Dog Community

NO TRESPASSING

dyan

Posted : 10/23/2006 8:17:07 PM

Boy am I feeling bad. I live in a residential area...all houses, and a few areas of town houses and a small shopping strip center. Since Ollie has come into my life 5 years ago in July, I have walked him thru the same streets sometimes twice a day when he was at my house here and there. Everyone loved him, many people would stop and remark how shiny and friendly and big he is. Of course I got a million comments such as " do you have a saddle for him?" Ollie doesn't come here anymore since I got Bubblegum but I walk her in the same streets. There is almost no day that someone doesn't stop and comment how pretty she is. She was a show dog and she prances proudly when we walk. I have made a lot of friends over the years by walking these Danes... now when I walk by myself there is always someone waving to me.. or saying "hi" because they know me. When I walk without the dog, they ask "where is your dog?" I haven't taken Bubby for a couple of days because its been raining and I haven't felt very good. Today I took her and when I got into one of the townhouse developments down the street that I go thru all of the time,,,there were signs by the entrance and on the grass on the main street that the development is on, that say NO DOG WALKING ON THIS PROPERTY UNLESS YOU LIVE HERE...NO TRESPASSING - VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSSICUTED! I feel so bad. I don't really see anyone walking thru there with dogs, besides me, so I feel these sign were put up because of me. No one has ever approached me about being there,,, no one has ever complained to me or got mad at me. Many of the people stop to ask about the dogs. And in all of the five years that I have walked thru there, there has not been one time that either Bubblegum or Ollie has even pee'd on their grass much less left a pile. Of course I walk with bags in hand in case they go, but I never let them on the grass by these small yard places because I don't feel they should go on peoples lawns. I love going thru there because poeple are so nice, the houses are so cute and I love to look at all the pretty flowers people plant...I feel so bad that I can't go there anymore. I feel bad that I have to feel guilty...I feel that I was a topic of conversation at an association meeting from there. I don't understand why if anyone had a problem they didn't tell me. And of course I don't KNOW that it is me that caused a problem,,,but since I see no one else walking their dog there, I assume it would be me. Worst part is I walk there because I feel safe. Most of the streets around here have a lot of dogs, sometimes they are loose,,,so I go where I know we will stay out of trouble, so I keep going in the same places. I wonder if anyone had any thing happen to them like this.

cyclefiend2000

Posted : 10/23/2006 8:24:49 PM

i would have to say that it is probably a small faction in the neighborhood that got this enacted. i know we are having an upcoming HOA meeting and there are several amendments that are being proposed. i know for an almost certainty that the majority of the amendments have been brought about because of one family that doesnt seem to like people (especially people with pets). hopefully the amendments will get squashed, but if he can get enough supporters it will go through.

i feel sorry that this happened to you, and hopefully you will be able to find an even nicer street to walk on. [

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dyan

Posted : 10/23/2006 8:43:26 PM

You know the killer part?? I live in a cluster home developement...only about 25 free standing cluster homes...and I go to the HOA meetings. Every year someone there (usually a cranky person that complains about everything) bring up something about not letting kids ride thru on their bikes,,,or skates...or sometimes people walking in general....and they make me so mad that I always answer them with some kind of remark like "why do you want to live in a world by yourself and not see the real world?" or something like that...... Obviously there was no one like me at that meeting they must have had a few weeks ago.

cyclefiend2000

Posted : 10/23/2006 9:01:09 PM

our HOA used to have a policy that you had to be in attendance to vote. that was a disaster waiting to happen. now they let you vote by proxy if you cant make the meeting. so hopefully, the crack pots wont be able to railroad any crappy rules through.

one of the rules they were trying to pass was something to the effect that you could have a "reasonable number" of pets. i am totally against that because who's idea of reasonable are they going to use? right now we have 2 cats and 2 dogs and fish.we have been considering trying to foster a dog. for us it would be doable, but others in our neighborhood might consider that unreasonable.

