Rule change brings in new family members

Eric Land’s dog, Boobah, used to stay home in Tampa with a housekeeper when her family visited their Windward Bay condominium. The family wanted their 3-year-old miniature Alaskan Eskimo dog to join them, but she was prohibited from spending time in the community by three words in the condominium community’s rules: “No pets allowed.”

But, since last spring, Boobah has enjoyed trips to Windward Bay because of a change to the community’s rules.

“She loves Windward Bay,” said Land, who is currently president of the condominium association’s board. “She loves looking out the windows and looking out at the birds and the fish and everything.”

Boobah is now allowed on the property because of a vote taken by the board earlier this year to change the community’s rules to allow owners to have two pets — dogs, cats, birds or fish — under 25 pounds at full maturity — with approximately two pages’ worth of conditions. Animals can’t be bred or kept for commercial purposes, and any pet that endangers the health or safety of an individual is prohibited. Pets can’t roam outside and must remain on a leash and can’t be walked near the buildings or walkways unless they’re entering or exiting a unit. Visitors are still prohibited from bringing pets.

But not everyone is happy with the changes.

Beverly Shapiro, who purchased her unit new in 1975, when the community was known as Longboat Harbour North, rather than Windward Bay, said that her issue was more with the process that was followed than it was with pets.

“Ever since the condo was built, when you signed your deed it said that no pets were allowed,” she said.

Shapiro said that owners were not properly notified in advance of the vote. She suggested that the upcoming vote should have been publicized at the monthly meeting before the vote.

“On such a sensitive issue, I think it could have been announced at an earlier meeting,” she said.

“There’s been no huge uproar about it,” said resident Helene Peretz. “My biggest complaint is that there should have been, for an issue like this, more of a community take.”

Land said that the upcoming vote was publicized in an agenda published before the meeting and that the board followed all the rules required by the condominium documents.

“It was a simple rule change,” he said.

“There was plenty of conversation about it before the vote was taken.”

For now, the rule change hasn’t had much of an impact on resident life at Windward Bay.

“I haven’t seen that many dogs around,” said resident Marvin Peretz.

Property Manager Fred Gholson said that the change created a spike in interest from potential buyers for the property.

“There were a number of people that stopped sales because we didn’t allow pets,” he said. “They had a big interest in the types of properties that allow pets.”

Gholson also suggested that some residents could benefit from the companionship a pet can offer.

Land said that most residents he has spoken to favored the change, noting that several residents had owned birds but weren’t sure if they were permitted because the wording of the previous rule was vague.

“They didn’t like the feeling of living outside the rules,” he said.

Contact Robin Hartill at [email protected].