Rules for Thee: Animals and Pets and Your HOA
Once again, we are reviewing HOA Community Standards for my neighborhood in Wimauma, Florida, which is located outside of Tampa in the South Shore area of Hillsborough County. Let’s see what they say about pets (emphasis mine):
No animals of any kind shall be raised, bred or kept within Vista Palms for commercial purposes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, pets may be kept or harbored in a home only so long as such pet or animals do not constitute a nuisance. A determination by the Board that an animal or pet kept or harbored in a home is a nuisance shall be conclusive and binding on all parties. All pets shall be walked on a leash. No pet shall be permitted outside a home unless such pet is kept on a leash or within an enclosed portion of the yard of a Lot or dog park. No pet or animal shall be “tied out” on the exterior of the home or in the common areas, or left unattended in a yard or on a balcony, porch or patio. No dog runs, dog pens or dog houses are permitted on any Lot. When notice of removal of any pet is given by the Board, the pet shall be removed within forty-eight (48) hours of giving of the notice. All Pets shall defecate only in the “pet walking” areas within Vista Palms designated for such purpose, if any, or on the Owner’s Lot. The person walking the pet or the Owner shall clean up all matter created by the pet during the walk. Each owner shall be responsible for the activities of their pet. Pets are not permitted in any water body in Vista Palms. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, service dogs shall not be governed by the restriction contained in this Sections. The Association intends to enforce all pet related violations but will not be held liable for owners that choose to ignore attempts to get into compliance.
This is a big joke. First of all, if there is one thing you realize about living in the great “suburbs,” it’s that people have their pets, they walk them, they shit wherever, and most pet owners do not clean it up. Our neighborhood is “nice enough” to have [broken] pet waste disposal bins and poops bags [mostly not] available to assist pet owner in their quests. But ain’t nobody doin’ all that. In fact, many of the things mentioned in this Standard have been ignored for as long as I have been living here.