the other ones i didnt like was about picking up after your dog and leashing your dog when not in your yard. things we already do, and really are covered by the leash and dog walking laws already in place. i guess my biggest concern is that the HOA will become too inflated with rules. i mean i bought my house to live in, and not to be dictated to.

loveukaykay

Posted : 10/23/2006 9:21:59 PM

Aww Dyan Im sorry about that! Ill tell ya what I would do. Keep right on like normal until someone told me otherwise, in person, sent me a letter... something like that. Its a neighborhood with their rules, you will not be PROSECUTED in any crazy way. Theyll probably just tell you you cant go anymore, give you a warning or something. I dunno, I would keep going. Maybe its not for you.?

The home we are selling that weve been living in with my parents is obnoxious with the HOA rules. We got in trouble for having our garbage cans by the garage door. Apparently they cant be visible from the street. Then we got in trouble for having a boat in the driveway. So, we opened the gate and put it back there and we were none too happy about that. Well... then they said it has to be COVERED! WTF?? In my own backyard your gonna tell me that. We put that boat right back in the driveway where it was originally. Basically, shove it! We use the boat almost every weekend its like, PEOPLE!, Im just living life here leave me alone! We knew we were putting the house up for sale anyway which it is now so they can deal with it until we are gone. How rediculous! You cannot park in the street in front of your house. Oh I could continue but it annoys me too much. $400 a year for what you may ask?? To be bossed around like children! Thats what.

DPU

Posted : 10/23/2006 9:36:35 PM

Something to be said for living in a old WWII neighborhood where our homes are 10ft apart, have streets, curbs, eavesment, sidewalk, lawn, and porch. No rules, can even park in the wrong direction on the street. I don't walk my dogs but others do and it is a time for catching up.

Dyan don't let it affect you, you did nothing wrong. It was probably somebody else that spoiled it for the rest. Probably a Chihuahua. Now you have a great opportunity to explore another area and I am sure Bubblegum will love the change.

sandra_slayton

Posted : 10/23/2006 9:46:59 PM

My middle brother lives in a developement that is controled by all kinds of rules. No two houses on a street can be alike. You must have a privacy fence, the first 4 feet solide pickets, the top two feet lattice work. If your properly backs up to one of the small lakes, the back fence has to be wrought iron. You have to have Bermuda grass is is is slow growing and doesn't take as much water as Augustine.

They also get a notice because the girls left their basketball goal in the dirveway, also one for not having their trash can hidden. They may have a beautiful home and a lovely lake scene out back, but to heck with all those rules and regulations. What i listed was a just a few of them.

jeano

Posted : 10/23/2006 11:00:47 PM

ORIGINAL: sandra_slayton

My middle brother lives in a developement that is controled by all kinds of rules. No two houses on a street can be alike. You must have a privacy fence, the first 4 feet solide pickets, the top two feet lattice work. If your properly backs up to one of the small lakes, the back fence has to be wrought iron. You have to have Bermuda grass is is is slow growing and doesn't take as much water as Augustine.

They also get a notice because the girls left their basketball goal in the dirveway, also one for not having their trash can hidden. They may have a beautiful home and a lovely lake scene out back, but to heck with all those rules and regulations. What i listed was a just a few of them.

That sounds like Sun City in Arizona. Very creepy, kind of Stepford-like.

lorib

Posted : 10/24/2006 12:20:20 AM

I live in one of those weird neighborhoods where the houses are anywhere from one year to one century old and we have NO HOA--Thank God! I prefer a neighborhood to have some character rather than everyone conforming. How boring is that?

Just keep walking Bubby where you have been. It would seem that the area is green space and therefore similar to public areas unless it's gated. Be your lovely charming self and I suspect that nothing will happen. Keep us posted.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 10/24/2006 2:02:09 AM

Years ago when we lived in married student housing, someone actually complained to management that the noise of the squeaky wheels on little tricycles and wagons was keeping him from studying in his apartment during the summer. Management decided that student housing had to be a place where families could live, and the students had a library to go to if they needed to study. Unless that whole place is privately owned, I don't see how they can keep someone from walking down the street - whether they live there or not.

