Feeding Feral Cats

Started by AlexM1 • 10 replies • 2930 views

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AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287

Posted:

At our complex, we have a very troublesome troublemaker who happens to be an owner. This troublemaker is not allowed(police orders) to bother the upstairs tenant due to past harassments and problems with other neighbors. When she verbally attacked me with viciousness and using the "F" word in everything, I called the police and even though the police did not go to visit her, they did make out an incident report on the situation and said if it happened again, I could get a restraining order. I have a tenant who lives close to her and this person is attacking her as a way of getting back at me. This tenant is accused of feeding feral cats. I think she does because she loves cats and she is a very senior old lady. She does not leave food out for rodents, etc. She has fake trees in her patio to keep the sun from coming in. She has a nice small table on the patio and a small table cloth on it. This mean troublemaker has reported her to management (it is actually to get back at me) for keeping trees there to hide the cats.....the tablecloth there to hide the food dishes(even though there are none)..........

What is the best course of action to get at this troublemaker? Have the elder tenant report her to the police for harassment?

DonA2 (Arizona)
Posts: 170

Posted:

Is the tenant feeding the cats or isn't she? If she is, that would need to stop first.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

I agree with Don.

You suspect that the cats are being fed. Regardless as to why the food is left out, any food not finished or left unattended can, and likely do, attract other animals and insects.

LarryB13 (Arizona)
Posts: 4,099

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By AlexM1 on 08/19/2015 6:29 AM
At our complex, we have a very troublesome troublemaker who happens to be an owner. This troublemaker is not allowed(police orders) to bother the upstairs tenant due to past harassments and problems with other neighbors. When she verbally attacked me with viciousness and using the "F" word in everything, I called the police and even though the police did not go to visit her, they did make out an incident report on the situation and said if it happened again, I could get a restraining order. I have a tenant who lives close to her and this person is attacking her as a way of getting back at me. This tenant is accused of feeding feral cats. I think she does because she loves cats and she is a very senior old lady. She does not leave food out for rodents, etc. She has fake trees in her patio to keep the sun from coming in. She has a nice small table on the patio and a small table cloth on it. This mean troublemaker has reported her to management (it is actually to get back at me) for keeping trees there to hide the cats.....the tablecloth there to hide the food dishes(even though there are none)..........

What is the best course of action to get at this troublemaker? Have the elder tenant report her to the police for harassment?

Alex,

I am a bit confused by your description of events. You have one party who is the "troublesome troublemaker" owner, the TTO. There is an upstairs neighbor who has a restraining order to keep the TTO away, correct? You have also had at least one run-in with the TTO, correct? You own a unit that you rent to "a very senior old lady," the VSOL.

Is it the TTO who is accusing the VSOL of feeding feral cats? But you have seen no evidence that the VSOL is feeding feral cats?

How old is the TTO? Does she live alone? Does she have an family nearby that you know of? The reason I ask is that, based on some recent experience with elderly relatives, all of the TTO's actions are consistent with the onset of senile dementia.

As far as dealing with the TTO, call the police every time she causes a problem so that there is a trail of documentation. Obtain whatever restraining orders may be available from your local municipal/county court. Eventually the police and the courts will tire of dealing with the TTO and, hopefully, drag her off for a psych evaluation.

My observation has been that in most families no one takes an elderly person's mental problems seriously until there is some sort of crisis. Bailing granny out of the booby hatch might be the crisis her family needs to take action. On the other hand, maybe the family already has taken action and that is why she is living in your condo complex where they do not have to deal with her.

GlenL (Ohio)
Posts: 5,491

Posted:

If any of the things you described (trees, tablecloth, feeding feral cats) are against the CC&Rs then you as the landlord have an obligation to make her stop or remove the banned items, no matter how sweet and old lady she is. If they're not violations, tell the complainer to pound sand and move on.

Studies show that 5 out of 4 people have problems with fractions

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

ditto

NicoleO1 (California)
Posts: 181

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By GlenL on 08/19/2015 7:43 PM
If any of the things you described (trees, tablecloth, feeding feral cats) are against the CC&Rs then you as the landlord have an obligation to make her stop or remove the banned items, no matter how sweet and old lady she is. If they're not violations, tell the complainer to pound sand and move on.

Exactly..
They must be violations.. not suspicious judgement. IF judgement is made without violation references... the board and HOA are putting themselves up for trouble. Legal even.

NicoleO1 (California)
Posts: 181

Posted:

Quote:

Exactly..
They must be violations.. not suspicious judgement. IF judgement is made without violation references... the board and HOA are putting themselves up for trouble. Legal even.

AlexM1 (Oklahoma)
Posts: 287

Posted:

There is nothing in the CC&Rs about feeding feral cats or about small table cloths on patio tables, etc. To keep
this in perspective.... the complainer is after me and she is using my tenant to get at me. She knows that there
is nothing in the CC&Rs about feeding feral cats so not she is attempting to invoke the nuisance law.... feeding the cats
by this old woman is a nuisance.

NicoleO1 (California)
Posts: 181

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By AlexM1 on 09/02/2015 7:40 AM
There is nothing in the CC&Rs about feeding feral cats or about small table cloths on patio tables, etc. To keep
this in perspective.... the complainer is after me and she is using my tenant to get at me. She knows that there
is nothing in the CC&Rs about feeding feral cats so not she is attempting to invoke the nuisance law.... feeding the cats
by this old woman is a nuisance.

Take ther personal stuff out of this.. if no rule has been broken.. so be it, nothing can be done. Meanwhile your personal issues with lady should be handled with police reports anc possible harassment charges.. keep the separate.

PitA
Posts: 1,416

Posted:

Horry County, South Carolina

Feeding, or causing to be fed, Feral Cats is a violation of the county code of ordinances.

Regardless of any HOA Covenant, Horry County LE is authorized to enforce the ordinance.

Not sure what the penalty would/could be.

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