it for flats etc.

I'd be wondering how the estate deals with vermin and how they stop neighbouring cats

lunar1 · 19/04/2021 19:36

I wouldn't proceed with the move, I'd never stop worrying over the safety reasons f the cat.

ColinSupporter · 19/04/2021 19:37

I’d absolutely sign up to a cat free neighbourhood. Ideally (non working) dog free too. In a perfect world it wouldn’t be a neighbourhood, it would be a town. I’m a perfectly nice person and I’d never hurt or harm an animal, I just don’t particularly like other people’s pets and I find the poo everywhere really annoying. I dare say there’s people who’d sign up to child free neighbourhoods too.

Unfortunately I don’t think it’s a thing though. I doubt any such association really has the power to ban cats, but you should ask your solicitor.

FinallyHere · 19/04/2021 19:40

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

I can only think of one way to be sure ... and it isn't pretty for the cats.

PurpleFlower1983 · 19/04/2021 19:40

I would pull out, regardless of whether it’s legal your cat may become a target.

Ragwort · 19/04/2021 19:41

I'd l is to live in a cat (and dog) free neighbourhood Grin but how in earth can it be enforceable? Please send me the address. ......

ForeverAintEnough12 · 19/04/2021 19:41

@museumsandgalleries666 you could be setting yourself up for a lot of hassle if they are used to it being cat free!! My neighbours got a cat and we’ve just realised it’s using our window box for growing salad as a litter box 🤢 🤢 I don’t really mind. We will replant and put some fine net over it but if people are used to living in an area without cats and you can’t control your cat it could cause a lot of issues especially as cat is in the wrong of it starts disrupting neighbours gardens/outside areas.

Screwcorona · 19/04/2021 19:44

There's probably people who've bought there specifically to avoid the problem of roaming neighbour cats. So I'm afraid it would be unreasonable

Febo24 · 19/04/2021 19:45

No one controls cats. Cats control us.

Random789 · 19/04/2021 19:45

Really odd that this residents' association feels it has the power to require this. And how do they have your contact details? Do they have some formal contractual status in relation to your acquisition of this property? I'd be asking the estate agent. It would make me worry that the residents assoc would also behave weirdly in other, non-cat matters.
It all feels a bit Rosemary's Baby to me. Or perhaps Hot Fuzz.

cyclingmad · 19/04/2021 19:45

@sadpapercourtesan

I would run a mile.

a) people who don't like cats are always cunts

b) a residents' association as virulent as this one will make your life a misery

How charming. I don't like cats because they crap in my garden and dig up my flowers. So I've put up plastic spikes to deter them which is working.

How does this make me a cunt? Because I dont want to have to clean up poo? I think I have a right to have a cat poo free garden thanks. If I want to clean up poo, then I'd grt my own pet.

Mummyoflittledragon · 19/04/2021 19:48

It’s not apartment 1BR is it? If it is, don’t move in. They will cook your cat and nail your hands to a wall.

Seriously though, the vendor should have disclosed this information when listing the property. This is a crazy rule. Would I be concerned at breaking this rule? No. But I would be concerned that a vindictive person and probably the person driving this would hurt the cat. I would make a choice based on this.

BigHuff · 19/04/2021 19:49

I would also love a cat (and dog) free neighbourhood. I think both cats and dogs are lovely, but there are now so many of them (more than 10 million cats and 10 million dogs in the uk!!) and they have a huge impact on the environment. There's poo everywhere, cats stalk birds in our garden and people regularly walk their dogs through areas with ground nesting birds/let them run into bodies of water (where the flea/worm treatments wash off and poison the life). We have such a high density of cats on our street that they're always fighting. :( It's just too much.

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 19/04/2021 19:49

My worry would be what other rules does this residents association have. I once lived somewhere I couldn’t hang out washing, I still did though. Twats.

avidavocado · 19/04/2021 19:49

First of all, I couldn't live in the type of neighbour that had such ridiculous and frankly quite sad rules.

It's generally unfair to make an outdoor cat an indoor cat. And I would worry someone would poison your cat or similar if you let it out.

And I would never rehome a pet for this reason.

DicklessWonder · 19/04/2021 19:50

Where, OP? This is the sort of clause I’d pay more to have!

DynamoKev · 19/04/2021 19:50

@sadpapercourtesan

I would run a mile.

a) people who don't like cats are always cunts

b) a residents' association as virulent as this one will make your life a misery

Point a) is a filthy shitty attitude. Why the fuck does everyone have to like cats?
LST · 19/04/2021 19:51

@allthegoodusernameshavegone

My worry would be what other rules does this residents association have. I once lived somewhere I couldn’t hang out washing, I still did though. Twats.
What? Why? Wow!
Wizzbangfizz · 19/04/2021 19:53

I can't believe such a thing is legal! I would also be worried for my cat as it isn't beyond people to hate cats that much they will murder them.

Megan2018 · 19/04/2021 19:53

I wouldn’t touch the house with a bargepole. That’s no way to live.

I’d be terrified if my cats welfare and you’d hardly be able to make friends with the neighbours. Plus imagine the resale limitations.

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