Joyce

dyan

Posted : 10/24/2006 7:19:19 AM

Thanks for the vote of confidence pals! I truely feel bad about this..I do take it very personally.. a trait that is bad in my personality. I take EVERYTHING personally.
HOA are a pain, I live in one also. DH is the president..but we have a managment company running it. Stupid rules mainly but we knew them when we moved in. I fight now to NOT let them add more stupid rules.
To think about that development where they put up the signs,, I am trying to think if there is anyone that I pass that doesn't seem nice..and there is one guy in the main entrance that seems to be by himself...an elderly fella that might be retired. He plants flowers and a veggie to two by his house. so he is out sometimes..and when I walk by he might be the only one that doesn't smile and say "hi!" But he can sure see that I walk in the middle of the street and don't let Bubby on anyones grass. Another fellow that lives by the back entrance,, actually says "hi Bubblegum" when I walk by, sometimes calling my attention to the fact that he is out. He was complaining about people not picking up after their dogs,,,and he knows I'm not one of them,,,we talked about that. He likes Bubby and will come out to pet her,,as well as his wife.
My son Mike (Ollies Dad) has a "best friend" that lives there with his wife. I asked them to ask this couple if they KNOW if I'm the reason that the signs went up. Don't know if they are involved enough to know or not. For now though, I do'nt know if I have the guts to go thru there..But the one street that had the first sign on the grass I will go down always, they can't stop me as that is a public street. I always go down there and into the association thru the back...but maybe I will just not enter it. I probably could because there are no signs on the road entering that back way,, I only saw them coming out thru the front. But I'm just not sure what I will do. I DID go thru yesterday, but not sure I will go again. I'll let you guys know if anything new comes up.

houndlove

Posted : 10/24/2006 10:44:59 AM

One of the reasons why I love living in the city. No one can tell me what to do. There was an altercation a while back regarding "parking spots". We have on-street parking and someone who had recently moved in got it in to their head that they were automatically entitled to the spot right directly in front of their front door. He called the cops. The cops showed up and said, "Sorry, you don't own the curb. Stop threatening your neighbors with bodily harm if they park there."

Everything beyond our front lawns is public property, and you can do anything you want on it within the existing laws. And that doesn't change based on the whims of the people living there.

cyclefiend2000

Posted : 10/24/2006 10:54:08 AM

when we were looking for a house, i tried to convince my wife that we should look in one of the downtown neighborhoods. partly for the reasons houndlove states, and partly so we would be living in an established neighborhood. plus many of the downtown neighborhoods in our city are comparatively (compared to the suburbs) inexpensive, but with all the growth/revitalisation downtown i saw that potentially the housing prices would go up dramatically in a short time. now that we have been living in our house for 2 years, the housing costs of living in one of the downtown neighborhoods has dramatically increased. matter of fact i know i guy that now makes a living turning houses.

but i lost out and we are now living in suburban hell. thanks hon![:@]

probe1957

Posted : 10/24/2006 11:04:13 AM

Obviously SOMEONE did something to cause the change in policy but it doesn't sound like it was you. If the area in question is private property, and it sounds like it is, you trespass on it at your own risk.

cyclefiend2000

Posted : 10/24/2006 11:27:15 AM

ORIGINAL: probe1957

Obviously SOMEONE did something to cause the change in policy but it doesn't sound like it was you. If the area in question is private property, and it sounds like it is, you trespass on it at your own risk.

if it is a gated community then i would agree that it is private property, but usually (at least here) once a subdivision is completed the streets are deeded to the city or county. otherwise the HOA is responsible for all street maintenance. [sm=2cents.gif]