Dog in a co-op - Part II
Thanks for your responses to my question earlier this week: http://forum.brownstoner.com/question/d-JdqI1HRV8=/dogs-in-a-co-op My co-op now aggrees that my adoption of a dog was within accordance of the co-op house rules (although it’s still regarded by some as un-neighborly). My problem now is that my co-op takes issue with my dogwalker – as a stranger with access to the building. The circumstances: – Many members of the co-op leave their apartment doors unlocked. – The co-op recently expressed concern with an increasing number of strangers in the building. The meeting notes state “Several owners expressed concern about the increasing number of strangers in and out of the building. Board requires that visitors be announced. Simple email should suffice.” – Before the first visit of the dog walker, I sent out an email with a photo of the walker, a link to their website, their email address, their cell number, my cell number, that the walker will stop by Mon-Fri between 1:00-3:00pm. (the walker is a local business with a yelp page and other clients on our block) To what extent can a co-op limit access to the building? Is there a distinction between non-residents being let in by an owner vs. possessing a key? If my dog walker is limited access to the building – must this rule extend to other service providers such as home nurses, house cleaners, etc.? Thanks again for your advice!
whaaaaaaaat
in Co-Op Related 12 years ago
9
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9 replies
brokelin | 12 years ago
Nope, can’t be my old coop – they didn’t allow dogs.
brokelin | 12 years ago
Sounds like you live in my old coop (or one with just as crazy neighbors.) They need to grow up and lock their doors. They need to recognize that other people have lives with people (including service providers) in them. This isn’t about rationality – it is about craziness. In my coop there was someone who complained when one apartment gave a key to the outer vestibule door (not the inner one, mind you, just the outer one) to the newspaper delivery people, so that their newspaper could be delivered into the lobby and not stolen, as it was when left outside on the stoop – the horror! This person who complained would leave both inner and outer doors standing wide open while loading up their car partway down the block, the building open for anyone to walk in – then, when a small piece of furniture they had left in the lobby disappeared while they were doing this car loading for a trip disappeared, accused others in the coop of throwing out the piece of furniture because they didn’t like the one leaving/storing it in the lobby (when common sense said that, it having been there unmolested by the neighbors for years, it was likely gone as the result of theft due said coop-er leaving the doors wide open for long periods of time on the very day the piece of furniture went missing.) Same person who complained about access to the vestibule by the newspaper delivery people then went away for over a year, subletting one of only four units in the building out to two people without telling anyone. Stop looking for rationality, and start planning your exit in due time – they will get crazier as time goes on and more stuff happens. Your only sanity will be thinking about when you will sell (hopefully at a nice profit, as the crap they will pull when you go to sell will outdo everything done previously, and will only be bearable if you are making some serious money on the sale.) Don’t give your boyfriend a key – really??
anotherposter | 12 years ago
Maybe explain the point of a dog walker. Your dog can be cooped up in the apartment all day (are your neighbors suggesting such inhumane treatment?) and possibly get bored and bark all day and maybe have to use the bathroom inside, or a person who you have hired can come and take the dog out. Also, who the hell doesn’t lock their doors?? I once had an elderly neighbor who was so deaf she would just buzz anybody into the building, which led me to have to call the cops more than once for bad things happening due to such visitors–I can’t imagine any of my neighbors there didn’t lock their doors. You’ve got somebody who doesn’t have enough to worry about giving you a hard time and it’s unfortunate. Good luck!
greenmountain | 12 years ago
So what if somebody in the building wanted to hire me to install tile in a bathroom? Should I charge extra anticipating extra hassle? Do your neighbors expect their building to maintain itself? Do they also want to restrict the service entrance? Parking spaces? Does anybody have a newspaper delivered?
brooklynbemused | 12 years ago
Tell them that you started dating the dog walker and your “girl/boyfriend” has a key. After that, don’t ever tel them anything ever again! You have gone out of your way to be neighborly and considerate. They have gone out of their way to be judgemental and overbearing. Cut the cord.
Putnamdenizen | 12 years ago
Tell them to lock their doors. And hide their sons and daughters.
boredatwork | 12 years ago
Unfortunately, you have to live with these people, otherwise I would tell them to go F themselves. You are being more than cooperative and complying with one request after another. All of these issues/questions should be addressed in the proprietary lease or co-op bylaws. I would think that meeting notes are not binding. To answer your question, I think they can limit access to a great extent. Many larger co-ops restrict access to deliveries and for renovations to time of day and time of year. Unfortunately, this is the big risk of living in a co-op: having neighbors who control what you can do with your property. I understand the need protect one’s investment, but the co-op here is going overboard. What’s next? No UPS without prior notice? No cleaning services without a background check? Good luck when you try to sell.
zg | 12 years ago
You sound like a lovely neighbor/human being, but after reading this and your previous post, I must say, that your fellow shareholders sound like some of the biggest, most entitled pains in the ass that I’ve ever heard of. That’s all, best of luck with your pup, Fort Greene park before 9AM is a great place for dogs.
elbow | 12 years ago
Sounds like you’re in compliance with the rules. I have a friend with a dog walking business and he has keys to most of his client’s places. They’re crazy not to lock their doors, no matter where they live.