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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
EverythingRuined · 19/04/2021 20:44

How do the residents association know who is buying the house and how would they have your current address?

This, are you sure your friend isn’t teasing you?

. TBH I’d love a no cats rule. Id love my own cat but can’t stand having to deal with neighbours cats shit.

Thelnebriati · 19/04/2021 20:51

Dog owners have to securely fence the garden. Why can't she just do that?

dotdashdashdash · 19/04/2021 20:52

It's probably unenforceable unless it's a covenant in the deeds. BUT I wouldn't want to live in an area that didn't allow cats because of the worry they'd harm the cat.

krustykittens · 19/04/2021 20:52

Is anyone else reminded of the X Files episode where Mulder and Scully were investigating deaths in a gated community and it turned out the head of the resident's association had created a golem that murdered anyone that broke a bible's worth of rules?

Either way, OP, your friend needs to see this as a lucky escape. You can just image what a miserable pain in the arse it would be to live amongst these people.

waitingforthenextseason · 19/04/2021 20:59

There are areas in the states that are 'bird sanctuaries' and outdoor cats are not allowed. People know the rules in those areas.

cyclingmad · 19/04/2021 21:00

Wow OP to agree with that poster that people who don't like cats are cunts. Appalling

TroysMammy · 19/04/2021 21:02

Are you moving to Eerie, Indiana? You might find the residents looking extremely fresh because they sleep in Tupperware boxes.

There is no way I would move somewhere with restrictions by a Resident's Association. You would probably have to wash your car and mow your lawn every Sunday and keep your wheelie bins in the correct order in front of your house.

Twinkie01 · 19/04/2021 21:04

I'm obviously a cunt because it'd be a dream to live somewhere where I didn't have to clean cats shit from my flowerbeds everyday.

Keeping2ChevronsApart · 19/04/2021 21:04

@Febo24

No one controls cats. Cats control us.
I can't believe people don't know this already 😀
QueenPaw · 19/04/2021 21:04

@LST I'm not allowed to hang washing out in my garden Hmm despite owning it
They've basically applied the rules of the giant block of flats with no gardens to mine also (small 4 flats, I have my own private garden)
So the houses on either side of me can festoon their gardens in washing, but I can't

Apparently they can also inspect my property monthly. It should be painted in approved colours, no pets except one caged bird or fish and a giant long list of other stuff
I've never had an inspection in 14 years

HowWeAre · 19/04/2021 21:05

My childhood cat was poisoned and died at Christmas. We don’t know if it was accidental or not but it was a really traumatic experience. I honestly wouldn’t risk it if it’s a cat hating neighbourhood. There are some horrible people in the world.

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 19/04/2021 21:21

@DurhamDurham

I'd be having seconds thoughts. The 'perfect' village in Hot Fuzz comes to mind.....'for the greater good' ShockGrin
The cats upset the swans Grin
Fundays12 · 19/04/2021 21:23

I would pull out from the sale as "The residents association" sound like a bunch of interfering, noisy busybodies but it's probably not legally enforceable.

belle002 · 19/04/2021 21:27

Is it strictly no cats or no pets unless you get permission from the freeholder? Ours (freehold too) has a rule that says no dogs but you can get specific permission from freeholders association for one. Every second person has a dog and no one has ever asked as far as I’m aware. Can you talk to any neighbours about this rule and how it’s applied in practice? Also is it no cats but dogs are allowed? That would be so weird!

StoneofDestiny · 19/04/2021 21:30

Oh the joy if some body of worthies would be able to stop anti social neighbours, barking dogs, messed up gardens, cat and dog shit, loud music outside, anti social parking, screeching kids and noisy trampolines. Bliss - but would half the content on AIBU 😂

RampantIvy · 19/04/2021 21:30

Mind you, I'd also want to run a mile from a residents association like this

So would I. Even though we don't have a cat I wouldn't like to live in a neighbourhood where everyone hated cats.

