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HaleyH (Illinois)
Posts: 67
Posted:
A member has complained for years that his neighbor's dogs are a nuisance and that the neighbor has been lax / allowing her dogs to go in his yard to poop.
It has gotten so bad he is asking the board again to intervene and is threatening legal action. I am one of three Board members.
Side point; we only allow two pets per owner, but this member owns three dogs. One she states is a service dog.

She hhas denied the dog poop is from her dogs... it is a 'she said, he said' issue.
Her dogs bark a lot and scratch the walls a lot...
But what as a HOA can we do?

It has escalated to a point where each side has called the police a few times on each other.
She feels harrassed and he feels she is not following the rules and also that the dogs are out of control causing hardship for him.

Thanks.
MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836
Posted:
Animal control - HOA is NOT. Call Animal control to handle the issue. Take it out of your court. This is a neighbor to neighbor issue just happens to be in a HOA. It's time to back out and put it to the right authorities.

Threatening to sue? For what? Wrong people to sue is the HOA. Tell them they have to sue their neighbor. If they continue their threats just tell them you will wait on the paperwork. Not every threat of a lawsuit or lawsuit brought to the HOA is worth the paper it's written on.

Former HOA President
HaleyH (Illinois)
Posts: 67
Posted:
Thanks for the reply, makes sense.
TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059
Posted:
This is a neighbor v neighbor dispute.

If the HOA desires, they may enforce the two dog rule (one service animal and one other). However, check with an attorney prior to entertaining such an action.
KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550
Posted:
I agree it's a neighbor v. neighbor issue UNLESS the HOA has rules about dogs being off-leash or doing their business in the yards of others. We certainly have rules against dogs using our common areas, and we certainly do call the owners to hearing if witnessed or seen on camera. Rarely happens but we do enforce this.
DouglasM6 (Arizona)
Posts: 724
Posted:
As the HOA, all you can really do is put out a nicely worded letter to ALL of the residents asking them to be respectful of their neighbors. I did this and it seemed to have worked. In the letter you can mention methods used to help stop dogs from barking; collars, etc.

I also mentioned county ordinances to residents that were complaining about dogs barking. Not an HOA issue, in my case.
AntonyR (Utah)
Posts: 6
Posted:
As MelissaP1 said.. I think Animal Control can have the solution. But HOA can enact the rule of having only two pets not three.

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