QueenPaw · 19/04/2021 21:35

@StoneofDestiny oh our management company don't
I mean I can't hang my washing out but loud music from the surrounding houses, dogs barking, anti social parking, kids.. "not their issue" I had a parking war for 13 years and they did fuck all, but stick an airer outside and I get a phone call HmmGrin

MintyMabel · 19/04/2021 21:38

I hate cats. I'd love them not to exist. However, I couldn't possibly insist nobody has one, and I wouldn't expect a Residents Association can insist on it either.

As for checking the deeds, you can pretty much ignore that too. Every newbuild property I have lived in had a thing in the deeds about only having one pet. Plenty of people ignored that and I don't think there is very much anything anyone can do about it.

That said, if the RA thinks they can do this, you probably don't want to live there. For sure they'd be knocking on your door asking why you didn't clap for carers.

Original poster
museumsandgalleries666 · 19/04/2021 21:44

@cyclingmad

Wow OP to agree with that poster that people who don't like cats are cunts. Appalling
You're right, my bad. I was actually agreeing with the remarks about the residents association.
OP posts:
Ilovecharliecat · 19/04/2021 21:51

how on earth can a residents association decide that an area must be cat free? is it also dog free? bird free? bloody knobs tell them to feck off!! in my opinion anyone who doesn't like cats is not worth bothering with (i have 3 cats BTW)

Boph · 19/04/2021 21:56

Your friend has dodged a bullet there, assuming she pulls out.
Not because of the cat but because of the potential for long term problems with neighbours who would want to control what you can or cannot do.

HarrietHardy · 19/04/2021 22:01

Oh god, I've bet they've got rigid rules on working from home, parking, pets in general, the noise of children playing, clapping for carers, wafts of BBQ smoke, and are currently planning the silk bunting for the Queen's platinum jubilee.

MichelleScarn · 19/04/2021 22:16

@misslucyeyelesbarrow *DurhamDurham

I'd be having seconds thoughts. The 'perfect' village in Hot Fuzz comes to mind.....'for the greater good'

The cats upset the swans*

Swans? There's only one Swan, Peter Ian Staker said so 🍦

DancingWithWillard · 19/04/2021 22:26

OP your friend needs to check her deed of conditions. If she is moving onto a managed development (which it sounds like she is) then there will be a host of conditions in the deeds which residents are expected to abide by.

The residents association if properly elected do actually have the power to enforce the conditions if they decide to take your friend to court and legally oppose her breaking of the conditions. However, it is not guaranteed to be upheld if a judge considers there to be no harm or significant detriment to the rest of the development being caused.

QueenPaw I’m a managing agent and we get this all the time. We only have the authority to deal with common areas and advise on upholding the deed of conditions. All the other problems you are experiencing with anti-social behaviour etc are “neighbour disputes “ and against our code of conduct and contract authority to get involved with. Don’t get me wrong, I really feel for you and understand how annoying it is, but there’s nothing the agent can do- they have no authority.

As someone who deals with this day in and day out OP tell your friend to pull out. No one wants to live in a neighbourhood with a RA so rabid they are sending warning letters out to potential owners. Unless she is similarly minded she will never settle and feel restricted and miserable.

I would tear a strip off the estate agent who put the bid in without warning of the conditions (check them- the cats will be the least of it) and the solicitor for not checking until so late.

However- it may not actually be in the deed of conditions and just be an advisory of the RA. Even so - avoid!!!

steppemum · 19/04/2021 22:31

Wait though.

Our area has a residents association. They produce a newsletter 4 times a year, have sponsorship and colour photos and everything.
But they are not us. They are one group of people who love being a residents association. The rest of us just look at the newsletter and stick it in the recycling.

So, I would call their bluff. Go back, ask for more details, ask what the legal standing is, and what the consequences are etc etc.

Also, go and knock on 5 random doors in the street and show them the letter and ask, is this normal, what's the deal here? Find out if everyone is batshit, or if it is a couple of people with a bee in their bonnet.

If after that you decide to pull out, send a letter to their solicitor asking for costs returned as this was not made clear earlier, and you have a cat, and so they have failed to disclose.
I suspect the vendors will be pretty cross and go back to RA and cause a fuss.